Present: Joy Mathis, Jigger Staby, Nancy Custer, JT Coyne, Dave Cluff, Karola Hanks, Harry Bruell, Marsha Porter-Norton, Mack Musick, Norman Goldman, Mike Kane, Sr., Kent Grant, Jack Cannon, Bob Koenig, Doug Pickering, Annemarie Nobman, and Leslie Melton.

1) The January meeting notes were approved.

2) An April Fire Month report was given (look for the schedule of events at: www.southestcoloradofires.org). The main “activity” is a newspaper insert that will go out to 23,000 subscribers across southwest Colorado. Extra copies of the inserts are available at the San Juan Public Lands Center or by calling Marsha at: 247-8306 or porternorton@animas.net Several ambassadors are doing events in April. Others are waiting until later in the year (e.g., when an annual HOA meeting is occurring).

3) An ambassador program report was given. Five new ambassadors have come on board since the last meeting. Outreach to many groups is occurring for recruitment (e.g. Life Long Learning Series, Seniors’ Outdoors, etc.) The next new ambassador orientation is 4/26 at 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the San Juan Public Lands Center. Everyone involved with the Council is asked to help recruit new ambassadors.

4) Bob gave an update on the meeting he and Marsha had with Phoenix Recycling in an effort to help with the slash/debris removal challenges. Phoenix doesn’t believe it’s profitable to work on a small scale and suggested using smaller fire mitigation contractors. Some neighborhoods hire fire mitigation companies with several neighbors going in together to rent a company to chip their material over a period of “x” days. Cost saving can occur doing it this way. The Council cannot recommend one company over another but encourages consumers to ask key questions such as: Is the company insured and bonded? Are their workers trained? What are their experiences and references? Etc. This issue was discussed extensively (as it is at every meeting) and will be an ongoing agenda item at Council meetings. Firewise was asked to do a PSA on when the Bayfield dump is open because they will take brown yard debris for free. Jack Cannon is going to check on this and get back to Harry.

5) Everyone was reminded that controlled burning has to stay under control. Check local ordinances and call the fire department before burning. It’s a dry year and some fires have already become uncontrollable (and quickly).

6) Kent Grant informed everyone that a competitive grant process is kicking off that could fund neighborhood-level planned process to result in a Community Wildfire Protection Plan. Grants are $10,00 max and a 100% match of non-federal funds is required. Marsha mentioned that the Rafter J/King Mountain Estates area may develop a CWPP (this is basically a plan for wildfire prevention, evacuate, mitigation, etc. on a broad scale and that is specific to a particular subdivision or group of subdivisions.) Contact Kent for the RFP: kgrant@lamar.colostate.edu

7) The agenda item about who is on the Council and who is not was once again tabled due to time. It will be the main item for the May meeting. Everyone present received a handout written back in 2003 about various Council processes. The Council utilizes the San Juan Mountains Association as its fiscal agent so we do not have a set of by-laws. However, since the Council formed, we did write a set of “operating procedures.” These need to be updated and reflect the current Council’s workings. JT, Marsha, Harry and Karola agreed to meet and discuss this issue in-depth, and bring ideas to the next meeting.

8) Karola announced that the Council will be hearing more on the proposed Fire Code for La Plata County. This is a separate effort from the updated wildfire mitigation policies proposed in the current draft County Land Use Code (soon to be voted on). Details forthcoming.

9) Joy Mathis gave a report on an event in June to commemorate the Missionary Ridge and Valley Fires. Her write up is below (this was a report she gave to the Missionary Ridge Planning Committee) :
Fire Council meeting Tuesday evening went well. There were actually two meetings. One for Council and one for Ambassadors to discuss Red Zone Project coming soon. Therefore I had large audience. Nancy and Julie were there to help network. Thank you! As a result, the word is out in these two groups and our info will be spreading. Leslie Melton has offered to work on the "Pledge" for folks to sign committing to become prepared for any type of disaster. I gave her some ideas. We also discuss incorporating this pledge with possible raffle prizes such as a helicopter ride and 72 hour kits. Leslie has a background in emerg. management with the tribes for oil and gas! She will also man a booth on Sunday for the Fire Council and the Ambassador Program. We discuss the memory book from Harry Bruell. People liked the idea. Harry Bruell has a contact with the SW Conservation Corp that might be able to facilitate the three day process of having people sign. Marsha Porter Norton will be in touch with Julie and Allison in regard to holding an Ambassador Orientation Program on Saturday.I suggested to Marsha that our info web site be linked to the www.southwestcoloradofires.org especially with April being fire month and the big fire insert will be in the Durango Herald in April. Allison, perhaps, you and Marsha can follow up with each other on these links. Bill Ball, from the college who mans this web site, was present to discuss the Red Zone project that I mentioned earlier. Bill gave a demonstration of this project that will map the community in an effort to assist firefighters in fighting fires. I invited Bill to man a booth on Sunday at the Fairgrounds. He was open to this suggestion.

Submitted by Marsha Porter-Norton