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Hurd says administration is rehiring ground crews; county presses for on-the-ground forest management reforms
Summary
During his visit, Congressman Jeff Hurd told Montezuma County officials he supports rehiring frontline forest-management staff and backing permitting reforms in the Fix Our Forests Act to reduce wildfire risk; commissioners stressed the need for resources targeted to on-the-ground fuel reduction.
Montezuma County commissioners and Congressman Jeff Hurd discussed wildfire risk, forest-management staffing and permitting reforms that local leaders say are needed to reduce fuel loads and protect watersheds.
Hurd said he has worked with the administration to target hires and avoid cutting wildland firefighter positions, though he said some support roles that help manage fuel reduction have been affected by administrative efficiency efforts. "The individuals that we should be cutting are not the people that are on the ground, boots on the ground, that are managing our forests and supporting our firefighters," Hurd said. He added his support for the Fix Our Forests Act, which he described as a vehicle to reform permitting and accelerate forest-restoration work.
County emergency-services officials and commissioners described frustration with regulatory hurdles and slow environmental reviews under NEPA that delay projects such as ditch lining and fuel-reduction treatments. They requested Hurd's help to direct resources and to ensure federal policy does not tie the hands of local land managers.
Why it matters: Faster, targeted fuel reduction and properly resourced crews are central to reducing catastrophic wildfire risk and protecting county infrastructure and watersheds.
Next steps: Hurd said he would pursue staffing and policy questions with agency leadership and congressional committees and asked for follow-up on specific local program needs where targeted rehiring or policy changes could make a tangible difference.
