April 1, 2008 5:50 PM

GOP lawmakers push for committee to counter wildfire threat

As Colorado’s urban growth expands into fire-prone forest areas, two GOP lawmakers are pushing legislation to strengthen the state's ability to prevent and respond to potentially catastrophic wildfires.

Sen. Mike Kopp, R-Littleton, and Rep. Rob Witwer, R-Genesee, said today they will introduce a resolution to create a summer interim committee to investigate ways to combat wildfires “where urban and wildlands collide.”

The committee would explore wildfire prevention strategies across the state, including holding hearings to learn the insights of Coloradans living in harms way.

"This is an issue we care deeply about, and we intend to give these communities all the tools we can to fight these devastating fires," said Kopp. A former "hot shot" forest firefighter and son of a firefighter, Kopp said he wants to use his experience to protect foothills constituents.

The resolution is part of a package of legislation that Witwer and Kopp have advanced this session to promote healthy forests in their communities.

Witwer, whose district was ravaged by the Hi Meadow fire and Buffalo Creek fire in recent years, warns the state can't afford to wait.

"If the Hayman and Missionary Ridge fires taught us anything, it's that the threat is real, and the state needs to act decisively to mitigate the impact of future fires," he said. "The threat of catastrophic wildfire is only made worse by the beetle-kill situation. If we wait until tomorrow to act, it will be to late."

--Alan Gathright

Posted by Alan Gathright at 5:50 PM | Comments (0)