TO:                  Residents of  Gold Hill Fire Protection District

FROM:             Gold Hill Fire Protection District Board

RE:                  Boulder County Mountain Forest Improvement District 5C

DATE:             October 21, 2011

Gold Hill Fire Protection District recommends that you vote NO on November ballot issue 5C, which would purport to establish a Forest Improvement District in the mountains and along the Front Range in Boulder County, including the residential areas served by Gold Hill Fire Protection District.  The Board of Directors has reviewed this ballot initiative. As a result, we have a number of serious concerns that we felt important to communicate to our district residents.

The Boulder County Mountains are comprised of 60% to 70% public lands, including Federal, State, County and City-owned, and these areas do not contribute to the property or sales tax base.  It should not be the burden of the private landowners who happen to live near these lands to provide funding to public land agencies that should provide these services already.

Supporting wildfire mitigation, public safety, community sustainability and the natural resources of Boulder County are laudable objectives, which are whole-heartedly endorsed by Gold Hill Fire Protection District.

Most fire protection districts, including Gold Hill, as well as the County itself, already participate in and have completed “Community Wildfire Protection Plans” (CWPP) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) passed by Congress. CWPP programs are funded by federal grants and administered by the Colorado State Forest Service. Ballot issue 5C will only duplicate actions which have already been completed and paid for, and which are currently being implemented.

The governing group that would be set up to oversee these efforts will have only one representative from the entire area of all affected fire protection districts.  Only the County Commissioners will decide who serves.

Therefore, we recommend that you vote “NO” on 5C.