Public Policy

Summit County The county is concerned about removing dead and infected trees on both county-owned and private property. It employs a Fire Mitigation Officer, Patti Maguire, who can arrange an inspection of your property and create a defensible fire space plan around your home. 
 
Contact Patti Maguire at 970-513-4237 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to schedule an inspection. 
 
Steve Hill, Special Projects Manager for the County, is developing a comprehensive Community Wildfire Protection Plan. Please contact him for more information at 970-668-4202 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 
 
State & Federal Government
The alarm bell is sounding at state and federal levels as well. Mark Udall, Summit County's US Congressman, recently organized a symposium at Winter Park to bring together government and civic leaders to discuss the problem. Udall invited local, state and federal officials, ski and timber industry representatives, water providers, and concerned interest groups such as home owners associations to join him in determining solutions to address the ongoing prevention efforts, isolation, and removal of beetle kill-infested forests. "We need to focus on solutions to this epidemic," said Udall. 
 
It's time to take aggressive action, identify the tools necessary to mitigate the impacts and to do so, we need the private sector involved, including the timber industry and others.
 
For more information, contact Dan Gibbs, Western Slope Field Director for Rep. Udall, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 970-827-4154.