ABOUT
What is the measure?
Local residents in the Lake Creek community in Eagle County have taken the initial steps to create a subdistrict that would manage critical wildfire mitigation efforts on public and private land throughout the local area. The funding and implementation mechanism approved by the Eagle River Fire Protection District (ERFPD) on August 15, 2024 is the establishment of the Lake Creek Subdistrict (subdistrict) within the ERFPD that would specifically cover the Lake Creek area.
Public education will be a critical component to the success of this program. Please join your neighbors for the first public meeting discussing this proposal at 5pm on August 28, 2024, at the Eagle River Fire District, 1050 Eagle River Blvd. This will be an informational forum to answer frequently asked questions, provide educational material, and spread the word to the importance of this effort. To RSVP for this event, please email Lakecreekwildfiremitigation@gmail.com
Why is this important?
Unlike surrounding areas including Cordillera, Beaver Creek, Bachelors Gulch, Singletree and Arrowhead - all of which have undertaken significant community-wide fire mitigation efforts - Lake Creek does not have a unified entity that can work with ERFPD to create and fund a comprehensive plan to mitigate the spread of a wildfire into our area. As a result Lake Creek is behind our neighboring communities in large scale fire mitigation efforts. The Eagle River Fire Protection Wildland Coordinator has prepared a Fuels Management Plan encompassing the entire Lake Creek Drainage area. Click here to see full details of the plan.
Key Benefits
The plan encompasses all 5,700 acres and 400 structures in Lake Creek. This is more than $1 billion in value. The Fuels Management Plan addresses needed fire mitigation, including, but not limited to: identifying key areas in need of mitigation; conducting mitigation programs to reduce fuel load by 60-80%; watershed protection; protection of power service to the area; and providing a chipping service to support homeowner efforts to clear dead wood and other fire related risk items from their property. Primary key benefits include:
Creating a more defensible barrier zone around the community that reduces the risk of a wildfire infiltrating the Lake Creek drainage area and reduces the speed at which any fire might move.
Will help property owners maintain insurance coverage from major insurance firms and could help in reducing premiums.
Provides an entity that can solicit matching grant funds from governmental entities to help offset mitigation costs.
Once major mitigation work is completed, ongoing maintenance will be coordinated.