Common Ground advisory candidates stress home hardening, restoration and clearer grant processes during interviews

During a session of committee interviews on Jan. 14, applicants for the Chaffee County Common Ground Advisory Committee urged the board to consider grant priorities that emphasize home hardening, process-based watershed restoration and clearer application guidance for prospective grantees.

Eric (Forest News editor) described experience working with national-forest managers and advocated for low-cost, process-based restoration such as beaver-dam analogs and stream reconnection to create fire refugia and improve water retention. He said such projects can be effective at modest cost and reduce wildfire risk by maintaining wet ground and refuge areas.

Lisa DeYoung, a local candidate with nonprofit experience, said she could contribute grant-review and nonprofit-capacity knowledge and noted the advisory committee’s peak workload occurs in the April–May grant cycle; she asked for a clear timetable and sample application packet before committing to membership. Other candidates emphasized the value of multi-stakeholder input and more outreach to connect small nonprofits and agricultural producers with grant opportunities.

Commissioners asked about the advisory committee’s relationship with the Board of County Commissioners and about subject-matter expert panels; candidates described the advisory board as a recommending body that would forward ranked proposals to the commission and said staff and outside technical experts should be used as needed.

The commissioners said they expect to make appointments at the first meeting in February; three seats were noted as open.