Firewise USA Community Ashley.Whitworth@coloradosprings.gov
(Please also see COMMUNITY tab, FIREWISE picture; click on picture to see 2019/20 Training) FIREWISE: Colorado Springs and Firewise USA currently have a cost sharing grant with private homeowners, effective until early May (or when the funds have been exhausted.) The grant is for mitigation within 30 feet of your home of hazardous vegetation surrounding that home. The work must be completed by about mid-May. Because the VAE HOA had Ashley speak at our annual meeting all residents qualify for this 1:1 grant of cost sharing. So if your mitigation costs $1,000 (the max shared) the homeowner pays the first half and the grant pays directly to the licensed tree company the other $500. It is a GREAT deal so take advantage of it if you can. You need to get approval PRIOR to the work commencing.
Please keep track of the hours you spend on either this mitigation effort or on preparing for the CHIPPER events (see home page). Grants are awarded to various "Firewise USA." https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Firewise-USA/Become-a-Firewise-USA-site To qualify as a Firewise Community, a national program, typically requires an average of one hour per parcel in that "community." Ours contains several subdivisions, not simply VAE. So when you complete the CHIPPER form or request a FIREWISE visit or applying for the grant, please keep track of your hours as a guesstimate and report them on the request form. Efforts include:
cleaning your gutters,
raking leaves,
cleaning up base fuels,
replacing wood decks with composite decks,
trimming trees up from the ground,
donating your time on VAE HOA work days,
etc.
A computation using $25.43/hr is made for comparison to minimum standards. SO log your hours! If you buy a chainsaw or a long handled saw or a new rake, for example, to do your mitigation yourself then that can be submitted to Ashley (accompanied by a receipt so she has the backup info if requested; that info goes NOWHERE else.. not to taxing authorities, the city, insurance companies, etc. ). VAE is very aggressive about fire mitigation, so CONGRATULATIONS to you all!
Our efforts are carrying other neighborhoods in our "community." Please continue to report your time and dollars invested in forest mitigation efforts! It is paying off. We've never had an evacuation for a fire. Knock on wood... let's keep it that way!
