The phrase “It takes a village” is used when the situation requires many people to work together to achieve a goal. In our current urban/wildfire interface situation, it takes a village to tend to the forest while helping property owners.

Meanwhile, civic service is the lifeblood of a community. Nonprofits serve the community by filling niches of need that government cannot. The Gilpin Axe and Snax group, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit corporation, engages in wildfire mitigation and firewood services for struggling homeowners in Gilpin County.

Gilpin Axe and Snax was founded in 2019 and modeled after the successful Saws and Slaws group in Coal Creek Canyon. Their primary services are wildfire mitigation to create defensible space around homes, and providing firewood to families for emergency heating needs.

The severity of a wildfire in a subdivision can be reduced by the collective actions of the property owners. But in situations where the property owner is an elderly couple or a single mom, it is sometimes impossible for that person to mitigate their property alone. Gilpin Axe and Snax have volunteer sawyers who can mitigate a property and carry off the slash. They also harvest the wood and turn it into firewood for future deliveries.

Gilpin County Human Services will refer clients to Axe and Snax for delivery of up to a cord of firewood while the clients are waiting for the disposition of their application for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP). Gilpin County LEAP coordinator Jenny Josselyn said about Axe and Snax, “They are amazing.” She credits them with being able to help people keep their homes heated until they are eligible for public assistance.

Gilpin Axe and Snax currently has about 40 volunteers who help with the cutting, delivery of firewood, and snacks. Their method is a throwback to a barn raising in the old West, when the community would get together to build a barn and then have dinner together.

All sawyers take a safety class and have their own saw and personal protection equipment. New sawyers are paired with experienced sawyers on site. If the cut is difficult around a powerline, they will refer the property owner to United Power (Holly Woodings (720-685-5778); hwoodings@unitedpower.com). United Power will mitigate around their lines with professional sawyers. Their website has more information at https://www.unitedpower.com/ vegetation.

Timberline Fire Protection District is also working with Axe and Snax when doing property wildfire risk assessments. Their new Fire Mitigation and Defensible Space division will refer the property owner to Axe and Snax if it there is a problem with affording professional mitigation. This networking between organizations is new this year and is an effort to integrate services creating defensible space on private property.

On the fun side, Axe and Snax is a co-sponsor of the County Fair Log Splitting contest, along with High Timber Firewood and Timberline Fire District. The contest attracted 25 contestants in 2022. Axe and Snax also holds informal potlucks on occasions that don’t involve cutting trees or carrying slash.

When asked why he would volunteer to participate in an organization like Axe and Snax, board member Dan Jones said, “Being of service is its own reward.” Another board member, Tony Zotti, wrote “Four years in, I’ll continue to return over and over as it’s my primary way of serving the underserved of our county. To lift up those who need a hand, whether physically or financially. The fact that we get to share laughs, hugs, and potluck meals is just that little something extra.” Gurpreet Kaur Gill added “Living in a high risk fire zone, any community building around fire mitigation and awareness is at the top of my pile of yes.”

Gilpin Axe and Snax has a small budget and welcomes donations and new volunteers. They communicate their upcoming events on their Facebook group.

You can reach them by email at axeandsnacks@gmail.com or by phone at (303) 642-0243. Find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1454744378064871