La Plata County Council for Homeowner Emergency
Awareness and Preparedness
June 3, 2003
Meeting Outcomes

 

 

Present: Brian Kimmel, Jon Sherer, Lisa Hutton, Carolyn Hunter, Bill Bales, Jerry McGeorge, Clark Lagow, Joanie Hedermark, Dave Ambercrombie, PJ O’Connell, Howard Rachlin, JD Feuquay, Mike from High Noon Rotary.

Organizational: Nancy Lauro, County Planning; Dan Ochocki, Colorado State Forest Service; Laurie Robison, San Juan Public Lands Center (USFS); Dan Noonan, Durango Fire and Rescue Authority; and Marsha Porter-Norton, Office of Community Services at Fort Lewis College.

1) The Group spent most of the meeting brainstorming a list of the activities this Council could accomplish. At the next meeting on June 17th, this list will be prioritized for action. The following ideas emerged:

(Please note: This is a brainstormed list of solutions. No decisions have been made on which projects will become the priorities of the Council.)

“On the Ground Projects”
- put up signs highlights successful defensible space projects
- can we find good examples of logging (two projects were mentioned – the regional Ponderosa Pine Project and one in Pagosa)
- Find creative solutions to the slash and debris treatment and disposal issue such as:
o look into a roving grapple chipper
o develop a market for the wood and chips – example: create a project through which our excess wood is sold to the Navajos
o fund a county wide slash and debris pick up program
- Do extreme gardening classes (like Perry Park)
- Assist seniors and those who are physically challenged with clearing their properties
- Get banks involved (equity loans)
- Get the insurance industry involved
- Create a list of those who need firewood and one of those who have it to give away – somehow coordinate this – become a clearinghouse for who wants to get rid of wood, and who need wood
- USFS projects (do more of them)
- Work to develop fire walls around the county (came out of Firewise workshop) – Missionary Ridge would not have proceeded up to Lemon and Vallecito had there been a “fire wall(s)” on private lands

Education
- we need more DanO’s to educate homeowners
- put on a multi-topic seminar for homeowners (Brian has list of ideas)
- have insurance agents send out an educational packet with their renewals (Jon has ideas here)
- answer the question: Why should I do this? Why should I buy in? What’s in it for me? (there is a lot of resistance out there)
- focus the message on forest health and restoration – that’s the missing piece – we have a sick forest – do people know this
- have radio stations announce if this is a good day to burn
- find out how other Councils have overcome apathy and resistance
- more weekend visits to homeowner associations – evaluate them – let them know their risk level – educate homeowners if they are in a “red line” area (these are areas that are not defensible due to the danger of the area and access issues)
- target specific groups – (marketing plans for each)
- tell stories in the media
- develop a Power Point show that can be taken all over the County
- put up booths at the County Fair
- utilize arborists more
- put fire messages in the Welcome Wagon kits
- Show Demo properties much more in the media
- Get all HOAs to the table (or take the table to them)
- Utilize GIS capabilities to advertise risk areas (tie to fire wall idea)

Policy and Advocacy
- required fire walls
- advocate for better access standards (this is being reviewed currently)
- strengthen and empower HOAs and offer them legal expertise if they want to strengthen their standards/covenants
- develop a county wide, enforceable policy (most likely would apply to new subdivisions but would need to somehow deal with old ones too)
- more local fire councils
- get HOAs to change their covenants
- new construction mitigation standards
- use insurance as leverage
- make realtors disclose fire risks to home buyers

This list will be honed down and prioritized at the next meeting.

2) Dan Ochocki relayed that there is a multi-county group looking at possibly purchasing some type of chipper or other piece of equipment that could be utilized for slash disposal, treatment and/or removal. Tomorrow, on June 4th, there is demonstration of a burner in Bayfield. Details will be forthcoming about any actions this multi county group might take. This issue was discussed extensively. Dan also announced that there will be homeowner assistance cost share grants coming out in the Fall. He’ll give details at a future meeting.

3) Various attendees agreed to take action steps on some of the above items so we can have that information at the next meeting.