Potential fire egress road being developed for Trappers Crossing

Early in design phase but would generally follow Green Lake trail

By Katherine Nettles

To better prepare for the threat of wildfires in a particularly vulnerable area of the North Valley, the Trappers Crossing Homeowners Association is working on a plan to build a fire egress road through a utility easement alongside the Green Lake Trail and wetlands this summer. The fire egress road will be one major part of a plan to address that area’s “extreme” wildfire danger including fuels reductions, vegetation management and fire breaks. The egress road is currently in an engineering design phase and may also have to be reviewed by the Gunnison County development department as it progresses. 

According to a local resident familiar with the situation, the egress road would be designed to allow low clearance passenger vehicles to pass and will likely require the use of heavy construction equipment for maintenance each hiking season. The road would run from Lot 5 of Trappers Crossing down through Journey’s End and generally follow the Green Lake Trail. Officials have not determined whether Green Lake trail access would be restricted during the construction, or when the construction might start.

Rob Harper of Toad Properties, which is involved in the project, said the road would make use of a utility easement. “Trappers is constantly working on fire safety and fire mitigation measures,” he said. “Trappers is fortunate that it has an existing utility easement that was platted as part of the subdivision. The minimum maintenance needed to enable vehicular access for the installation and maintenance of utilities within the utility easement will help enable emergency fire egress through this easement if necessary. Trappers is grateful to the landowners traversed by this easement that they’ve agreed to allow this emergency fire egress if necessary.  Given the heightened wildfire risks throughout the western U.S., Trappers is thankful for this additional safety measure for residents and firefighters.”   

Harper stressed that the work is in no way for public use and said it should not affect access to the Green Lake Trail. “We have no plans to disturb any of it during this process,” he said.

“Obviously the development of a secondary egress out of the Trappers Crossing at Wildcat Community is a significant accomplishment to improve safety for the community, its residents and our first responders should it ever become needed,” said WRWC (West Region Wildfire Council) director Jamie Gomez. “Additionally, we are always promoting, encouraging and assisting with efforts to proactively reduce wildfire risk ahead of the wildfire – and so this kind of action should be viewed as part of a larger strategy to help this community become better adapted to living in a wildfire prone ecosystem,” said Gomez.

Gunnison County assistant county manager of community and economic development Cathie Pagano said she had spoken with the Trappers Homeowners Association attorney, Jacob With, on a preliminary basis and had not yet decided what level of review the road project might need. 

“They are still working on engineering design. As I understand, the project is intended to be a secondary egress in case of emergency only (wildfire) which is something the Crested Butte Fire Protection District has advocated for. Once we receive additional information from the association we’ll determine if county permits are required,” said Pagano.

Crested Butte Fire Protection District CEO Sean Caffrey confirmed last week that the HOA is working with the WRWC on funding for a wildfire mitigation project in the area as well, as it has been recognized as a major wildfire hazard in the North Valley.

The WRWC has been conducting fuels reduction and vegetation management work in conjunction with numerous partners including Gunnison County Emergency Management, CBFPD, Colorado State Forest Service Gunnison Field Office, USFS Gunnison Ranger District and BLM Gunnison Field Office. 

Gomez said the plan is to expand upon those efforts with the support of some grant funding that WRWC was awarded last year. He said the WRWC is working to finalize agreements and other details with the homeowner’s association and participating landowners and begin fuels reduction in 2023.