The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Getting ahead of a potential disastrous situation
By Mark Reaman
Given what is happening with an uncertain climate around the world, Crested Butte town officials believe it is a matter of when, not if, a wildfire will break out close to the North Valley and impact our region. As a result, the town along with nearby stakeholders have been working on a so-called Wildfire Ready Action Plan (WRAP). A draft of that plan was presented to the Crested Butte town council at a January 5 work session.
Public Works director Shea Earley told the council that the goal is to get the town prepared before a fire happens. He said the plan is focused on three main watersheds; Coal Creek that runs along Kebler Pass Road, Slate River and the Washington Gulch watersheds.
Early’s report to the council focused on the Coal Creek watershed. “There are some significant wildfire hazards. Some of the pre-fire projects include forest canopy, thinning, addressing beetle kill, reconnecting floodplains and making infrastructure improvements for the town drinking water system,” he said. “We need to start working on agency coordination, environmental approvals and land use approvals. We are getting tools in place in case of a fire and for post-fire situations.”
He presented a list of several wildfire mitigation projects planned for Coal Creek. “The goal here is to make a resilient watershed that can handle a fire,” he said. “It’s not a matter of if we will have a fire at some point, it’s when.”
“I am super excited that we are doing this,” said councilmember Kate Guibert. “I’ve learned that preparedness is important. Most places don’t deal with this type of planning until a situation happens.”
Mayor Ian Billick said he felt it was important to have distinct priorities in the plan. For him the number one priority was to make sure the town had an alternative drinking water source to the current Coal Creek system. Earley said that was a top priority and work is already being done to make that a reality in the Slate River watershed. He said another priority was improving/armoring the existing drinking water intake in Coal Creek.
Councilmember Gabi Prochaska noted that the town had $50,000 set aside as part of the plan. She asked what the total price tag might be if all the mitigation measures were put in place.
Earley said they haven’t gotten to cost estimates yet. “That goes to working with our stakeholder partners in the area,” he said.
Councilmember John O’Neal applauded the work being done on the plan. “This is a hugely complex problem to solve,” he said. “It is great to have this proactive plan being formed and in place. It is a great first step.”
Earley will continue to work with regional stakeholders to solidify the plan and come back to the council for more input and suggestions at a later date.
