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Resident urges proactive response to mountain pine beetle; city points to expanded mitigation grants
Summary
A tree-service owner urged the council to consider pine-beetle mitigation measures for ponderosa pines; city manager said the wildfire mitigation grant program was expanded to allow HOAs and private property owners to participate, and staff will follow up with details.
Mike Dwyer, a local tree-service owner, used the public-comment period to urge the city to consider proactive measures — from pheromone packs to injections for high‑value trees — against the mountain pine beetle. He described the cultural and landscape value of ponderosa pines and said now is a window of opportunity to mitigate potential outbreaks.
City Manager Penny responded that the city has expanded its wildfire mitigation grant program to include homeowners associations and private property owners for pine‑needle and other mitigation work, and staff will follow up with details; Penny said she would check the exact grant amounts. "We expanded that to include HOAs and private property owners to mitigate pine needles on their property," she said.
The council encouraged residents to engage with staff for program details and promised follow-up information about observed beetle activity in nearby areas.
