SWAG MEETING NOTES

Meeting Notes

SWAG MEETING NOTES: 3-19-25

On Wednesday, March 19th the SWAG (Storm Wildfire Action Group) team had their monthly meeting.

Attendees:

SWAG Members; Liz Mrofka, Deb Green, Michael Knight, Dave Hoffman, Ed Ostransky

LFRA: Chief Smith, Mathew DeDecker, Joe Stephensen

BTWC: Emily Way

Community members – Micaiah White, Dina Pfenning, Karen Yuskaitis, Ron Meining

1) 2025 grant application: Larimer County OEM

Liz submitted our application for a 2025 Larimer County OEM grant. It included chipping for private landowners as well as chipping of slash to help clear a path to build a road to the Cedar Lake dam in order to repair the dam. Dina Pfenning mentioned that Matt DeDecker (LFRA Wildland Fire Coordinator) met with herself and Aaron Klee on this work and he and his crew will be assisting with cutting the trees and brush in the area and conducting pile burns on some of the slash weather and locations permitting. Aaron Klee will be in charge of getting the road actually built.

A community can only receive a grant two times. We hope to get it, but will try again if we do not. It would still be possible to organize a pay as you go type chipping even if we don't get it.

2) LFRA Wildland Fire Coordinator, Matt DeDecker, gave updates on the air curtain burner.

Interns for the LFRA Wildland Fire Program came onboard March 17. Matt is hoping to work with them to get the curtain burner back up on Storm Mtn to burn the pile of slash we have been gathering in April, weather and roads of course permitting. Emily Way, the new Big Thompson Canyon Watershed (BTWC) Forestry Project Manager, is also planning to assist with the Air Curtain burner. Matt is also hoping to schedule other locations for the air curtain burner near here that are easier to take the burner to closer to Loveland. We can continue adding to the existing pile: please contact Michael Knight for information on bringing your slash at mknightfoto@icloud.com .

3) BTWC's new Forestry Project Manager.

Emily Way, sat in on the meeting and introduced herself to the group. She will be working on a number of projects in the Big Thompson watershed and has already met a number of residents of Storm Mountain.

4) Micaiah White gave a short overview of the Communications Plan he is working to get started.

Several SWAG members have already acquired radios and are working with Micaiah to get them programed. These are VHF Band radios and are limited by terrain. It would be possible to put in a repeater system in the future if se thought it would be worth the cost (estimate of $2K - $10K). We need to think about how we can help each other in this effort.

The information below is copied from the email Micaiah sent to the community. His contact email is mwconstruction@gmail.com .

I have put together a communications plan using hand held radios for citizens.

If you either see a possibility that you may act in a good Samaritan capacity in an emergency situation, or just want to have the ability to listen to or communicate with neighbors during emergencies, this is for you.

In scenarios where citizens are acting as good Samaritans responding to issues such as:

• Initial attack on wildland fire

• Traffic incidents involving stuck vehicles on the access road

• Large scale snow removal operations, where community members either volunteer or are hired to assist with clearing roads

• Having the ability to communicate and and function as a team is extremely valuable.

I will program radios for any that purchase their own.

A few radio model options that I have already built code files for:

• Yaesu FT-4XR: sturdy, entry level unit. Most durable of the 3. I have field tested this model, it has survived rough use. Retail $95

• Baofeng: multiple models including UV5-R, UV5-RTP. Prices range from $25 to $55

• Tidradio TD-H3 convenient USB-C charging for use in vehicle. Most other radios use charging cradles. Somewhat fragile belt clip. It's important to test these during the return window, as I've found that about 25% of the ones I've set up have poor transmission strength out of the box. One thing i like about these radios is that I can lock out most of the user controls, preventing user error for those that just want a simple easy to use radio.

Have your own ham radio already? I can probably program that for you as well, if it's unlocked for out of band transmission. The frequencies used will be the MURS channels in the VHF spectrum.

For those that get radios, I will host group training on use and function.

Feel free to reach out if you have questions

5) LFRA Boundary Expansion status:

LFRA is proposing a formal expansion of their district boundaries in four areas (one has been added since the initial meeting) including the upper filings of Cedar Park.

A Power Point presentation was shared at a zoom meeting recently and can be viewed HERE.

There is also a shorter document there that includes only the text from the presentation. Chief Smith attended our Zoom call and answered questions about this project.

Summary of the current status:

The Loveland Rural Fire Protection Board is proceeding with the steps to get the expansion on a ballot this year.
A map of each inclusion area is being finalized.
A description of each inclusion area being finalized.
They expect to present an initial proposal to the LFRA Board at April 9 regular meeting for initial approval.
If all goes according to plan, all four elections will be held at Fire Station 7 on Tuesday, August 26th. Please keep in mind that these plans are tentative and subject to change depending on the completion of the preceding steps.

SWAG will continue to share information on this initiative as it becomes available.

6) Other LFRA information from Chief Smith:

There will be a new State Wildfire Code coming in October. It will deal with mitigation, remodeling, building and other items related to issues that would reduce damage from wildfires. LFRA will share information on this code as they get it and we will share with the Storm Mountain community
Work on a new information sign just below the "T" is proceeding (slowly). One item that we want to include on the sign is current fire restriction information. It has been mentioned that a sign with Smokey the Bear on it would likely more attention. Chief Smith shared this link:
https:smokeyzone.com. A number of these signs are larger and more expensive than we were thinking but some of them might work. We can look here and also look around as we get closer to having a place to put them.
Other items related to the sign include who to call in an emergency: FS land, private, etc.
Getting an alternative emergency evacuation is on the back burner but not off the table. Evaluation of routes has been paused for the winter.

7) Liz Mrofka discussed classes she is taking through the Fire Adapted Colorado Ambassador Program.

Liz is currently taking a class "How to be prepared for everything" and planning on taking "Dare to Prepare" https://www.larimer.gov/emergency/prepare/daretoprepare March 22, 2025. These are community-based classes that teach individuals how to help their communities prepare for disasters (fire, flood, etc). One item in particular as a list of 50 ideas for action. Much of the material is available on-line. Links to videos and related resources will be added to the SWAG website.

https://www.larimer.gov/emergency/larimer-connects

https://www.larimer.gov/spotlights/2025/02/24/are-you-prepared Dare to Prepare

https://fireadaptedco.org Neighborhood Ambassador Program

8) Dave Hoffman, Storm Mountain Alexander Fire Recovery Efforts:

Dave reported on the status of Team Rubicon (TR), a group of volunteers that will be coming to Storm Mountain the weekend of May 25 for 3 days. There will be 45 people participating. Owners of 34 properties have requested assistance to clear trees burned by the Alexander Mtn Fire. An effort is currently underway to prioritize the properties as it is unlikely the team can get to them all in one weekend. Trees must be in the burn area as a start.

Priorities will include trees that threaten powerlines, roadways, or are withing a 50-foot diameter of a location where a landowner is planning to rebuild. TR generally takes down the trees, cuts off limbs and stacks the larger lumber to be given away for firewood. Some landowners have said they would be happy just to have the trees taken down and they can complete the process. That would allow TR to get to more properties. Some of the properties on the list still need to be evaluated, and then a final plan of action made.

There are related logistics that need to be figured out.

Lodging is needed here or perhaps in Loveland or Estes Park, and TR has some specific guidelines for that.
Food is needed for all participants for 3 days; Dave has said our community will provide that.
Rest room facilities during the day are needed (means adequate water supply too. Chief Smith said he may be able to arrange for Station 9 to be staffed and open those days to provide restroom access.
Karen Yuskaitis said if anyone wanted to camp their property was available.
Dave is checking with the Colorado Baptist Disaster Response Team to see where they rented a shower trailer. A chipper will be needed too: Kohl Parrot, Larimer County OEM may be taking care of that.
The team will be staging on Possum Court.
PVREA may be able to help - someone needs to check?

If anyone in interested in helping please contact Dave Hoffman at cedarpk.storm.recovery@gmail.com .

9) Miscellaneous: We do have more 'SWAG Bags' to share with newcomers. They still need to be filled. Some additional items we'll add are maps with directions on how ton find various places, a list of community web sites, a link to the community information document and local emergency phone numbers. Suggestions for other items are welcome.

SWAG MEETING NOTES: 2-19-25

On Wednesday, February 19th the SWAG (Storm Wildfire Action Group) team had their monthly meeting.

SWAG Members; Liz Mrofka, Deb Green, Amanda Carian,

LFRA: Mathew DeDecker

BTWC: Will Davis, Emily Way

Community members: Jennifer Lillie, Dina Pfenning, Barb Carlson

1) 2025 grant application: Larimer County OEM

Liz and Amanda are working on this grant; the application deadline is March 9. They have collected a number of testimonials from 2024 participants and a letter of support from BTWC. They are currently brainstorming what work can be included that can be accomplished with grant funding. A siren for alerting the area to emergencies was discussed but is too expensive. Mitigation of private areas along the access road, chipping slash on other private properties, gathering and delivering slash to the curtain burner, and chipping slash to assist the Cedar Lake non-profit in its job to repair the dam on the lake have all been mentioned. This discussion is on-going and input should be sent to Liz.

2) LFRA Wildland Fire Coordinator, Matt DeDecker, gave updates on several topics.

Interns for the LFRA Wildland Fire Program will be onboard starting March 17. He is hoping to work with them to get the curtain burner back up on Storm Mtn to burn the pile of slash we have been gathering in March or April, weather of course permitting. He is also checking other possible locations for the air curtain burner including some on Sylvan Dale Ranch.

Matt has also been working on the possibility of using a State of Colorado HMTG (Hazard Mitigation Team Grant ?) for roadside projects which may relate to the work being done to repair the Cedar Lake Dam (see #4).

Matt has also been working on the possibility of using a State of Colorado HMGP (Hazard Mitigation Grant Program) for roadside fuel reduction treatments across the LFRA district. Treatment details will be discussed with the community once/if the grant is awarded to LFRA. If awarded the funds would be available for the 2026 session. The grant funds cannot be used for work related to the Cedar Lake Dam. LFRA will work with Dina to strategize alternative options for thinning fuels around the dam. which may relate to the work being done to repair the Cedar Lake Dam (see #4).

3) BTWC's new Forestry Project Manager, Emily Way, will be the main point of contact with SWAG going forward. Will Davis, who has been helping SWAG since it started is taking on additional management responsibilities at BTWC but will still be available for consultation.

Will reported that the Ember Alliance will be burning piles of slash that were cut in 2022 in the vicinity of 4623 Storm Mountain Drive. BTWC staff will be on-site also as public information officers. They have asked SWAG to assist in communicating their plans to the community. Signs will be placed on the access road and possibly other locations the day of the burning. As the timing of this activity will be dependent on weather there will likely be only 24 hours advance notice.

4) Cedar Lake Dam repair

Dina Pfenning gave an update on the group working to get the dam on Cedar Lake repaired so we can continue to have the lake available for wildfire emergencies. The group is called Cedar Springs Reservoir non-profit. They have had an engineer assess the work that needs to be accomplished. An inspector from the State of Colorado will perform his inspection this summer. Currently they are trying to find funding to assist with the cost of the work. There is a mitigation component (slash and other vegetation clearing) and a water (dam and access to the dam) component. They also want to work with the LFRA to ensure that they are providing access to the reservoir that is conducive to their needs.

As a follow-up Dave Hoffman sent a document on "The Case for the Little Reservoir that Did" to SWAG. It can be shared as needed. Dave and Gail did a wonderful job on the document, detailing the case for doing everything possible to keep the reservoir.

5) LFRA Boundary Expansion status:

LFRA is proposing a formal expansion of their district boundaries in three areas including the upper filings of Cedar Park. A community meeting was held to explain the logic and process, and the related minutes and documents are posted at the following link.

https://stormwildfireactio.wixsite.com/swag/meeting-notes

LFRA is currently working with their attorney to gather information and move forward with the process. The following items have been completed or are in process.

The number of properties that will be involved in the special election is approximately 190.
The first step needs to be a petition from property owners within those properties. Only people registered to vote in Colorado can sign the petition, 20% of that subset must sign the petition and signatures must be notarized. LFRA has offered to help provide notary services to facilitate the process in Loveland and Greeley.
If enough signatures are received the next step is to hold a special election. Per an update from Micki Mills, an attorney working with LFRA, the following information applies to the actual election:
The election will be conducted as a polling place election. Any eligible elector can apply for and receive an absentee ballot and vote by mail. Only those persons who are “eligible electors” within the inclusion area will be allowed to vote. An eligible elector is:

A person who is registered to vote in the State of Colorado and is either:

A resident within the inclusion area; or
The owner of taxable real or personal property situated within the inclusion area. The owner must be a natural person, not a corporation, trust, partnership, etc.; or
The spouse or civil union partner of the owner of taxable real or personal property situated within the inclusion area

Research is ongoing and SWAG will continue to provide updates to the community.

A reminder; LFRA is available to do home assessments within their official boundary: https://lfra.org/FAQ.aspx?QID=197 under the “How Do I” section on the LFRA home page. For areas like the upper filings not currently in their official boundary the Larimer County Wildfire Partner Program performs a similar service: https://forms.larimer.gov/formdata/user_forms/74846_2296047/407754/page1.html?cachebust=410

6) Dave Hoffman, Storm Mountain Alexander Fire Recovery Efforts:

Dave sent this after the meeting: He has asked several questions, so please read!!

Again, my apologies for missing last night's Zoom, and the fact that it makes getting necessary info out and decisions made take up more of your valuable time than is necessary.

Here's a link for a more in-depth explanation concerning Team Rubicon: it runs about 10 minutes:

https://youtu.be/5zwTq6M0-7c

What I need to discuss w/SWAG/LFRA for Team Rubicon (TR) is how to dispose of the trees/brush/etc. that TR generates. I see a number of options; the final solution will likely be a medley of a number of them:

TR chips the stuff onsite themselves w/ a rented chipper (This is the route that TR usually takes).
TR stacks chipping piles onsite and SWAG rolls it into our chipping program.
TR hauls to the Air Curtain Burner site and LFRA disposes of it.
TR bucks logs that are usable for firewood into 14-16" lengths, and we pile them somewhere for the Community to pick up for firewood. The rest is dealt with using options 1-3.

My preference is to approach TR with option 4--I need to make sure that SWAG is comfortable with our parts of that option, as it keeps the TR Logistics Team from renting a chipper, and recycles the trees as much as possible. When I mentioned SWAG's availability help with the "Leftovers," they were pretty excited, as that is usually a difficult part of their work. The less time they take to deal w/stuff, the more they can get done.

I don't need answers right away, but it would help to know any reservations. At this point, we have about 10 properties interested, will probably double that before we're done. Next week I will begin site visits, so that when TR's Sawyer and Kohl from Larimer County come out in March, I can make their time most efficient.

The Case for "The Little Reservoir That DID!" document to read in PDF.

Dave Hoffman

SWAG MEETING NOTES: 1-18-25

On Wednesday, January 18th the SWAG (Storm Wildfire Action Group) team had their monthly meeting.

SWAG Members; Dave & Gail Hoffman, Liz Mrofka, Deb Green, Michael Knight, Amanda Carian, Ed Ostransky

LFRA: Mathew DeDecker, Craig Willard, Ron Hill, Joe

Community members – Jennifer Pyle, Dina Pfenning

1) Jan 18th community meeting with LFRA::

LFRA Chief Tim Sendelbach scheduled a Town Hall discussion at Fire Station 9 on Saturday January 18th from 10am to 12pm to talk about potentially expanding their service area to include all Storm Mountain properties. LFRA is researching additional information related to this proposal. A soon as this information becomes available, we will share a complete status report with the community. Stay tuned!

Notes - this town hall was changed to a zoom meeting due to the weather, with an in-person meeting at Station 7 in Loveland.

2) 2025 grant applications: do we want to apply, if so where.:

The announcement for the Larimer County grant is now open thru March 9 and is available at https://www.larimer.gov/emergency/community-mitigation-grant-program . Liz and Amanda volunteered to work on this grant; Deb has placed all the documents from last year on the Google docs page and can answer any questions they have. If anyone else wants to assist please contact Liz!

Upcoming webinar on the grant program:

The Larimer County Community Mitigation Grant program offers a funding opportunity for projects that contribute to the mitigation of hazards, reduction of risk and the enhancement of community resilience. This webinar aims to provide our communities with valuable insights into the grant program and its application process.

During the webinar, attendees will learn about:

Overview of the Community Mitigation Grant Program
Eligibility criteria and application requirements
Types of projects supported by the grant program
Tips for submitting a successful grant application
Q&A session

Webinar Details

Date: Thursday, January 30, 2025
Time: 6pm to 7pm
How to Register: Register link
For more information about the Larimer County Community Mitigation Grant Program, please visit: https://www.larimer.gov/emergency/community-mitigation-grant-program

3) Curtain burner update: LFRA Wildland Fire Coordinator, Matt DeDecker, gave an update on the Curtain Burner and several other topics:

Since the first use of the curtain burner in November Michael Knight has been coordinating drop offs of more slash at the burn site at Don Ellis's property. Matt indicated that we now have a good-sized pile there for a second burn. He will try to get the burner up here before the end of the winter, but it is dependent on road conditions.

Matt has been working with the Big Thompson Watershed Coalition (BTWC) on ways to physically link several mitigation projects around the Storm Mountain area with the goal of creating a buffer to protect from future wildfires. They are hoping to review a grant from the Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program (COSWAP) to treat 10 properties on Green Ridge Dr and/or Snow Top Dr to tie into other mitigation or burn areas. This would be part of the Alexander Mountain Recovery grant program. There will also be a mitigation project in the Cedar Creek drainage near Cedar Cove this year designed to control erosion.

BTWC has hired a new Forestry Project Manager, Emily Way, who will be working with Matt on coordinating some of the mitigation projects as BTWC is also applying for grants. In addition, Matt has LFRA Seasonal Wildfire Interns starting on March 17 that can assist him.

He is also continuing to check on possible alternative emergency evacuation routes that could be maintained to a level where Storm Mountain residents could use the route in case the main access road is not available during an emergency requiring evacuation. There are several old roads including (not limited to) a two track to Cow Camp on Sylvan Dale and a Stringtown Gulch tie to Bear Gulch. This is an ongoing process.

4) How to recruit more members: not discussed, ran out of time:

5) Community Hub: possible sign, other community communication ideas, related free classes:

SWAG, via Liz Mrofka, receives regular updates on the Community Hub program from Camille Millard in the Larimer County OEM office. Their website is https://www.larimer.gov/emergency/larimer-connects , located under Disaster Resiliency in the OEM web page. Their main emphasis is facilitating communication during an emergency. The latest newsletter advertised these upcoming classes:

First on The Scene: January 25th 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Fort Collins: How To Prepare for Everything: March 11th 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM @ Old Town Library

Dare to Prepare Larimer County: March 22th - 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Email Camille to sign up at camille_millard@larimer.gov:

Dave Hoffman is continuing to work on the possibility of a sign near the "T" to post information also.

6) General 2025 activities: mitigation projects to reduce erosion, revegetation:

Dave Hoffman gave updates on a number of initiatives he is working on or keeping track of as leader of the Storm Mountain Recovery Group (website at https://www.stormmountain.info/ ).

There is still no action coming from the USDA on the Emergency Forest Restoration Program.
Laura Quattrini (BTWC) is participating on the Larimer County Alexander Mountain Long Term Recovery Group (LTRG) and is a good contact for getting information from that group on grants, mitigation work and other coordination.
Claire Bouchard, LTRG, has number of contacts that can assist with coordination.
Storm Mtn has received about 3000 small conifers that Dave and Gail are overwintering for people to plant in the spring. About 1000 more are expected from CSA in the spring. Research is ongoing on efficient ways to prepare the hydrophobic soil so it can absorb water and trees can survive. We also need to use Deer NO, to keep them from eating the small trees. Dave is also investigating the possibility of a battery-operated drip irrigation system.
Dave has been working on a way to efficiently spread seeds with a mulch coating to make the expensive grass seed mix designated for our area go farther. 'Mr Sticky' has been tested successfully, but we will need funding to use the truck on larger areas.
Another project, 'Dr Drench', is a remotely battery-operated sprinkler system that could be made available for about $1000 each to wet down a building or surrounding ground. It could also be installed with a switch that the Fire Dept could activate when a fire approaches. This also needs funding to get the project going.
The future of Cedar Lake was discussed. The dam needs repairs to ensure that the lake remains and the lake probably needs dredging. It is vital in fighting fires. Perhaps the LTRG could assist finding funds? LFRA indicated that a flow of 2000 per minute is needed to efficiently fill tanks for firefighting aircraft.

LFRA TOWN HALL MEETING NOTES: 1-18-25

LFRA Chief Tim Sendelbach scheduled a Town Hall discussion at Fire Station 9 on Saturday January 18th from 10am to 12pm to talk about potentially expanding their service area to include all Storm Mountain properties. As a result of the Alexander Mountain and Colorado’s high wildfire risk rating, insurance coverage is becoming increasing expensive and difficult to obtain. LFRA is proposing to extend their service area to cover all properties within the Storm Mountain Community.

By formally expanding the LFRA service area, ALL Storm Mountain residents will have access to emergent and nonemergent services offered by LFRA. This community focused discussion will highlight the pros and cons of an extended service area to include preventative mitigation services, potential reduction in insurance premiums, community grant funding, etc.

Notes - this town hall was changed to a zoom meeting due to the weather, with an in-person meeting at Station 7 in Loveland. Per discussion, Tabor dollar limits no longer apply to the LFRA assessment. Liz Mrofka provided a count of 138 homes, 190 properties currently not in the LFRA district and she will forward a Power Point presentation used at the meeting when she receives it. Amanda has some information from a previous effort that she can share too.

LFRA TOWN HALL SYNOPSIS • EXTENDED SERVICE AREA

For additional information contact the Community Safety Division at 970-962-2497

There is also a great deal of information on that same page (https://lfra.org/our-services/wildfire/ ) on wildfire mitigation including links to external sites such as Firewise.