The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
County delegates authority to sheriff, should action be needed
By Katherine Nettles
Gunnison County has gone much longer than in recent years without any fire restrictions in place, and that trend will continue for the time being. Like much of the United States, the Gunnison Valley is experiencing high temperatures this month, and from ranchers to recreationalists, many are looking to the forecasts for any sign of relief – especially in the form of rain. This week, Gunnison County commissioners delegated authority to the sheriff’s department for the third year in a row to impose fire restrictions at any time if needed, but sheriff Adam Murdie said that action is not yet warranted.
County commissioners unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday, July 18 to give authority to the sheriff to impose fire restrictions should conditions call for it without having to call for a public meeting in advance. They began this practice in 2021 in order to be more nimble in response to sometimes quickly-changing conditions. All agreed it has worked well.
“This just allows it to happen at a quicker level,” said commissioner chairperson Jonathan Houck. “We’re still involved, and my experience on this board is that when we talk about fire restrictions, we still see everybody coming together. It’s the fire protection districts, the [U.S.] Forest Service (USFS), the BLM [Bureau of Land Management], the county, the municipalities…and we want the community to have one clear message.”
The Gunnison Basin Wildfire Council, which includes the aforementioned government and land management agencies, meets weekly to discuss conditions, and their meeting on Wednesday, July 19 determined no restricitions are needed for the time being. The USFS and BLM officers measure forest fuels in the field on a regular basis in order to keep all agencies informed of the current ratings and make recommendations for the county as a whole, wherever possible.
Because of the plentiful snow this spring and cooler conditions prior to June, the county remains drought free and that has helped stave off restrictions so far this summer. In 2022, stage 1 fire restrictions were enacted on June 15 and in 2021, they were enacted on June 24.
Houck speculated that as ranchers now begin using their irrigation ditches in earnest to keep hay coming in, hopefully the monsoonal rains typical of mid to late July will begin to hit the Gunnison Valley.
As commissioner Laura Puckett Daniels noted, “It hasn’t rained for five weeks. But if it suddenly starts raining a bunch, things could change. I think having that capacity is important and working with the sheriff closely, as we do.”
