GOV SIGNS MCLACHLAN’S BIPARTISAN WILDFIRE MITIGATION BILL

Wildfires continue to threaten homes across Colorado (May 31) – Today, Gov. Polis signed Rep. Barbara McLachlan’s bipartisan bill to mitigate the impacts of wildfires on Colorado’s mountain communities. “We’re quickly approaching wildfire season and this new law will help small businesses, homes and hardworking people who depend on having healthy forests,” said Rep. McLachlan, D-Durango. “It’s critically important to fight wildfires and this law will help mitigate the scope and severity of wildfires.” Rep. Barbara McLachlan is a member of the House Rural Affairs and Agriculture committee. HB19-1006 creates a grant program to help with wildfire mitigation efforts in high-risk areas across the state where residential areas are approaching forest land, known as wildland-urban interface areas (WUIs).

Colorado has the third highest percentage of households deemed high or extreme risk from wildfires in the entire country.