The Casper Mountain landowner field day Friday, June 18, will help landowners prepare a more resilient forest on Casper Mountain, said organizers of the event.

Attendees will meet at the Casper Mountain Trails Center. The field day is in partnership between University of Wyoming Extension and the Wyoming State Forestry Division.

“This event is put together so we can help develop a much more resilient and fire-prepared forest on Casper Mountain because it has been so prone to forest fires in high drought summers, and it looks like we are heading into one of those,” said Donna Hoffman, UW Extension educator.

Topics in tree species selection, attracting wildlife and the fire mitigation effort will be addressed, shared Brian Anderson, district forester for the Wyoming State Forestry Division.

“One of the things we want to encourage is proper species selection and proper planting when trees are put in, so they have a good start and encourage diversity in the forest, so we don’t have a stand of all the same age and all of the same species of trees in the forest, so we are also pest or disease resilient,” said Hoffman.

Experts will also discuss potential health issues to be aware of and landowners can be on the watch for, shared Hoffman.

“If we have something occur on Casper Mountain, people will be aware of it and look for it, and we can put a stop to it early rather than after it’s begun to spread a lot,” said Hoffman.

The agenda

8:30-9 a.m. – Registration, Lisa Ogden, Natrona County Conservation District

9-9:10 a.m. – Welcome with Hoffman

9:10-10 a.m. ­– Session: Tree species selection and tree planting on Casper Mountain with Anderson

10-10:10 a.m. – Break

10:10-11 a.m. – Session: Status of forest health issues with Harrison Brooks, forest health program manager, Wyoming State Forestry Division 11-11:10 a.m. – Break

11:10-12 p.m. – Session: Improving wildlife habitat and attracting wildlife to your property with Willow Bish, terrestrial habitat biologist, Wyoming Game and Fish Department

12-12:30 p.m. – Lunch, provided

12:30-1:15 p.m. – Session: An overview of 20 years of wildfire mitigation on Casper Mountain with John Farrell and Craig Carlsen, Natrona County Firewise program

1:15-2:45 p.m. – Field session with all presenters

2:45-3 p.m. – Wrap up, questions and evaluations with Hoffman

“One of the best things about meetings like this is that landowners get together to collaborate and network,” said Hoffman. “They may find partners they can rely on in times when they need each other.”

To RSVP, call Ogden at 307-261-5436, ext. 4. Deadline to RSVP is Wednesday, June 16.

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