Forestry
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Almost 70% of the forested land in Campbell County is owned by private individuals. That's over 200,000 acres in the hands of private landowners. Campbell County Conservation District is working together with these individuals to ensure that forest owners have the information, tools, and resources they need to manage their land in a way that reduces the risks of high intensity wildfire, increases forage resources for livestock, protects water quality and quantity, improves wildlife habitat, and provides insect and disease control.
The Campbell County Conservation District has been active in pursuing grant funding to help private landowners shoulder the burden of the cost of tree thinning projects. During 2015 and 2016, CCCD has accomplished approximately 400 acres of timber stand improvements on private lands. |
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If you are interested in learning more about forest management or cost share programs, please contact the District office.
Before Timber Stand Improvement
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After Timber Stand Improvement
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Campbell County Forestry Strategy
In 2017, the District developed the Campbell County Forestry Strategy in cooperation with the Campbell County Forestry Working Group. The mission of the Campbell County Forestry Working Group is to facilitate landscape scale forest management activities across ownership boundaries, through the development and integration of focus areas in Campbell County, helping to promote overall forest health. The working group is composed of stakeholders that have active roles in forest resource management in Campbell County. It was formed to generate recommendations on future management direction in the below specific topics taken from the Wyoming Statewide Forest Resource Assessment of June 2010: • Fire • Invasive & Noxious Species • Native Damaging Agents • Rural Interface • Storm Events • Wildlife Habitat Concerns • Water Quality and Supply • Agroforestry • Forest Stewardship Potential • Timber Industry • Potential Markets |
Download Your Copy of the Campbell County Forestry Document Here |
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Wildfire and the Rural Interface
Throughout the past three to four decades, Campbell County has seen an increase in the population of the County. According to US Census Bureau data from 2016 to 2020, the population of Campbell County has increased by 4.3%. With this per capita growth has come the increase in developments and subdivisions being constructed within rural interface areas. Little consideration has been taken in regards to the wildland fuels that surround these interface areas. This can pose a tremendous risk to life, property and infrastructure, and to the responding units tasked with the responsibility of fire suppression of structures and wildland fire events. A total of 2,014 fires have been recorded by the Campbell County Fire Department between 2001 and 2014. Almost half of these fires were ignited by human activity. 
In 2001 communities at risk were identified for the National Registry. Criterion set forth within the State of Wyoming was that these communities must be in and among conifer vegetation. Identified in Campbell County were the Bitter Creek Area, Brunson Subdivision, Cedar Hills, Mader Subdivision, Silver Hills, and Wildwood Camp.
Fire is always going to be present on the landscape of Campbell County, whether human or naturally caused. It is imperative that the population of the County is aware of this and takes steps to become more fire adaptive as a community. Below are some sources that can be used to to become more fire adaptive. Firewise - www.firewise.org Fire Adapted Communities - www.fireadapted.org Ready, Set Go! - www.wildlandfirersg.org |
Cedar Draw 2 Fire 2016
Campbell County Fire Hazard Map
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