Boulder County is creating an advisory committee for Emergency Services Grant Program. The new advisory committee will make recommendations to the county commissioners on how to distribute funds from the Emergency Services and Use Tax (Issue 1B) which was passed in 2022. The initial distribution in 2024 will be around $3 million and will be used to improve trail and trailhead safety for rural and mountainous trails.

The committee will be composed of nine members and will include a mix of emergency service professionals and members from the outdoors community. Applicants must live in Boulder County and be available to attend virtual meetings 2-3 times a month during the fall.

The deadline for receiving applications is August 13. For more information on the committee go to boco.org/EmergencyServicesGrants or contact Special Projects Coordinator Barbara Halpin (720-564-2830/bhalpin@bouldercounty.org).

Draft decision released for St. Vrain Forest Health Project. The Roosevelt National Forest’s Boulder Ranger District released their draft decision July 20th. The project is one of the landscapes identified in the Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy (fs.usda.gov/managingland/wildfire-crisis) and will involve mitigation actions from Lyons to Meeker Park. Boulder District Ranger Kevin McLaughlin said. “Forest management is critical across our landscape and work in this area helps compliment efforts happening on neighboring private and public lands.”

There is now a 45-day period for objections before the final decision is released this fall. There is a link to submitting an objection at the project website (fs.usda.gov/ project/?project=61372 or search term: Saint Vrain Forest Health Project).