|
PUBLIC
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING
INTERIM COMMITTEE WILDFIRE MATTERS REVIEW COMMITTEE
| Date |
07/02/2024 |
| Attendance |
| Baisley |
X |
| Boesenecker |
X |
| Exum |
* |
| Lynch |
E |
| Marchman |
X |
| Mauro |
X |
| Weinberg |
X |
| Will |
X |
| Velasco |
X |
| Cutter |
X |
|
| Time |
09:10:21 AM to 04:12:31 PM |
| Place |
Old State Library |
| This Meeting was called to order by |
Cutter |
| This Report was prepared by |
Amanda King |
|
| Hearing Items |
Action Taken |
| hOpening Remarks |
Committee Discussion Only |
| hPresentation from the Department of Natural Resources and Colorado State Forest Service |
Committee Discussion Only |
| hFuture Meeting and Field Trip Planning |
Committee Discussion Only |
| hPresentation from the Department of Public Health and Environment |
Committee Discussion Only |
| hLunch Break |
Committee Discussion Only |
| hPresentation from the Colorado Fire Commission |
Committee Discussion Only |
| hPresentation from the Forest Health Council Legislative Committee |
Committee Discussion Only |
| hPresentation from the Department of Public Safety and the Division of Fire Prevention and Control |
Committee Discussion Only |
|
|
Opening Remarks - Committee Discussion Only
|
|
|
09:12:35 AM |
Senator Cutter and
Representative Velasco made opening remarks about the committee. A copy
of the meeting agenda was distributed to the committee members (Attachment
A).
|
|
09:13:02 AM |
Samantha Falco, representing
Legislative Council Staff, reviewed the charge memo of the committee (Attachment
B). She reviewed the meeting schedule.
|
|
09:14:07 AM |
Alison Killen, representing
the Office of Legislative Legal Services, reviewed the bill request process
for interim committees.
|
|
09:17:16 AM |
Clayton Mayfield,
representing Legislative Council Staff, reviewed a memo on recent wildfire
legislation (Attachment C).
|
Presentation from the Department of Natural Resources and Colorado State Forest Service - Committee Discussion Only
|
|
|
09:19:00 AM |
Alison Lerch, representing
the Department of Natural Resources, and Chris Strum, representing th Department
of Natural Resources, presented to the committee. A copy of the presentation
was provided to the committee (Attachment D). Ms. Lerch discussed Senate
Bill 21-258, which addressed wildfire risk mitigation. She discussed the
Colorado Forest Health Council, which is a 26 member council, and the Colorado
Strategic Wildfire Action Plan (COSWAP) that addresses funding and workforce
development, including Department of Corrections' State Wildland Inmate
Fire Team (SWIFT) crews. Ms. Lerch presented information about the COSWAP
discussions with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
and COSWAP grants.
|
|
09:29:52 AM |
Ms. Lerch highlighted several COSWAP projects, including projects in Pueblo, Longmont, and Grand Junction.
|
|
09:34:14 AM |
Mr. Strum reviewed
information about the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) and the
Wildfire Ready Action Plan, established through Senate Bill 21-258.
|
|
09:37:26 AM |
Ms. Lerch discussed Senate Bill 23-270, which addressed projects to restore natural streams systems. She discussed the efforts to implement the bill.
|
|
09:39:08 AM |
Mr. Strum and Ms. Lerch responded to questions from the committee. Ms. Lerch further explained the COSWAP funding selection process.
|
|
09:47:09 AM |
James Lucero, representing
the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS), presented to the committee. A
copy of his presentation was distributed to the committee (Attachment E).
Mr. Lucero reviewed the agency profile. He provided information on Forest
Restoration and Wildfire Risk Mitigation (FRWRM) Program, including Senate
Bill 17-050; the monitoring done through the program; and demand for funding
through the program. Mr. Lucero discussed the success of the FRWRM Program.
He stated that there have been 105 completed projects that have treated
over 8,700 acres and that the FRWRM Program has awarded approximately $35
million in grant awards.
|
|
10:01:49 AM |
Mr. Lucero discussed
the Live Wildfire Ready campaign. He referenced House Bill 24-1024, which
requires the CSFS to continue its enhanced wildfire awareness outreach
campaign through 2027. He discussed the outreach efforts of the campaign.
|
|
10:06:41 AM |
Mr. Lucero discussed the CO IRA Urban and Community Forest Grant Program, which is providing $1.6 million in the first round of funding.
|
|
10:09:03 AM |
Mr. Lucero and Teddy
Parker-Regna, representing the CSFS, responded to questions from the committee,
including providing information on the CSFS nursery, healthy forests, and
the position of tree equity specialist. Mr. Lucero further explained the
CSFS nursery and the funding for the nursery.
|
Future Meeting and Field Trip Planning - Committee Discussion Only
|
|
|
10:18:58 AM |
Ms. Falco reviewed
information about the future meeting agendas. Senator Cutter discussed
the possibility for a field trip for the committee, including potential
field trip dates and areas of the state that might be visited by the committee.
|
|
10:26:04 AM |
The committee took a brief recess.
|
Presentation from the Department of Public Health and Environment - Committee Discussion Only
|
|
|
10:49:43 AM |
The committee came
back to order.
|
|
10:51:19 AM |
Scott Landes, Kristen
Good, and Kristy Richardson, representing the Department of Public Health
and Environment (CDPHE), presented to the committee and a copy of the presentation
was provided to the committee (Attachment F). Ms. Richardson discussed
health concerns from wildfire, such as difficulty breathing and risks of
heart attacks. She discussed damages to infrastructure that can have health
impacts, including the contents of the ash and burned materials.
|
|
11:00:31 AM |
Mr. Landes discussed
the Meteorology and Prescribed Fire Unit in CDPHE. He discussed the activities
of the unit, including statewide year-round forecasting and advisories.
He reviewed data related to air quality health advisories and how the advisories
are disseminated to the public. Mr. Landes discussed the Colorado Smoke
Blog that is being released soon to communicate with the public about smoke
advisory information.
|
|
11:13:07 AM |
Mr. Landes reviewed information about the Smoke Management Program, including open burning permits and smoke management permits. He reviewed information about standard permit and non-standard permits. Mr. Landes discused the prescribed fire mapping tool that will be released soon and provides information where permits have been authorized.
|
|
11:18:42 AM |
Ms. Good presented
information about wildfire smoke preparedness in community buildings. She
discussed a federal grant CDPHE received that focuses on reducing adverse
impact of wildfire smoke on indoor air quality. Ms. Good stated that the
goal of the grant is to support and facilitate community smoke preparedness
planning efforts through education and training.
|
|
11:23:47 AM |
Ms. Good reviewed
the objectives of the Wildfire Smoke Preparedness Program, including developing
a Colorado Stakeholder Education and Training Network and training for
K-12 school to be wildfire smoke ready. She discussed how CDPHE will be
engaging stakeholders and disseminating education resources about the program.
Ms. Good explained how indoor air quality is often a reflection of outdoor
air quality. She discussed how the program helps stakeholders identify
suitable community-serving buildings to serve as clean air centers.
|
|
11:31:23 AM |
Ms. Good further
discussed how CDPHE will provide training to K-12 schools to serve as Sentinel
Indoor Air Quality Monitoring Sites and Community Clean Air Centers. She
stated that the program has distributed 35,000 HEPA portable air cleaners
to 550 K-12 schools.
|
|
11:36:21 AM |
Ms. Good, Mr. Landes,
and Ms. Richardson responded to questions from the committee about information
provided in the presentation. The panelists continued to respond to questions
from the committee about prescribed fires and how CDPHE will be notifying
people about the various communication tools that are being launched soon.
The committee discussed prior legislation related to behavioral and physical
health impacts of wildfires.
|
Lunch Break - Committee Discussion Only
|
|
|
01:03:32 PM |
The committee came
back to order.
|
Presentation from the Colorado Fire Commission - Committee Discussion Only
|
|
|
01:04:25 PM |
Chief Mike Morgan,
representing the Colorado Fire Commission, presented to the committee and
a copy of the presentation was distributed to the committee (Attachment
G).
|
|
01:06:53 PM |
Chief Mark Novak,
representing the Colorado Fire Commission, reviewed the mission and goals
of the Colorado Fire Commission. He reviewed the key areas of focus for
the commission, including prescribed fires, retention and recruitment,
training and certification, and funding for emergency services. Chief Novak
highlighted the need to build a capable and sustainable firefighting workforce,
which includes more career pathways, more funding, and more innovation.
|
|
01:13:43 PM |
Chief Novak reviewed
information about prescribed fires and the impacts of prescribed fires
on Colorado, which include the impacts on communities, residents, landowners,
policy makers, and emergency services. He discussed the benefits of prescribed
fires, which include wildfire risk reduction, ecosystem health, and wildlife
habitat improvement. Chief Novak spoke about the challenges of prescribed
fires, including regulatory and legal barriers, environmental and safety
concerns, public perception and acceptance, logistical challenges, and
ecological concerns.
|
|
01:21:58 PM |
Chief T.J. Steck,
representing the Colorado Fire Commission, discussed the challenges of
firefighter retention and recruitment. He reviewed information about the
2022 Needs Assessment that indicated that the Colorado Fire Service needs
an additional 1,085 career and 1,327 volunteer firefighters over the next
two years to meet the growing service demand. Chief Steck reviewed what
is needed to address retention and recruitment, which includes developing
a recruiting website, using social media, and increasing funding for rural
agencies.
|
|
01:36:15 PM |
Captain Bryce Boyer,
representing the Colorado Fire Commission, discussed the Training and Certification
Subcommittee of the Commission. He stated there is currently no requirements
to be a firefighter in Colorado and certification is voluntary. He reviewed
the challenges with training, which include better definitions around training,
sustainable funding, and inclusion of non-fire service partners.
|
|
01:46:36 PM |
The committee asked
questions of the panelists regarding the current status of fire in Pueblo,
responsibilities of volunteer firefighters, funding sources and challenges,
property tax changes, cooperation on prescribed fires, and insurance complications.
|
Presentation from the Forest Health Council Legislative Committee - Committee Discussion Only
|
|
|
02:08:43 PM |
Commisioner Jody
Schadduck-McNally, representing the Colorado Forest Health Council, presented
to the committee and provided a handout (Attachment H). She reviewed information
about the council that was created by Senate Bill 21-237. Commisioner Schadduck-McNally
reviewed information about the Colorado Forest Resilience Planning Guide
and discussed the need for local flexibility when it comes addressing wildfires.
She provided information about the coucil's legislative recommendations,
including the need for additional grant funding; expanding the Colorado
State Forest Service Internship Program, and expanding forestry career
pathway awareness for middle and high school students.
|
|
02:18:15 PM |
Commissioner Schadduck-McNally
responded to questions from the committee about the presentation.
|
Presentation from the Department of Public Safety and the Division of Fire Prevention and Control - Committee Discussion Only
|
|
|
02:29:11 PM |
Director Morgan provided follow-up information on a previous question on funding for fire departments.
|
|
02:32:56 PM |
Director Morgan,
representing the Department of Public Safety, presented on the Department
of Public Safety and the Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC).
He reviewed information about the DFPC mission including protecting property,
resources, environment, and quality of life in Colorado. Director Morgan
outlined the chain of command for wildfires in Colorado, which starts with
a fire protection district, then may advance to the county sheriff, and
then ultimately to the state, when necessary, who may bring in federal
partners. He discussed how wildfires have changed over time. A copy of
the Firefighter Safety and Disease Prevention Fund Annual Report was distributed
to the committee (Attachment I).
|
|
02:46:19 PM |
Director Morgan reviewed how the state assists in fires, including aviation funding, technical assistance, and handcrews. He stated that between 2018 to 2022 the state received 223 requests for fire assistance and expended almost $8 million to provide assistance.
|
|
02:54:09 PM |
Chief Vaughn Jones
representing DFPC provided additional information on state fire assistance.
Director Morgan discussed the history of state responsibility for fires.
He reviewed data that showed that from 1967 to 1979 there was one qualifying
fire, whereas from 2010 to 2019 there were 74 qualifying fires for state
assistance.
|
|
02:59:52 PM |
Director Morgan reviewed
information on a new concept for the state's fire agency and fuels management,
as well as funding mitigation and suppression. He reviewed information
about the DFPC sections, which includes the Fire and Life Safety Section,
which includes Building, Fire, and Life Safety Code Enforcement. Director
Morgan reviewed information about the Wildfire Resilient Homes Grant Program,
including highlighting some of the projects the program has funded. He
discussed the DFPC's Professional Qualifications and Training Section,
which manages firefighter certifications and training across the state.
Director Morgan reviewed data on the Firefighter Safety and Disease Grant
Program and Mental Health, which has awarded 548 grants totalling almost
$18 million. He mentioned that the funding for the program goes away in
FY 2024-25.
|
|
03:11:09 PM |
Director Morgan explained
aspects of the Center of Excellence and the Colorado Team Awareness Kit,
known as COTAK, which is in the beta testing phase. He reviewed the DFPC
regions, the ground-based resources, and aviation resources. Director Morgan
and Chief Jones responded to questions from the committee about the location
of firefighting aircrafts.
|
|
03:24:57 PM |
Director Morgan and
Chief Jones reviewed the role of the Wildfire Fire Management Section and
Interagency Local Mutual Aid Dispatch Centers. Director Morgan discussed
the Vision Hills Fire in Pueblo in April 2024 and the Boggsville Fire in
Bent County in March 2024. He provided information about the core wildfire
season, which is May through September, but wildfires can and do happen
outside of this period. Director Morgan and Chief Jones reviewed information
about the July 2024 fire potential outlook throughout the state, which
is increased in southeast Colorado but normal for the rest of the state.
|
|
03:34:43 PM |
Director Morgan provided
national fire data for 2024. He stated that there have been less fires
nationally, but they have burned longer. He provided a 2024 legislative
session overview and updates and highlighted House Bill 24-1091, which
addresses fire-hardened building materials; House Bill 24-1155, which addresses
the management of certain public safety emergencies, and House Bill 24-1309,
which addresses the use of aircraft in search and rescue operations.
|
|
03:39:30 PM |
Director Morgan reviewed information about the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code Board, which has 21 voting members and three ex officio members. He discussed how the board is addressing issues with homeowners insurance, including building design.
|
|
03:43:16 PM |
Director Morgan,
Chief Jones, and Joel Malecka, representing DPS, responded to questions
from the committee about prescribed burns and wildfires and language access
issues related to wildfires. Chief Chris Brunette, representing DPS, responded
to questions from the committee about fireworks. The panelists responded
to questions from the committee related to workforce issues.
|
| 04:11:37 PM |
Ms. Falco addressed
housekeeping matters for the committee. Senator Cutter made closing remarks.
|
| 04:12:31 PM |
The committee adjourned. |
