GOLDEN GATE CANYON - The Golden Gate Canyon Fire Protection District Board approved adding a wildfire mitigation division during a regular meeting at the Grange on August 28, 2025, at 7 p.m.

Chief Kyle Benson introduced the formation of the Fire Mitigation Division.

Wildfire Mitigation Division

According to his prospectus, “This Implementation Plan is intended to document the initial vision, goals, and steps necessary to establish a new Wildland Fire Mitigation Division (“WFMD”) for the Golden Gate Fire Protection District (“GGFPD”). and serve as a Board Overview and Approval Request for the WFMD. Advisory Committee.

“The Plan is based on several meetings of the Wildland Fire Mitigation Division Advisory Committee.”

The Committee looked at how the District would address a community-wide wildfire mitigation effort. They will have three separate teams that change the way the organization looks.

Now, the Board is at the top. Under the Board is the fire chief with two divisions: operations, under Chief Enright, and the Forest Services division,

This plan proposes a separate division, organized under the Chief, the Wildfire Mitigation Division.

“The overarching and initial vision for the WFMD is to create a community-wide wildland fire mitigation support system that is financially self-sufficient/sustainable through a mix of grant funding, volunteer labor, and community fundraising efforts.

“The State of Colorado (via HB25-1009) has passed legislation to prevent and mitigate wildfire destruction by encouraging local governments to reduce dead vegetation that can fuel destructive fires. Jefferson County has approved and created a Wildland Fire Management Program that includes the hiring of full-time Wildland Fire Crew Members.

“Their program has created 37 Full-Time positions that will be funded by a $7 million initial offering and a planned $4.5 million annual budget. The WFMD will mimic certain aspects of the program that JeffCo is creating.”

The WFMD will consist of three volunteer teams offering the following primary services:

Wildland Fire Mitigation (referred to as the “Crew” team) will work on large wildland fire mitigation clearing, focused primarily on community exit routes. This group will have 16 people.

Eight or nine people have already applied, and there are also those on the committee.

The Crew will perform fire mitigation work on public lands but not on a private structure. The Crew needs equipment, and road signs on a truck. They will work two to four days per month for 1,600 hours per year on four-hour work shifts.

The Homeowner Assessments team will perform individualized on-site fire mitigation assessments for community homeowners upon request. The Homeowner Assessment Division will have a line of communication, helping people get a good home assessment for their house for insurance companies.

The final group involves education, Benson said, providing education to our district, creating outreach to non-wildfire people moving into the district, providing them with a contact to get the resources they need. They will have community functions and events at the Grange.

None of this is included in the budget. Benson said, “If approved by the board, the staff will create budgets.”

All together the department has 22 new staff on top of 27 current staff ,and will go from 27 to in excess of 40. The chief described it as “a big jump.” It will involve an increase in insurance, and the financial portion is included in the prospectus. If approved, this will allow current allocated funds to help fund the startup of this group.

President Deb Curlee said “We don’t have $30,000 in the budget.” Treasure Mike Sever said that they could postpone or defray that cost. They are looking at hard initial costs at $6,000.

Benson said the County has offered its support for this crew. They have offered to train this group and tie them into their home assessment program. The County has also offered grant possibilities. There is a large push to create a program for mitigation.

Marith Reheis moved to authorize the formation of the Wildfire Mitigation Division with $10,000 from existing funds, and the Board approved.

Bylaws Committee

Reheis provided an update on the Bylaws Committee. She said her committee of two went through the bylaws with edits and comments for anyone to look at.

”I thought we were done. I copied and pasted from email and sent it to other board members. They ran into a hornet’s nest with a number of places where it’s boiler plate from somewhere else. It needs to be discussed.”

Curlee proposed dissolving the current bylaws committee until a later date. She suggested that the board should take the lead and address it after the first of the year. The board approved.

Treasurer Mike Sever said Member Dave Primmer requested three months of credit statements, and he sent him four months that were redacted. “I didn’t find any discrepancies. Each board member has received those and had no questions.”

Sever requested that each board member review the board’s policies and sign that they were reviewed.

The annual Pig Roast for the Grange will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on September 20. The next regular Board Meeting will be on September 25, 2025, at 7 p.m. at the Grange, 25201 Golden Gate Canyon Road, Golden. For more information go to www.goldengatefire.colorado.gov.