I_WMRC_2022A 07/27/2022 09:09:12 AM Committee Summary

PUBLIC
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING
INTERIM COMMITTEE WILDFIRE MATTERS REVIEW COMMITTEE

Date

07/27/2022

Attendance
Coram	X
Cutter	X
Jaquez Lewis	X
Lynch	E
Simpson	E
Snyder	X
Story	X
Will	X
Valdez D.	X
Ginal	X

Time

09:09:12 AM to 04:38:28 PM

Place

Old Supreme Court

This Meeting was called to order by

Ginal

This Report was prepared by

Anne Wallace

Hearing Items	Action Taken
hWorkforce Issues in Timber Industry and Forest Service	Committee Discussion Only
hMarshall Fire Response and Aftermath	Committee Discussion Only
hFire Behavior and Fuel Mitigation	Committee Discussion Only
hVolunteer Firefighter Challenges	Committee Discussion Only
hMarshall Fire Homeowner Insurance Issues	Committee Discussion Only
hPresentation on the Firehawk Helicopter	Committee Discussion Only
hCitizen Wildfire Evacuation Issues	Committee Discussion Only
hWatershed Restoration Updates	Committee Discussion Only
hUtilities and Mitigation Issues	Committee Discussion Only
hPublic Testimony	Committee Discussion Only

09:09:14 AM

Senator Ginal called
the meeting to order and reviewed the meeting agenda. Representative Valdez
commented.

Workforce Issues in Timber Industry and Forest Service - Committee Discussion Only


	09:13:03 AM	Molly Pitts, Colorado Timber Association, and Tim Reader, Colorado State Forest Service, presented regarding workforce issues in the timber and forestry industries. The presentation may be accessed here: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/workforce_issues_in_timber_industry_and_forestry.pdf. Mr. Reader described the current forestry workforce and the need for additional workers to conduct mitigation in Colorado.
	09:23:20 AM	Ms. Pitts described a subcommittee to educate the public about the timber industry and employment opportunities. She discussed timber and forestry workforce programs in other states, and discussed educational and employment programs to grow the timber and forestry workforce in Colorado.
	09:32:11 AM	Ms. Pitts discussed recommendations to strengthen community college forestry programs, increasing the availability of internships, and supporting secondary wood products manufacturing. Mark Morgan, Morgan Timber Products, discussed the issues impacting his business including the need for skilled workers, funding workforce development programs in the long term, support for community colleges and faculty members, and increased cooperation with federal agencies.
	09:44:40 AM	The presenters responded to committee questions regarding age of the timber workforce, capacity of community college programs, and training SWIFT crews with more equipment.

Marshall Fire Response and Aftermath - Committee Discussion Only


	09:58:55 AM	Deputy Chief Sterling Folden, Mountain View Fire and Rescue, summarized the response to the Marshall Fire that occurred in December in Boulder County. He discussed the factors that contributed to the severity of the fire, including the dry and warm weather, high wind, and lack of snow. He described the challenges responding to the fire, including the fire's intensity and speed, coordinating evacuations, and communication and radio issues.
	10:13:08 AM	Chief Folden described the aftermath of the fire, including first responder mental and physical exhaustion and financial impacts to the public and local government revenue. He discussed improvements to emergency alert systems since the fire, including better communication and evacuation strategies.
	10:17:08 AM	Chief Folden responded to questions regarding the high wind, extinguishing the fire, updates to the evacuation system, water availability, and workforce issues within fire departments. Chief Folden provided closing comments.

Fire Behavior and Fuel Mitigation - Committee Discussion Only


	10:49:51 AM	John Potter, City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, presented regarding fire prevention in open space areas. The presentation may be accessed here: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/fire_behavior_and_fuel_mitigation.pdf. Chris Wanner, Open Space and Mountain Parks, described the fuel mitigation projects in Boulder's open space, inlcuding use of prescribed fire and its challenges. Amy Wilhite, Open Space and Mountian Parks, discussed the need and challenges with conducting fuel mitigation around agricultural ditches.
	11:15:41 AM	The presenters responded to committee questions about ditch ownership and mitigation funding.

Volunteer Firefighter Challenges - Committee Discussion Only


	11:27:04 AM	Chief Collin Isenhart, Big Elk Volunteer Fire Department, presented regarding volunteer fire departments and explained that they are funded through donations and grants. The presentation may be accessed here: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/volunteer_ff_challenges_wfmrc.pdf. He discussed the challenges with applying for grants, the lack of resources for recruitment or retention, and difficulty certifying volunteer firefighters. Chief Isenhart responded to questions regarding forming a fire protection district and a 2022 volunteer firefighter program. Senator Coram discussed a committee letter to the Department of Public Safety.
	11:42:10 AM	Chief David Wolf, Estes Valley Fire Protection District, explained the area that the district serves and the history of fires in the areas. He discsussed the challenges the district faces, including increased number of response calls, the increased cost of living in the area, and keeping current with volunteer standards. Chief Wolf requested the state incentive volunteer firefighting, remove barriers to accessing funding, and increase resources for fire prevention across the state.
	11:54:12 AM	Chief Brad White, Grand Fire Protection District (GFPD), described the GFPD area and staff, and provided data on number of departments, firefighters, and equipment in the state. He discussed the challenges that fire departments reported across the state, including number of volunteers, call volume, and engine and equipment needs. Chief White discussed the status of grant funding from the Department of Public Safety.
	12:05:35 PM	Committee members commented on the fire department presentations. The presenters responded to committee questions.

Marshall Fire Homeowner Insurance Issues - Committee Discussion Only


	12:10:14 PM	The committee recessed for lunch.
	01:03:04 PM	The committee came back to order.
	01:03:36 PM	Commissioner Michael Conway, Colorado Division of Insurance, presented regarding under insurance issues in Colorado. The presentation may be accessed here: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/marshall_fire_and_underinsurance_-_wildfire_matters_review_committee.pptx_.pdf. He discussed the results of a DOI analysis on underinsurance for properties that were lost in the Marshall fire. Commissioner Conway provided data on the number of properties, the types of homeowner policies, and home builder costs for rebuilding after the fire. He provided estimates for underinsured homes based on different building costs.
	01:16:45 PM	Commissioner Conway explained that some homeowners do not know that they are underinsured, and aren't given adequate information by insurance companies. He responded to questions regarding other state's policies on underinsurance, homeowner gaps in insurance, the impact of inflation on building costs.

Presentation on the Firehawk Helicopter - Committee Discussion Only


	01:45:06 PM	Joe Rice, Lockheed Martin, presented regarding the Firehawk helicopter. He explained Colorado's process to procure the Firehawk helicopter, and Lockheed Martin's new firefighting technology. The presentation may be accessed here: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/firehawk_helicopter_presentation.pdf. Michael Williams and Eric Lama, United Rotorcraft, provided background about the Firehawk helicopter and discussed its capabilities.
	02:11:03 PM	The presenters responded to committee questions regarding the range of the helicopter and its capabilities.

Citizen Wildfire Evacuation Issues - Committee Discussion Only


	02:16:51 PM	Dr. Michael Robinson, Virginia Modeling, Analysis, and Simulation Center, presented regarding evacuation simulation technology. The presentation may be accessed here: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/evac_planning_strat_co_lcs_widfire_matters_comm_-_jul_2022.pdf. Dr. Robinson provided key considerations when running evacuation simulations, including the population behavior and road networks. He summarized the critical components to evacuations, including educating citizens, determining trigger points, and using multiple modes of communication.
	02:34:39 PM	Dr. Robinson responded to committee questions regarding contraflows of traffic.
	02:36:30 PM	Dana Duggan, Westside Watch, and Bill Wysong, Westside Watch, presented regarding citizen evacuation issues. Ms. Duggan described the threat of wildfire in southern Colorado and the need for evacuation planning. Mr. Wysong discussed best practices for evacuation modeling from California, and a recommendation to create a Colorado law to mandate evacuation procedures for citizens.
	03:00:05 PM	The presenters responded to committee questions regarding California evacuation laws and simulation software.

Watershed Restoration Updates - Committee Discussion Only


	03:06:28 PM	Hally Strevey, Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed, presented regarding watershed restoration after a fire. The presentation may be accessed here: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/poudre_river_watershed_wmrc_presentation_07272022.pptx_.pdf. She summarized the impacts of the Cameron Peak fire. Ms. Strevey discussed restoration efforts, including aerial mulching, post-mitigation treatments, and reforestation.
	03:25:48 PM	Curtis Hartenstine, Northern Water, presented regarding East Troublesome Fire recovery. The presenation may be accessed here: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/watershed_restoration_updates.pdf. He described the funding and agencies involved in restoration on private and federal lands. Mr. Hartenstine described the master plan for recovery in the water basins and aerial mulching on federal land. He discussed challenges with watershed recovery, including land ownership and federal funding cycles and agreements.
	03:49:42 PM	The presenters responded to committee questions regarding seedlings and watershed reclamation.

Utilities and Mitigation Issues - Committee Discussion Only


	03:55:50 PM	Tim Coleman, Colorado Rural Electric Association, presented on the association and summarized challenges faced by the associations. Virginia Harman, Yampa Valley Rural Electric Association, discussed issues conducting mitigation in rural areas with mutliple land owners.
	04:05:30 PM	Ryan Elarton, San Isabel Electric Association, presented on restoration issues after a fire. and updated the committee on mitigation around utility poles. The presentation may be accessed here: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/wildfire_mitigation_-_san_isabel_electric_-_7-22-22.pdf. He responded to questions on right-of-way for utlity companies. Holly Woodings, United Power, presented regarding hardening the utility system, including power line construction, fuses, and using wildfire aerial cameras, and using a N5 shield sensor. The presentation may be accessed here: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/utilities_and_mitigation-united_power.pdf.
	04:22:32 PM	The presenters responded to committee questions.

Public Testimony - Committee Discussion Only


	04:27:34 PM	R. C. Smith, representing himself, testified regarding the committee and responded to questions.

04:38:28 PM

The committee adjourned.