La Plata County will once again be offering free wood mulch and will have a heavy equipment operator available to load the mulch into trucks and trailers from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday on May 20^th at the Bayfield Convenience Center, 4496 County Road 223 in Bayfield. The transfer station will be closed during this free mulch-loading event.

While loading, please remain in your vehicle. The equipment operator can maneuver around your vehicle when you stop for loading. If you wish to cover your mulch load, there will be space to pull forward and away from other vehicles at the loading area. Please do not reverse. There is space around the yard waste to do a full loop. Feel free to make more than one trip and dump trucks are welcome!

Wood mulch is highly combustible and if stored incorrectly, can pose a significant fire hazard.  Wood mulch should not be or stored within ten feet of any structure and application should be avoided entirely within five feet of any structure.

Before mulch is picked up:

• Make sure there is adequate space for a mulch pile clear of any dry grass, dead leaves or other dry materials that may ignite.
• Do not place pile on top of roots or stumps.

After mulch is picked up:

• Spread out mulch within 24 hours, typically 1 to 2 inches deep.
• Large piles of mulch may spontaneously combust due to heat buildup, so create smaller piles instead of one large pile.
• Monitor the pile, reduce the height of the pile and store away from direct sunlight.
• Avoid smoking or fires near the mulch pile, do not discard cigarettes near the pile.
• Keep mulch bed lightly moist.
• Check out the county's Living with Wildfire page or more fire safety information.

For questions, please contact Leslie Jakoby at (970) 382-6376.