Boulder County beefs up wildfire mitigation efforts

Boulder County will add 12 positions to its employee roster in 2023 to assist with wildfire mitigation efforts, according to a news release on Tuesday.

The new staffers will help create a grant program for strategic forest and grassland management projects and expand the county’s existing Wildfire Partners program, which supports homeowners protecting their homes against wildfire.

“The commissioners’ decision to approve these new positions is a first step in building the capacity required to advance our wildfire mitigation efforts,” Boulder County Commissioner Claire Levy said in the news release. “Building this capacity will help us engage with the community as we determine together how to allocate the funds from the voter-approved sales and use tax.”

The new staff will also be responsible for outreach and education, forestry and grassland projects, home assessments and community chipping in addition to grant administration, the news release said.

Nine of the positions will be funded thanks to ballot measure 1A, which voters approved in November and went into effect on Jan. 1. The other three positions will be funded through the county’s general fund. The new positions will cost $1,058,195 this year with recruitment and hiring set to begin later this month.

“We are grateful to voters for supporting our ability to increase the county’s wildfire mitigation capacity, expand existing wildfire mitigation programs, and start the process of developing new programs and services to the plains,” Commissioner Marta Loachamin said.

The new positions will be in addition to the county’s existing wildfire mitigation staff, which will continue to be funded by the county’s general fund and sustainability tax.

“The commissioners recognized the (importance) of building on the county’s current programs through immediate action and developing the capacity to address the differences between the county’s current mountain programs and what might be necessary for the eastern half of the county,” the news release said.