Residents asked not to over react to fire danger

Frisco, Colorado
August 3 2006

Residents of Summit County were asked by Rocky Smith, Program Director of Colorado Wild’s Forest Watch Campaign program, not to over react to the increased danger of fire during the current mountain pine beetle infestation. Addressing a meeting of the Summit Pine Beetle Task Force, Smith recommended that communities should protect the wilderness area from projects that would inhibit the natural cycle of the forest. While recommending that homeowners and communities protect their properties and resources, he discouraged the use of projects that would build roads into road less wilderness areas to provide fire mitigation.  Smith also warned against the use of legislation to allow the US Forest Service to streamline the public review process required for new forest management projects.

“We need to look at each project individually,” countered Kim Vogel, a Forest Public Affairs Officer with the US Forest Service, “in some cases roads need to be built for access to mitigation projects, and to protect subdivisions.”  Vogel added that we need to start planning the new forest, how we want it to look and feel, and what type of species we wished to support.  “Fire is an important tool for reforestation; we need for the public to understand this.”

Another guest, Colorado Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald attended the meeting to increase her understanding of the issues surrounding the infestation. Fitz-Gerald commented that since most of the land affected by the pine beetle was federal and private land, there was not much of a place for the state to get involved. She did express concern for the economic impact that the changing landscape might have on the Summit County tourist economy.

George Osborn of State Farm Insurance shed light on the insurance industries efforts to increase fire mitigation to help protect client’s homes.  Property owners in non incorporated areas are required to have their property inspected for fire danger, and to comply with the report in order to have their insurance policies renewed.  Osborn also recommended that the implementation of joint underwriting associations (jua) might be helpful to allow greater insurance coverage in high fire danger areas.