Emergency management braces for federal grant cuts, seeks local mitigation tools with Wildfire Council

Grand County’s director of emergency management told commissioners on July 22 that proposed changes to federal grant programs will reduce funding opportunities for mitigation and preparedness projects.

The director said the EMPG (Emergency Management Performance Grant) was tentatively level-funded and remains subject to federal budget action, but that HSGP (Homeland Security Grant Program) was reduced by approximately $117 million nationwide and BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) funding had been eliminated from the near-term federal package; a county project expected to use BRIC for hazard-mitigation-plan revision will need alternate funding. The director said she is seeking other grant sources and exploring a countywide approach with the Grand County Wildfire Council for equipment purchases that support mitigation (for example, a masticator trial and potential chipper acquisition).

Staff noted practical questions remain about ownership, liability and operational responsibility for shared heavy equipment and that they will evaluate leasing or contracting alternatives versus county ownership. The county will participate in a pilot masticator use at an upcoming project and return to the commissioners with recommendations after evaluating performance, costs and maintenance considerations.

Commissioners asked the director to research sustainable funding avenues and to coordinate with the Wildfire Council and the county’s ORT/other funding sources; no budget adjustments were made at the meeting.