For the summer of 2009, we awarded Cody Neff of West Range Reclamation as our main contractor for the removal of our Lodge Pole Pine trees. We found his crew knowledgeable and easy to work with. Communication was excellent not only with his employees but also with Cody. Low impact to our property and minimal intrusion to our homeowners were two very important factors for us and they did a very commendable job. For a first time contractor to learn the particular needs of a community as quickly as they did and their quality of work made them a pleasure to work with.

Bill Wentworth

Cordillera Healthy Forest Project Manager

Cordillera, CO

West Range Reclamation and its people have built a reputation that far exceeds what the Forest Service expected in the performance of their duties on either the IDIQ Contract in all the Task Orders on the Pike National Forest and the Front Range Long Term Stewardship Contract in the Task Orders completed to date or ongoing.   The marketing abilities and organizational stature are indeed a commitment in progress which I see only going upward as the company's continuity becomes even more sustainable.   It is my belief that Cody Neff, owner, has put together an office staff that compliments its field staff in the capacity of the company itself.  There is no limitation that West Range Reclamation will be able to obtain in the field of Fuels Reduction and obtaining a Healthy Forest.

Forest Service Representative

Pike and San Isabel National Forest

January 2010

I administered the Red Dirt Roadside Hazard Tree Removal project on the Yampa Ranger District in northwest Colorado in July and August of 2009 that was completed by West Range Reclamation.  West Range completed the project in a timely manner with high quality work.  All of the employees that I worked with, which included office personnel, job supervisors and equipment operators were professional and quick to respond to information needs or problems that popped up during the course of the project.  I would recommend West Range Reclamation for any project that they may compete for as they have employees that provided efficient, professional, timely, high quality work.  Administration of this contract ran smoothly due to the cooperation and effort provided by West Range Reclamation personnel.

Brian Waugh, Biological Resource Specialist, Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest

November 2009

The owner/Contractor Cody Neff, his machine operator, and hand crew are all committed to providing a quality job to the Government's satisfaction.  All personnel were professional, personable, and hard working.  This firm worked well and cooperated with Government contract administrators regarding any needed rework to meet the contract specifications.

We received quality work, they met our environmental concerns and left little or no damage to remaining trees, they were easy to work with and provided maximum cooperation.  It would be a pleasure to work with them again.

Brenda Anderson, Purchasing Agent, Rocky Mountain Acquistition Team, USFS

Summer/Fall 2009

Over the summer and fall of 2009, West Range Reclamation performed mechanical fuels reduction projects on two blocks with the Sheep Canyon Landscape Hazardous Fuels Reduction (HFR) Project.  In total, West Range treated 95 acres with excellent results.

The projects consisted of hydro-mowing pre-commercial Ponderosa Pine, some cull removal over 9 inches diameter at breast height (DBH), and understory brush, mainly Gambel oak.

The two operators that performed the work were very easy to work with, attentive to detail, and did a great job for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Division of Forestry.

I highly recommend West Range Reclamation and will keep them informed on future projects.

Brian Gideon, Forestry Division Head, Department of Natural Resources, Southern Ute Tribe

West Range Reclamation logged over 200 acres of beetle kill trees at our ranch (the Whistling Elk Ranch) in North Park in late 2008 and early 2009.

I really enjoyed working with Cody and his company.  They are a legitimate, professional company.  They carry the necessary insurance and workers comp; they provided a legal, well-thought out contract; and they provided any necessary paperwork without any problems.  They logged the 200 acres at the agreed price, in the agreed time period with no surprises or issues.  And ... they cleaned up after themselves as agreed.  In addition, we were always able to contact Cody and his staff to discuss the logging during the project.

All round, a great company to work with.  I'd highly recommend them to anyone who is thinking about logging.

Ann Dugan

Whistling Elk Ranch, LLC

July 2008 To all of you at West Range Reclamation:

Am writing to let you know how pleased we are with the great job you did on our ranch last winter logging the beetle killed trees.  Have waited until the snow melted to see what shape the logged area is in and am very pleasantly surprised.  The contrast between what previous companies did and what West Range did is enormous; especially noticeable is how much less slash your loggers left.

As well as being a pleasure to work with, your very professional crew actually did what they said they would do and they did it on schedule!  A first!

Please feel free to use my name as a reference for anyone who is thinking of using your company.  Thanks very much.

Annie Bulkley, Elk Creek Ranch, Fraser, Colorado

May 28, 2009

Cody,

This message will confirm that last fall your firm rendered extensive tree mitigation services on our property in Colorado, and that my wife Victoria and I were entirely satisfied with the work and the cost.

We were especially impressed with the professionalism of your crew, and the manner in which they took every precaution to minimize disturbance of the land.

Best Regards,  J. Irwin

2008 will be the fourth year that the Arrowhead in Gunnison Country subdivision has employed West Range Reclamation to perform wildfire fuel mitigation.  In the words of a Colorado State forester, "Cody Neff and West Range Reclamation are the real deal."  We couldn't agree more.  There is none better than West Range Reclamation.--Bob Rosenbaum, Forest Manager, Arrowhead

October 6, 2006                                                                                

     West Range Reclamation completed a fuels reduction/timber stand improvement project for the Colorado State Forest Service - Boulder District during the summer of 2006.  The 54 acre project existed in two separate treatment units on private and BLM land in Boulder County, Colorado.  The units were surrounded by private property with treatment occurring as close as 75 feet from homes.  The goal of the project was to complete fuels reduction for the benefit of forest health and community wildfire protection.

      The contractor used a rubber tired Barko 930 hydro-axe tractor with a Fecon Bullhog 250 horizontal rotary drumhead.  The machinery was effective on slopes up to 40% in a mix of dog hair ponderosa pine, dense mixed conifer, severe dwarf mistletoe, and areas with a great deal of exposed rock.  The machinery would essentially cut large diameter trees in half, then masticate the entire tree into pieces not much larger than that of a conventional chipper.  In some areas, there was a minimal amount of larger pieces left on the ground that were up to two feet long and 3 inches in diameter.  The machinery is not much louder than a chipper, is surprisingly light on the land for its size, and typically doesn't throw many chunks out more than 10 feet from the base of the tree (although some larger trees have had small chunks thrown over 50 feet directly in front and behind the machine). 

      A few weeks after the project there was little evidence of the size of the machinery operating on the sites, other than leftover chips and mastication chunks.  Some steep or extremely rocky areas required simultaneous saw work, although this is appeared to be a very minor aspect of the project.  Most of the treated land looks like it was done by chainsaw with all of the slash being chipped on site.

     West Range Reclamation completed the project in a timely and professional manner.  The contractor went beyond the expectations and required scope work for the project.  The contractor was very easy to work with, and proved to be flexible during implementation as the project's obstacles arose.  The nearby landowners and I are very satisfied with the final result of the project.

     The two projects completed by the contractor were done for a fair cost, far below that of the same level of work done by chainsaw, personnel labor, and a chipper.  The rate at which the mastication machinery progressed on the project was easily four of more times the rate of a standard hand crew.  Depending on the density and slope, the solo Barko Mulcher worked at a rate of two to five acres per day.

     My relations with Cody Neff and the staff of West Range Reclamation were very positive and I would look to solicit this contractor for any applicable projects in the future.  I recommend the use of this contractor and machinery for any similar forestry project.

Sincerely,

Bob Bundy

Fuels Treatment Partnership & Wildfire Mitigation Forester, Colorado State Forest Service, Boulder District