Comments sought on Frisco Backyard management

SILVERTHORNE, Colo. (April 4, 2025) – The White River National Forest seeks public comment on a comprehensive wildfire-fuel reduction and recreation-improvement proposal developed in partnership with the Town of Frisco for the popular area known as the “Frisco Backyard.” 

The Frisco Backyard is a 3,026-acre area of White River National Forest south and east of downtown Frisco that includes Mount Royal, Miners Creek, Rainbow Lake, Ophir Mountain, and Gold Hill. 

Past history of wildfire suppression and the mountain pine beetle epidemic have created high fuel loads in this area, increasing wildfire risk to the Town of Frisco. The area is also heavily used for outdoor recreation year-round, with over 250,000 annual visits creating impacts the proposal addresses through trail and trailhead improvements.   

“The ‘Frisco Backyard’ is vital to Frisco’s future because it is our community’s gateway to thousands of acres of public land and because the health of that forest is pivotal to fire mitigation in Frisco.  The area is well loved, and in turn, it deserves the attention and resources that Frisco has committed through a significant financial investment in this planning process in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service,” stated Pete Swenson, Frisco Nordic Center and Trails Manager. 

The proposal is detailed and analyzed in a draft environmental assessment, which is available for public comment. The proposal includes: 

• 1,576 acres of various wildfire fuel treatments divided into 63 treatment units.
• Creating a more sustainable summer trail system through actions such as constructing or rerouting trails, decommissioning trail sections, and adopting and maintaining select user-created trails.
• Grooming approximately 10.2 miles of National Forest System trails and non-NFS routes during the winter for multiple uses (skiing, snowshoeing, hiking/walking, running, bicycling, etc.). All trails open to bicycles during the summer season would be open to bicycles during the winter season, which is currently prohibited.
• The Peaks/Zach’s Stop Trailhead and Miner’s Creek Trailheads would be redesigned and improved to better manage parking and reduce impacts to adjacent neighborhoods.   

“By including both the wildfire hazard reduction and recreation improvement activities under one proposal, we are better able to address potential impacts and integrate the work, as well as give the public a more complete look at our plans for the area,” said Dillon District Ranger Adam Bianchi.   

Comments need to be received by May 5, 2025, with the exception of some aspects of the fuel treatments, which have a 60-day comment period per Forest Service regulations. More details about the comment period and project are available at www.fs.usda.gov/r02/whiteriver/projects/63395.  

The Town of Frisco and White River National Forest are hosting an informational open house on the project April 9 from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Frisco Day Lodge, 621 Recreation Way. 

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