Commission approves state cooperative and county fire warden agreements to strengthen wildfire response

Commissioners on May 12 unanimously approved and signed both the state cooperative (CWS) agreement and the county fire warden agreement after staff walked through the terms.

The CWS cooperative agreement ties county participation to mitigation, prevention and an agreed dollar value under the county’s CWPP (Community Wildfire Protection Plan). Staff described it as an "insurance‑type" framework: if the county meets participation requirements and the CWPP conditions, the state will cover wildfire suppression costs on extended or large fires.

Staff said the county’s participation commitment (PC) is calculated from acreage at risk and fire history and can be met in part by existing county efforts (for example, roadside fuel reduction projects). "We want to count things you're already doing in the county to count towards that money," the presenter said.

The county fire warden agreement sets out roles, staffing and budget treatment for the state‑provided warden, assistant and seasonal firefighter positions. The appendix includes a budget line currently set near $87,542 with an annual CPI adjustment projected at roughly 3%.

Commissioners asked about personnel costs and whether adopting the agreements increases county costs; staff said assessors and regional coordinators will be paid by collected fees and the state, while the county's PC can be met with in‑kind work and existing mitigation activities. Commissioners moved and voted to approve the agreements; staff will proceed with implementation steps and signature logistics.

The agreements aim to align county mitigation and response capacity with new state code and program implementation schedules discussed earlier in the meeting.