Lee Robertson, Partnership and Collaboration Director for the West Region Wildfire Council, told the Ouray County Board of County Commissioners on July 9 that the council has expanded its mitigation programs, is charging modest fees for some services this year, and is asking each county in its six‑county region to contribute $25,000 for 2026 program support.

The council’s work, Robertson said, includes rapid curbside wildfire risk assessments, in‑depth site visits, a new Wildfire Ready Home certification, and a vegetation management cost‑share program that the council scales by project complexity. "We do the really detailed assessments of homes…talk about the three big priorities for us: life safety, protecting the structure and reducing fuels at a community scale," Robertson said.

The Wildfire Ready Home assessment checks 42 structural vulnerabilities and produces a detailed report and online portal where homeowners can track mitigation work and upload receipts. Robertson said the council launched the certification program in May and issued 104 reports in the eight‑county footprint last year; two homeowners met certification standards during that launch year.

Why it matters: commissioner and emergency‑response officials at the meeting repeatedly tied the council’s work to insurance access and first‑responder safety. Robertson and other council staff described growing demand for mitigation help, changing federal funding, and an anticipated slowdown in future federal grants.

Programs and fees: Robertson said the council has completed more than 1,600 rapid risk assessments in Ouray County, and 522 site visits in the county since 2015. The council historically offered site visits for free but introduced a $200 fee this year with hardship waivers; roughly 15 waiver requests were granted so far. The council also charges $500 for the Section 16 defensible‑space review tied to building permits. Vegetation management projects can receive up to 75% cost‑share reimbursement depending on technical complexity; the council also offers two equity tracks that reduce or eliminate owners’ upfront contractor costs for qualifying projects.

Funding and scale: Robertson said West Region has treated more than 3,000 acres in Ouray County since 2011. For 2024, Robertson reported 335 acres completed, $103,000 awarded to landowners as cost‑share payments, and over $1.19 million provided in cost‑share awards over the 2011–2024 period; she also reported landowner cash match and in‑kind values. The council said it currently has 277 acres and 73 parcels in its project queue and expects most of this year’s projects to be completed by December.

Regional projects and grants: Robertson and other council staff updated the commissioners on the Baldy Mountain project, a large collaborative effort that requires archaeological surveys on private parcels because federal funds are involved. The council reported it had spent approximately $146,000 on 15 parcels to date, with 41 parcels remaining and a target completion of December 2026. The council also said it applied for a Community Wildfire Defense Grant and submitted a congressional directed spending request for roughly $523,000; total estimated project costs for Baldy exceed $1.1 million when partner contributions are included.

Staffing and organization: the council said it completed a national search for a new chief executive officer and has extended an offer to a candidate with a tentative start date of August 4; the organization also announced an internal restructuring and said staff took a 5% pay cut in solidarity because of federal funding uncertainties that forced a short pause on some projects earlier in the year. Robertson said her position is term‑limited and will end in mid‑September.

County response and next steps: Robertson closed by asking the county to contribute $25,000 toward the council’s regional budget for 2026 and asked that other counties match the same rate. Commissioners did not vote on the request during the session; one commissioner said the county will consider nonprofit contribution requests as part of its overall 2026 budget process.

Quotes: "This is not actually a direct wildfire risk rating…it's trying to encourage you to meet up with where your neighbors are at," Robertson said describing the rapid risk assessment scores.

Ending: Commissioners thanked the West Region staff for the presentation and said they would consider the funding request during the county’s 2026 budget deliberations. The council left materials for the commissioners and said staff would follow up on grant results and project timelines.