An open house to update Gilpin residents on the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) was held at the Gilpin Community Center on June 8, 2024.

Hosted by Gilpin County government, along with contractor SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA), the purpose of the open house was to update the community on the status of the CWPP and discuss wildfire mitigation efforts in Gilpin County.

Three speakers opened the presentation. Sheriff Kevin Armstrong spoke briefly about the importance of evacuations from the perspective of the Sheriff’s department. He explained the effort that goes into evaluating a situation and deciding to issue an evacuation notice. Armstrong also stressed the need to mitigate for evacuations.

The newly hired Gilpin County Director of Emergency Services, Melissa Lewis, introduced herself and also focused on the importance of evacuations and wildfire mitigation efforts on private and public lands. Lewis is a veteran wildland firefighter who was previously the Emergency Management Coordinator for the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office.

SWCA Project Coordinator Rob Fenwick spoke about the CWPP process, and also explained the timeline for completing the CWPP and how important it is that as many residents as possible complete the Gilpin County CWPP survey as soon as possible.

Fenwick used a slide presentation to explain that a CWPP plan is developed collaboratively with key federal, state, and local partners. It assesses risks of a wildfire in the community and prioritizes projects to mitigate those risks.

CWPP plans do not mandate actions. It recommends best practices and actions for stakeholders and communities.

Fenwick estimated that the CWPP would be completed sometime around the end of the year. Right now, the project is collecting data and developing the plan. There will be another public meeting in August.

The following phase, ending in September, will be a core team review of the data and analysis of proposed projects. October is projected to be the release of the first draft with reviews and recommendations to follow.

After reviews and recommendations of the final draft, the Gilpin County commissioners will vote on accepting the plan and moving forward on implementing the recommended projects. A Board vote on the updated CWPP will probably happen shortly after the start of the new year.

Fenwick described the different stations at the open house, and what information was provided at each station.

There were three information stations set up around the room, with experts at each station to answer questions and clarify relevant issues. Residents could visit any of the stations in any order and discuss any questions or concerns with the experts.

The Resilient Landscapes station provided information on creating landscapes that are resilient to fire, insects, and disease disturbances, regardless of jurisdictional boundaries. Creating resilient landscapes includes a wildfire risk assessment, past and planned fuel treatments, and restoration projects if they are needed.

Sheriff Armstrong and Central City Fire Chief Gary Allen manned The Safe and Effective Wildfire Response station. This station had maps showing the 19 identified evacuation zones in Gilpin County. A safe and effective wildfire response requires all jurisdictions to coordinate their efforts to implement safe, effective, risk-based management decisions.

The Fire-Adapted Communities station emphasized property inspections, home hardening, and structural ignitability. It also provided educational materials for doing mitigation around homes.

The station also had Community Wildfire Protection Plan Public Survey forms that could be filled out onsite. The CWPP survey is a key measure of public opinion and sentiment on living in wildfire country. It can also be accessed from the Gilpin County website (gilpincounty.colorado. gov) from the Board of County Commissioners webpage. CSU Extension Agent Jennifer Cook (Jennifer.Cook@colostate.edu) can also be contacted for more information about the survey.

For more information about the 2024 update to the Gilpin County CWPP, contact Sheriff Armstrong (karmstrong@gilpincounty.org) or SWCA Project Manager Rob Fenwick (Robert.Fenwick@swca.com).