HomeMy WebLinkAboutresolution.council.100-03RESOLUTION NO.
(Series of 2003)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ASPEN, COLORADO,
URGING CONGRESS TO DEFINITIVELY PmoRITIZE PROTECTING WILDLAND
URBAN INTERFACE CO'UNITIES FROMWILDFIREi
Whereas, fire has long played a central role in shaping the forested ecosystems
surrounding our mountain communities and these fire-adapted ecosystems require a natural fire
regime to maintain their health.
Whereas, fire suppress.ion efforts, when successful, serve not only to extinguish flames
but also insure that certain fore~[types will further accumulate forest fuels, and the inevitable
wildfire is likely to demonsucate more extreme fire behavior and pose extreme danger to fire
fighters and wildland-urban-intefface communities; and
Whereas, Forest Service fire behavior researchers have proven that only treating fuels in
the immediate vicinity of the structures and the structures themselves has any demonstrable
impact on home survivability.
Whereas, federal, state and local budgets are running deficits and/or stretched so thin that
its imperative that fire mitigation resources be expended as effectively and efficiently s possible.
Whereas, the traditional commercial timbering activities proposed for thinning
backcountry forested areas increase the risk of fire starts by leaving highly flammable fine fuels
behind and causing micro climate changes that warm and dry forest fuels; and
Whereas, there is a clear distinction between forest restoration and community fire risk
reduction in both scope and type of treatments, and cutting timber in areas far from human
habitation does nothing to protect communities as risk and diverts precious, limited resources
away from the immediate priority of reducing wildfire risk to lives and homes.
Whereas, the US Senate will soon be voting on HR 1904, a bill purportedly designed to
address the threat of wildfire to WUI communities but in actuality appears to be more concerned
with limiting citizen involvement in public land management decisions and making timber
available to the timber industry at fire sale prices.
Whereas, the version of HR 1904 under consideration by the US Senate fails to
specifically prioritize fire mitigation in WUI communities, fails to adequately define how to
identify the wildland urban interface, and fails to provide sorely needed appropriations to fund
such work prioritizing mitigation in the immediate vicinity of structures.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
ASPEN, COLORADO,
Section 1.
The City of Aspen urges the Senate to defeat the Healthy Forest Restoration Act HR 1904, and
draft replacement legislation that gives highest priority to protecting lives and communities in the
wildland-urban-interface by channeling scant fire mitigation resources to the areas in the
immediate vicinity of WUI structures.
RESOLVED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this ~:~z- day of .~
, by the City Council for the City of Aspen, Colorado.
I, Kathryn S. Koch, duly appointed and acting City Clerk do certify that the foregoing is a
true and accurate copy of that resolution adopted by the City Council of the City of Aspen,
Colorado, at a meeting held ~~~ ~ ~
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