Gilpin County government along with their contractor, SWCA Consulting released a draft of the 2024 Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) on November 20, 2024, and are allowing public comment on the plan through December 2, 2024.
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Burning slash piles in 2022
Burning slash piles like this one on Fairburn Mountain in 2022 is a tool for reducing fuel loads in the updated Gilpin CWPP plan.
GILPIN COUNTY – Gilpin County government, along with their contractor, SWCA Consulting, released a draft of the 2024 Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) on November 20, 2024, and are allowing public comment on the plan through December 2, 2024.
There is a link at the top of the County website (gilpincounty.colorado.gov) that will bring up the County’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan webpage. At the bottom of the webpage are two links.
The first link, called Draft CWPP, will download a 60-megabyte pdf. Depending on browser settings, the pdf will be automatically displayed or can be accessed from the Browser Downloads button. If the pdf is brought up in a web browser, then all the links in the document work.
The second link, called Public Comment Form, will display an online comment form. The form references a page number and has a 2,000-character text box. There is no limit on the number of comments that an individual can submit.
The document has separate sections for Wildfire Risk Analysis and Watershed Risk Analysis. The Wildfire Risk Analysis section discusses wildfire risk in the county, evacuation capabilities, evacuation route risks, and social vulnerabilities.
The Watershed Risk Analysis discusses risks to watersheds in a post-fire recovery period where mudslides and debris can damage watersheds and water treatment facilities.
A table of recommendations for safe and effective fire responses starts on page 121. Listed are projects recommended to improve wildfire resiliency in the county and to reduce the risk of wildfires. Support for or objections to any of these projects can be done by submitting a public comment.
Appendix C has the Community Risk-Hazards Assessments for individual subdivisions. Appendix F identifies resources available to homeowners for property level mitigation and protection practices. Appendix J lists potential sources for grants to fund the recommended mitigation or protection projects.
The County and their contractor will review all public comments and complete the CWPP document prior to presenting it to the Gilpin County Board of Commissioners for their review and approval. The public comment period runs through December 2, 2024.
For more information about the 2024 update to the Gilpin County CWPP plan, contact Sheriff Armstrong (karmstrong@gilpincounty.org), Gilpin County CSU Extension Agent Jennifer Cook (Jennifer.Cook@colostate.edu), or SWCA Project Manager Rob Fenwick (Robert.Fenwick@swca.com).
