At the Gold Hill Town Meeting last night, we had quite a discussion on the County Mountain Forest Improvement District, Question 5C, to be voted on in the Nov. 1 election.   John Sand reported that the Voter Guide in the Daily Camera had a good pro and con on it, so here it is.

Text of ballot question: “Shall the Boulder County Mountains Forest Improvement District be created for the purposes of improving forest health and reduction of wildfire hazards, as well as other purposes authorized by law, including but not limited to the Colorado Forest Improvement District Act, as more particularly described in Board of County Commissioners’ Resolution No. 2011-94?”

What it means: The questions asks whether residents in the forested, western parts of unincorporated Boulder County want to create an improvement district that would help organize and execute wildfire mitigation projects. The question does not propose a funding mechanism, and if the district is formed, the board of the district will likely look for grant funding for its first projects. In future years, the board may decide to go back to district voters and ask for a tax increase to raise money.

What supporters say: Wildfire danger is a serious threat to people living in the mountains, and a district will be useful to help execute landscape-level forestry projects.

What opponents say: The responsibility for mitigating wildfire danger should not belong to only the residents of the unincorporated county who live in the mountains. Wildfire mitigation projects — like other public service projects– should be shared among all Boulder County residents.

For lots more information, go to bouldercounty.org, click on Ballot Issues on the right, under “Notices” and you can read the complete resolution.