A governor’s task force and a legislative committee have been exploring possible solutions to problems that continue to grow as more and more people move into Colorado’s “red zones,” the high fire-risk areas that more than one-fourth of the state’s population calls home, reports The Denver Post.
It’s here that policy intersects politics: Will those panels lead to legislation or executive orders mandating tougher statewide standards, such as more fire-conscious building codes or property mitigation? Or will they lean toward incentives and recommendations that preserve local government control?
It could be a little of both, said state Sen. Jeanne Nicholson, D-Black Hawk, who heads the bipartisan legislative committee. She can envision a “wildfire mitigation package” of bills — rather than a single “megabill” — being introduced in the next session to address several issues.
Among them: the possibility of an air fleet, either alone or in partnership with another state; mandatory disclosure of fire dangers and homeowner responsibilities in real estate transactions; incentives and resources to coax property owners toward voluntary mitigation; and possibly a bill to create a statewide consistency in some aspects of fire mitigation.
The Wildfire Task Force, which will make recommendations to Gov. John Hickenlooper by Sept. 30, has talked about encouraging counties to develop new building and zoning codes, advancing public education campaigns about mitigation, instituting the real estate disclosure and clarifying parameters for controlled burns.
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