H_AWN_2023A 02/27/2023 01:32:54 PM Committee Summary

Representative Snyder,
bill sponsor, introduced House Bill 23-1096. The Wildfire Mitigation Resources
and Best Practices Grant Program in the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS)
provides grants to local governments, special districts, tribal agencies,
and nonprofit organizations to conduct outreach among landowners regarding
available resources and best practices for wildfire mitigation. This bill
expands the allowable uses of grant funds to include implementing programs
for landowners and developers in which houses in high risk areas are built
or improved to make them more resilient to wildfires.  

 

The bill sponsor told the committee his intent to postpone the bill indefinitely.

The bill sponsor answered questions from the committee.

Representative Bradley,
bill sponsor, introduced House Bill 23-1066 and distributed a handout (Attachment
A).  The bill allows an individual to move from one corner of public
land to another corner of public land where two public parcels of land
meet two private parcels of land, without trespassing. A landowner may
not erect a fence within five feet of the corner where the parcels of land
meet, otherwise they will be subject to a class 2 misdemeanor. Colorado
Parks and Wildlife in the Department of Natural Resources must create and
publicize rules for the actions authorized in the bill.



The bill sponsor discussed her intention to lay the bill over for action
only and amend the bill at a later date.  

The bill sponsor replied to questions from the committee.

Mr. Brandon Siegfried, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Tyler Garrett, representing Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Austin Vincent, representing Colorado Farm Bureau, testified in opposition to the bill. Connie Hass, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Don Shawcroft, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill. Commissioner Dan Williams, representing Colorado Counties, Inc., testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Charles Minkler, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Commissioner Williams answered questions from the committee. Ty Petersburg, representing Colorado Parks and Wildlife, answered questions from the committee.

Submitted written testimony can be found in Attachment C.