As more and more serious wildfires occur, transparency in data has become necessary to effective forest management. The Colorado Forest Tracker is an open-data system supplying citizens with an openly accessible view of forest management activities and wildfire prevention efforts across the state. Built with GIS (geographic information system) technology, users can map where these forest treatments have occurred, what agencies are completing the work, and the distribution of different management strategies on the landscape. This article examines how the Tracker works, what data it contains, and how it aids with evidence-based planning and cross-agency collaboration.
What Is the Colorado Forest Tracker?
The Colorado Forest Tracker is an interactive map created by the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute and Colorado State Forest Service. It compiles project-level data from various agencies/landowner and delivers it in a simple-to-use map interface. It includes canopy thinning, prescribed burning, reforestation, tree species, and more.
Users are able to see and sort projects by many fields, including management type, year completed, forest type, and trees planted. Such functionality makes the Tracker an easy-to-use tool for the general public and professionals.
Why the Colorado Forest Tracker Is Useful
1. Supports Informed Wildfire Mitigation
The tool provides an overview of where forest management activities have been carried out, which can help land managers and planners identify high-risk areas with limited treatment history. By consolidating information from various jurisdictions, the Tracker can also assist in reducing duplication and identifying underserved regions.
2. Encourages Interagency Coordination
With standardized data fields such as “Agency,” “Funding Source,” and “Surface Management,” users can better understand how different entities are contributing to forest health goals. This information may be helpful for aligning practices across ownership boundaries or planning cooperative efforts.
3. Improves Public Access to Land Management Data
The Forest Tracker is accessible to anyone that has internet access. Community members can use the tool to find out if their neighborhood has been included in fire mitigation or reforestation activities. This transparency can help build more awareness and potentially inform local preparedness or volunteerism.
How the Tracker Works: Exploring the Interface
The Forest Tracker Dashboard includes an interactive map and customizable filters. Clicking on a specific project area reveals detailed attributes, including:
- Project Name
- Description
- Agency and Agency Code
- Date Updated
- Dominant Forest Type
- Number of Trees
- Management Type
- Reforestation Status
- Canopy Management
- Prescribed Fire Management
- Funding Source
- Species Planted
- Surface Management
- GIS Acres and Managed Acres
- Year Completed
The underlying data is sourced from the ArcGIS FeatureServer, which is maintained to reflect recent project updates.
Tips for Using the Colorado Forest Tracker
🔍 Explore the Map Viewer
Try the ArcGIS Map Viewer for a geographic view of management activity layers.
⚙️ Use Filters Strategically
Looking at “Year Completed” can help track the pace and expansion of wildfire mitigation work. Filtering by “Management Type” or “Species Planted” can be useful for specific ecological or forestry studies.
🌲 Compare Across Jurisdictions
Cross-reference public and private land treatments to identify patterns or areas of potential collaboration.
Complementary Tools: Linking to Broader Environmental Dashboards
While the Forest Tracker focuses on forest health, other data dashboards examine environmental and public health indicators. For example, the LA Environmental Health Data Dashboard provides access to pollution and health data in a similarly accessible format, offering models for local engagement with geographic datasets.
Observations from the Field
According to Colorado Public Radio, forest service staff and fire planners have started using the Tracker as part of their workflow. Feedback suggests that its visual layout and filterable data make it easier to align projects and evaluate treatment coverage.
The CSFS user guide also outlines its utility in project planning and grant preparation, particularly for smaller agencies or communities without dedicated GIS staff.
Closing Thoughts
The Colorado Forest Tracker is a practical example of how open data and spatial tools can support land management in a context of increasing environmental risk. While it is not a predictive tool or a substitute for site-specific planning, it can serve as a valuable starting point for coordination and analysis. Users from government, academia, nonprofits, and the general public can all find relevant applications.
Whether you’re a researcher interested in forest ecology or a local resident seeking information on nearby wildfire mitigation efforts, this tool provides access to detailed, organized data that was previously difficult to obtain.
