The first Neighborhood Chipping Day happened Saturday, July 10, 2021, at the Gilpin County Apex Facility, and it was a big success! After a full day of running the woodchipper, Central City Fire Rescue filled a full dumpster with mulch. Much of the slash came from senior and low-income property owners where Axe & Snax volunteers helped collect and haul the loads. Private property owners also came to drop off their loads of slash.

In addition to removing fire fuel slash, the mulch produced will be useful. The mulched slash will be used locally at the CSU Extension Community Garden and to heat the Gilpin County Public Works facility.

Gilpin County was awarded a Ready, Set, Go! (RSG!) Grant for neighborhood chipping events in 2021. The RSG! Program seeks to empower fire departments to engage the residents they serve in wildland fire community risk reduction. The RSG! Program provides tools and resources for fire departments to use as they help residents gain an understanding of their wildland fire risk and actions individuals can take to reduce that risk.

Gilpin County encourages residents to mitigate for wildfire and hopes that more residents will take advantage of the second Neighborhood Chipping Day on August 21, 2021, at Rollinsville Public Works, 135 Tolland Road, Rollinsville.

Gilpin County would like to thank all the volunteers and partners in this project: Axe & Snax, Gilpin Public Works, Central City Fire Rescue, Black Hawk Fire Department, and High Country Auxiliary. The event was coordinated by the Gilpin County Office of Emergency Management and CSU Extension. It takes a community!

If you are unable to pay for slash clearing/hauling on your property for the next event, contact Axe & Snaxs at 303-642-0243 or AxeandSnacks@gmail.com. If you have general questions, reach out to CSU Gilpin Extension Director Jennifer Cook at 303-583-9106 or Jennifer.Cook@colostate.edu.