About Timberline Forestry
Timberline Forestry LLC is a South Fork, Colorado forestry and wildfire mitigation company. We assess forest health, create defensible space, remove hazard trees, and deliver premium beetle-kill firewood across South Fork, Creede, Pagosa Springs, and Del Norte.
We started this company because the forests around South Fork face a specific, serious, and addressable problem: decades of spruce and Douglas-fir beetle mortality have left millions of standing dead trees across the Rio Grande National Forest and adjacent private land. That timber is fuel. And the communities built into those forests full-time residents, second-home owners, vacation rentals, lodges deserve professional forestry services that are honest about what they are seeing and what it means.
What We Believe
Forest Health First
We do not remove trees for the sake of removing trees. Every cut serves a purpose: reducing hazardous fuel loads, improving long-term forest health, or producing heating fuel from timber that would otherwise be wasted in a wildfire. If your property does not need work, we will tell you that.
Community Protection
Wildfire does not respect property lines. When we reduce fuel loads on your parcel, we are also making the surrounding forest safer for your neighbors, for the firefighters who may one day need to work in it, and for the broader watershed it protects. That connection is why this work matters beyond the individual job.
Sustainable Utilization
Beetle-kill timber is a resource, not just a liability. We turn dead and dying trees into firewood that heats mountain homes through the winter — keeping that energy in the community instead of releasing it in an uncontrolled fire. Mitigation and firewood are two sides of the same work.
What We Don't Do
- We don’t clear-cut: Short-term extraction damages forest structure for decades. We thin strategically, preserving forest character while reducing the specific risks that matter.
- We don’t sell fear: Wildfire is a real risk in this region and we will be direct about what we see on your property. But alarmist tactics are not how we operate — we provide honest assessments and let you make informed decisions.
- We don’t do work that isn’t needed: If your property is in good shape, we will tell you. We would rather earn your trust for the long term than sell you a service your forest does not need today.
- We don’t dispatch from four hours away: We are based in South Fork. We know this landscape, these forest conditions, and the agencies and programs involved in managing them. When you schedule work, we show up.
How We Work
Every project we take on is guided by the same five commitments:
- Quality assessments and careful strategic consideration before any work begins
- Treatment plans designed to conserve and enhance your land while meeting your goals
- No conflicts of interest — our duty is solely to support your interests and your forest
- Honest communication about what your property needs, including when the answer is nothing right now
- Expert execution that protects both your investment and the long-term health of the land
Why South Fork
The Rio Grande National Forest has experienced some of the most severe bark beetle mortality in Colorado. The 2024 Douglas-fir beetle surge is concentrated between South Fork and Creede — the highest activity in a decade. Spruce beetle mortality dating back to the late 1990s has left standing dead timber across hundreds of thousands of acres. This is not a distant problem. It is visible from the highway, from the trailhead, from the back deck.
The mountain communities built into these forests — South Fork, Creede, Pagosa Springs, Del Norte — include a high concentration of second homes, vacation rentals, and absentee-owned properties. Many of those owners cannot monitor their land regularly. Many have never had a professional set of eyes on their forest conditions. That is a gap this region needed someone to fill honestly.
We are not a franchise. We are not a crew from the Front Range. We are based here, we work here, and we are committed to the long-term health of these forests and the communities that depend on them.
Trusted by Your Neighbors
“Timberline assessed our property and was honest that we only needed work on the north slope. They could have sold us a full-property treatment, but they didn’t. That built trust.”
John M.
South Fork, CO
“The firewood arrived exactly when scheduled, properly seasoned, and stacked where we need it. For our rental property, this reliability is everything, thank you Timberline!”
Caleb B.
Creede, CO
Our insurer required defensible space work or they’d drop our policy. We didn’t know where to start. Timberline walked us through exactly what was needed and handled the whole process
Sam H.
South Fork, CO
“The two-hour walkthrough taught me more about my property than the ten years I’ve owned it. Now I know what I’m looking at when I see stressed trees.”
Laurie F.
Pagosa Springs, CO
Talk to Us About Your Property
Whether you have a specific concern about your forest or just want to understand what your property looks like from a wildfire risk standpoint, we are happy to have that conversation. No pressure, no sales pitch.