DURANGO, Colo. — Passenger excursions are the meat and potatoes for the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad’s (D&SNGRR) overall business. However, logging has been another venture that has returned the former branch line of the Denver, Rio Grande & Western to its common carrier roots.
Nearly six years after the 416 Fire [See “Fires ravage western tourist railroading…” News Wire, July 5, 2018], both the railroad and the Colorado State Forest Service have teamed up in a fuel mitigation thinning project. The Durango Herald report highlights a 46-acre private property, 2 miles south of Rockwood, where reducing the density of ponderosa pines, juniper, and scrub oak trees may help control wildfires.
Wildfires are inevitable, however the intensity is controllable with the right preparations (like brush removal).
According to the article, removing brush may help prevent fires from reaching the higher crowns of trees, and thinning out stands may prevent flames from jumping from crown to crown. State Forest Service’s lead forester Ryan Cox told the Durango Herald, “With the way that we’ve opened the stand, opened the crowns, created spacing, there should be really no chance of any kind of a running crown fire.”
With the nearby narrow-gauge line, the cut timber is loaded onto the railroad’s flat cars with the help of Miller Timber Services — an Oregon-based forestry company. The train then heads to Rockwood Station where the commodity is transferred to trucks and ultimately to multiple businesses in the region. The time, equipment, crew, and resources for logging by the Durango & Silverton have been generously donated for the operation.
John Harper, general manager of American Heritage Railways (D&SNGRR owner) — states that it is always looking for opportunities to create relationships that benefit the community.
Durango & Silverton’s logging operation that began in November 2023 is set to conclude within the month.
Which government agency threatened the D&S when they began identical efforts 5 years ago to do the exact, same thing?
i think it was the national park service
Lumber cannot be cut on NPS property that’s why this project was limited to a 46-acre private property.