Wildfire mitigation on open space

we are continuing to implement and plan new crossboundary mitigation projects in the four highest risk sections

resilient landscapes which is about managing vegetation and reducing hazardous fuels to wildfire risk

of the uh citywide wildfire resilience effort. So, looking forward to, but tune in next week, Thursday, if you're able.

we'll be presenting our wildfire ready 2030 framework um and uh if you're not able to attend that

open space dollars to put more money into wildfire resilience

to lead a formal WOOI fuels mitigation crew in the open space and mountain parks department

the three highest priority program areas that the open space leads and that would be the prescribed burn program area

an overview of our investments um highlights associated with wildfire resilience um including our wildland uh uh wildland unit

we shared forward our uh list of examples uh and investments in wildfire prevention um and wildfire resilience that is uh that will take place on open space land.

management, crews, equipment, prescribed fire, grazing, mowing, thinning related landscape work.

our prescribed burn program may be a little bit underresourced

advance natural area management harmonizes ecological health with public safety through shared community responsibility

Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and Wildfire Resilience Investments Update (50 min)

but we think that wildfire resilience improvements is more urgent

4 A is the direction on the wildfire resilience on open space ballot measures

I'd like to request a motion to amend the agenda to add item 4A, direction on the wildfire resilience on open space ballot measure

Direction on the Wildfire Resilience on Open Space ballot measure

Wildfire Resilience: Update on the Assessment of Current/Planned City Wildfire Related Programs Project

we already have uh uh fire hydrants on certain aspects of open space which supports our prescribed fire program

to consider adding wildfire mitigation as an explicit use for open space land

it doesn't specifically mention um fuels mitigation within open space

During the burning portion, and follow normal protocols in terms of, like, community notifications for prescribed burns

has a couple of items around, a wildfire. mitigation tree forest thinning project

open space uh has in fact $3.75 million of um funds that are going to go towards uh wildfire resilience

that will support fuel mitigation efforts along ditch corridors and performing forest thinning and vegetation management

a realignment of a portion of the fire rescue wildland unit or 7FT that comprise that unit to be supported by open space revenues

the resilient landscape strategy involves restoring and maintaining landscapes so that they are resilient to fire-related disturbance

we have an ongoing program of targeted grazing, forest management, and some cross-boundary initiatives

fuel reduction, which is a pretty expansive, program area involving forest management and grassland management

forest thinning and vegetation management within the wildland urban interface and on open spaced lands for wildfire resilience

where this team spends 90% of staff time on wildfire response and mitigation efforts such as prescribed burns or wildfire training

we have scoured the community wildlife protection plan

its roughly 150 references in its 2024 community wildfire protection plan up on the city website

do you contemplate any changes to land use in the open space areas

tree thinning uh we have uh nearly doubled our Forestry Crew over the over the last few years

through either open space in Mountain Parks or parks and wreck or or utilities or or you know those other departments

all of those green blobs you see there are previous fuel treatments either done by us in the city

an example which is kind of in the bucket of wildfire mitigation

expanding the scope and speed in which at which fuels management efforts are completed on City lands

and on the Wildfire Resilience planning and the Chautauqua sustainability

and a couple of I/O items around Wildfire resilience and chat with sustainability

to increase the awareness around Wildfire resilience and Community responsibility on that

we're adding staff and budget to reduce fuel loads along uh key stretches of os P ditches

the resilient Landscapes portion of the topic of wildfire resilience

not only ongoing but increasing mitigation of fuel reduction through grazing force thinning prescribed burns

in addition to uh forest thinning cattle grazing is actually a very important component uh when it comes

we use that plan for all of the risk mitigation that we do in wildfire

one of the areas of success I'd like to highlight is the mitigation work done on our open space in recent years

Beyond sort of traditional Land Management work such as thinning and prescribed Burns and prescribed grazing

THIS WORK WILL HELP TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF OUR OPEN SPACE FOREST ECOSYSTEMS AND REDUCE WILDFIRE RISKS FOR BOULDER NEIGHBORHOOD

WE SPEND A HUNDRED AND FORTY SIX ACRES OF FOREST GROWTH AND HELP TO CONDUCT A LARGE PRESCRIBED FIRE.