Officials from the Warner College of Natural Resources and Colorado State Land Board joined with Colorado State Forest Service staff on June 24 to celebrate the completion of the new Colorado State Forest headquarters near Walden, Colorado. The building replaced the outdated previous headquarters, which had been in use since the 1940s.
Speaking at the dedication event, which followed a theme of “Honoring the Past, Preparing for the Future,” were Dean John Hayes from the Warner College, Deputy State Forester Joe Duda and State Land Board Assistant Director Greg Ochis. Representatives from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, North Park Fire Rescue Authority and the Jackson County Board of Commissioners also attended the event.
“Just like the existing historical buildings on the site provided the platform for the Colorado State Forest Service’s success in the past century, this new facility sets the stage for continued impact through this century,” said Hayes.
Dignitaries at the event planted a Colorado blue spruce to commemorate the completion of the building, and attendees enjoyed a walking tour of the new and historically significant buildings. The CSFS recently nominated the older, handcrafted log buildings to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places later this year.
“This was a dedication of the new building, but also a celebration of our longstanding relationship with the State Land Board and the community, and we look forward to continuing our service to both in the future,” said Duda, who, along with CSFS Steamboat Springs District Forester John Twitchell, was instrumental in making the new building a reality.
The Colorado State Forest is a 71,000-acre state trust property located in north-central Colorado, stretching approximately 28 miles along the Medicine Bow Mountains. Established in 1938, it is a unique state trust property where forestry, grazing, recreation and wildlife coexist on a working landscape.
The CSFS, a service and outreach agency of the Warner College of Natural Resources, is responsible for forest management of the state forest.
