Chaffee County commissioners acted on several Common Ground fund recommendations from the Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC): they approved a $150,000 year‑two disbursement to the National Forest Foundation (NFF) for the Swatch Range restoration, approved a JP Chips award of $40,476.98 to Chaffee County Fire, and tabled an NFF request for a $450,000 deferred project until the foundation presents fuller plans.

The Swatch Range restoration funding was presented as year 2 of a multiyear partnership; the CAC recommended approving the full $150,000 now to avoid administrative complexity. Commissioners approved that recommendation in a vote.

On a related National Forest Foundation request, NFF asked for a one‑year extension to execute deferred projects tied to a previously awarded $450,000. Several commissioners expressed interest in receiving a presentation from NFF before approving a new disbursement; the board voted to table that request and asked NFF to present project plans and timelines.

The JP Chips program funding, which supports neighborhood slash removal and mitigation work on private lands to reduce wildfire risk, drew two competing proposals for 2025. The CAC recommended funding the higher proposed budget and left selection of the grantee to the board. After discussion, the board awarded $40,476.98 to the Chaffee County Fire Department to operate the program for 2025.

Commissioners also considered a Citizens Advisory Committee request to add an extra $100,000 to the 2025 competitive grant cycle. Commissioners debated whether the county should hold additional funds in reserve for a working lands initiative versus sending the funds into the competitive grant pool. After discussion a commissioner moved to deny the request for the extra $100,000; the motion passed.

Why it matters: Common Ground grants fund restoration, wildfire mitigation and community resilience projects across the county. Commissioners said they want more presentations on large multiyear projects before approving additional payments and emphasized fiscal caution when adding funds to competitive cycles.

Next steps: Staff will ask the National Forest Foundation to present project plans to the board before any further action on the deferred $450,000. The board directed staff to finalize the JP Chips award contract with Chaffee County Fire and to report back on implementation details as needed.