Originally published in the April 19 issue of The Mountain-Ear Newspaper.

William Mead, Nederland.

With climate change comes several immediate risks, visible especially in Boulder County. One of the most pressing natural dangers in the county is the possibility of wildfires. Just two years ago, a human-caused wildfire burned 500 acres of land around Nederland, destroying eight houses. The fire was incredibly close to spreading over an area that contains hundreds of homes.

As climate change intensifies, wildfires like the 2016 Cold Springs Fire in Nederland will become increasingly harder to contain. Dr. Paul Chinowsky recently presented a climate impact report about Boulder County to the Board of County Commissioners. According to his report, the damage resulting from wildfires is expected to increase by 50% from the year 2020 to 2050.

Another familiar threat to the county is flooding. In 2013, three county residents were killed due to flooding, and 262 homes were destroyed, with Jamestown experiencing a loss of 1/5 of their homes and half of their roads.

Dr. Chinowsky’s report highlights the problems that drainage systems have with handling shorter, more intense rain cycles, something that is characteristic of climate change. This issue makes flooding much more probable. By 2030, Dr. Chinowsky anticipates that the cost of road maintenance will increase by $480 per mile due to flooding. The projected expenditure for bridge improvement alone could cost Boulder County upwards of $68 million.

Without question, Boulder County officials will be taking steps to mitigate climate impacts in the future. Dr. Chinowsky’s report estimates that between $96 and $157 million will be allocated to these efforts, and he considers that to be a highly conservative amount. This figure only accounts for a portion of the potential climate impacts through 2050. Some of the costs that aren’t factored into this estimate include water availability during drought events and increasing costs related to public health.

As climate change occurs, it is difficult for an individual to feel the changes in overall global trends, but certain concentrated weather events become noticeably more intense. Extreme heat events, for example, can cause significant impacts to the demand and cost of public health.

Mitigating the effects of climate change is a key aspect of Boulder County government going forward. Dr. Chinowsky’s report pointed out the urgency of the situation. The possibility of feeling climate impacts on a local scale is not, by any stretch, unlikely. After all, the events that are projected to intensify are quite common, such as floods and forest fires. The real question is how much needs to be invested to keep the impacts of climate change under control.