Residents in wildland-urban interface zones may have to pay

Thoughts? There are a lot of residents who do nothing to mitigate their property and this would make them pay so something could be done to reduce fire danger for everyone. On the other hand, we all know how efficiently the government actually works and it's likely that monies collected wouldn't be used effectively, and it punishes those who do pay to mitigate their property, or do it themselves.

I think I'd rather see charges filed for those who don't do anything themselves, rather than institute a fee or tax and make everyone pay. This task force may have good intentions, but this isn't the best way to mitigate the dangers.

Residents in wildland-urban interface zones may have to pay new fee or tax to protect homes
Task force considers assessment for high-risk area
Posted: 08/15/2013
Marshall Zelinger

EVERGREEN - Residents who live in wildfire danger zones may be asked to pay more to protect their homes.

In January, Gov. John Hickenlooper commissioned the task force on wildfire insurance and forest health. The task force is close to making its recommendations which may include a suggested fee for residents who live in the Wildland-Urban Interface -- or WUI.

"I don't have any objection to helping out the fire department, but to make it mandatory is a bunch of different things," said Evergreen resident Don Bish.

"It's not fees just for the sake of providing funds to the county, it is fees for the particular purpose of dealing with mitigation efforts on a countywide basis," said task force chairwoman Barbara Kelley. "Given the fact that these properties present a fairly unique risk profile, it might be a reasonable basis to have them share a little bit more in the cost of addressing and mitigating those risks."

Read more, or view the video, at: http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/lo ... tect-homes