Date: 09/09/2015
Final
Forest and Watershed Restoration
WILDFIRE MATTERS REVIEW COMMITTEE
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09:03 AM -- Forest and Watershed Restoration
Paige Lewis, Director of Forest Restoration and Fire Programs, The Nature Conservancy, introduced the committee to the Upper South Platte Partnership (USPP). She provided information about the partnership (Attachment A) and discussed the problem of flooding in areas of wildfire damage. She described the partnership's funding source. Ms. Lewis noted that the partnership is receiving federal funding as a U.S. Forest Service pilot project.
150909 AttachA.pdf
Ms. Lewis answered a question from Representative Becker about where the partnership's money is being spent, emphasizing on-the-ground watershed treatment.
Senator Jones questioned the panel about forest types and wildfire forecasting.
09:13 AM
Don Kennedy, Environmental Planning, Denver Water, discussed the USPP. He explained that Denver Water gets 80 percent of its water from the Upper South Platte watershed. He discussed the Buffalo Creek and Hayman Fires and the impact of subsequent flooding on the Strontia Springs Reservoir, noting the difficulty of maintaining water quality after this type of event. Mr. Kennedy discussed the importance of treating strategic areas and using the most effective treatments.
09:21 AM
Representative Hamner asked whether other water basins have been targeted for similar programs and how the state could provide incentives for these programs. Mr. Kennedy explained that Denver Water would benefit from similar treatment plans on private lands throughout the state, but he noted that ponderosa pine forests in lower elevation areas have higher incidence of wildfires.
Representative Becker clarified with Ms. Lewis the types of state grants funding the USPP.
Madeleine West, Assistant Director for Parks, Wildlife, and Lands, Colorado Department of Natural Resources, explained that the Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant Program has been funded both by the General Fund and severance taxes. Ms. West noted that the entire fund will be expended in 2015, though the grant program is authorized through 2018. Representative Hamner and Senator Roberts discussed further funds for the program.
09:29 AM
Senator Jones and Mike Lester, Director, Colorado State Forest Service, discussed the use of grant funds for prescribed burning.
Ms. Lewis discussed the possible impact of ending grant funding on various projects in response to a question from Senator Baumgardner. Senator Roberts clarified the statutory provisions regarding prescribed burning. Mr. Kennedy added that treatment projects cannot proceed if all the funding is not in place.
Jamie Bernstein, representing herself as a landowner in South Conifer, discussed her participation in the USPP. She described the trees in her neighborhood and the mitigation work that has been done on her property and that of her neighbors. She stated that 90 percent of the trees in her community are gone, but the area still looks like a forest.
09:41 AM
Representative Becker and Ms. Bernstein discussed the landowners' responsibilities in the USPP. Ms. Bernstein noted that she paid taxes on the grant funds used for mitigation work on her property.
In response to a question from Representative Buck, Ms. Bernstein described her efforts to receive credit for the work from her homeowners' insurance. Ms. Bernstein noted that her insurance company was only interested in work done directly around her house. Representative Thurlow and Representative Becker discussed the nature of these funds as taxable income. Committee discussion with Ms. Lewis continued on this point.
Senator Roberts and Mr. Kennedy discussed the source of Denver Water's funding for watershed restoration and the impact of this on other capital projects.
09:46 AM
Mike Lester, Colorado State Forest Service, described the benefits of the USPP. He expressed hope that demonstrable success with this partnership will encourage the development of similar projects throughout the state.
Senator Roberts and Mr. Lester discussed the difficulty of removing large dead trees and improving other aspects of a burn scar. Discussion continued regarding the impact of fire-devastated areas on the state's water supply.
09:57 AM
Senator Jones and Mr. Lester discussed the role of naturally occurring fires in preventing insect infestations.
Rob Addington, Landscape Ecologist, The Nature Conservancy, answered questions from Senator Jones about wildfire behavior modeling and how modeling predicts the type of fires that might occur in an area. They continued to discuss the type of forests in particular landscapes.
10:06 AM
Senator Baumgardner asked about "miscellaneous" causes of wildfires. Paul Cooke, Division of Fire Prevention and Control, Department of Public Safety, explained that many types of causes are included in this category.
Senator Jones and Mr. Kennedy discussed soil quality in burn scar areas.
Mr. Cooke returned to address miscellaneous causes of wildfires, such as fireworks and agricultural burns. He further noted that the causes of many of these fires are unknown.
Senator Roberts and Mr. Cooke discussed new wildfire public safety tools. Mr. Cooke noted plans to improve the safety of prescribed burning. Mr. Lester emphasized the continued need for prescribed burning. Discussion continued on this point.
10:20 AM
Ms. Lewis invited committee members to view the USPP on the ground.