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Larimer County recognizes Conservation Corps strike team for wildfire mitigation; crews completed dozens of treatments
Summary
The board recognized the Larimer County Conservation Corps strike team April 14 for work supporting the Red Feather Lakes Area Wildfire Defense Project: 25 projects including home ignition-zone work, roadside treatments, more than 2,000 cubic yards of slash hauled, about 60 cords of firewood donated and roughly 45 acres of treatments when combined.
Larimer County commissioners recognized the Larimer County Conservation Corps (LCCC) strike team on April 14 for its role in the Red Feather Lakes Area Wildfire Defense Project, praising the crew’s mitigation work and workforce-development outcomes.
Josh Roberts of the County Office of Emergency Management and Molly Ropesa, director of the LCCC, described the strike team’s contributions in recent months: roughly 25 projects completed; eight home ignition-zone/defensible-space treatments; multiple roadside treatments; small-acreage hand-thinning projects; more than 2,000 cubic yards of slash hauled and approximately 60 cords of firewood produced and donated to residents. Roberts said about 12 acres were directly mitigated through hand-thinning and that the combination of roadside and hand treatments amounted to roughly 45 acres addressed so far.
Roberts said the strike team played a valuable role both in delivering on-the-ground mitigation and in representing the program to property owners. "Their efforts... have helped to make Larimer County, certainly these project communities, a little bit safer," he said. Molly Ropesa added that the strike-team model also creates seasonal employment and helps crew members develop professional skills for future work in natural resources and emergency management.
Commissioners praised the team and presented certificates and a photo opportunity. Team members thanked the board and described the experience as career-building. County leaders said the strike-team approach fills seasonal gaps in mitigation work and could expand to other project areas in future grant cycles.
