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April 10, 2014 Elbert County, Colorado | Volume 119, Issue 10 A publication of
elbertcountynews.net
Training to aid horse owners Emergency preparedness clinic offered in May By George Lurie
glurie@coloradocommunitymedia.com During the Hayman Fire in 2002, hundreds of horses along the Front Range had to be evacuated. “The horse community from both Douglas and Elbert counties responded almost immediately to the need for volunteers — and supplies — to assist in the massive effort,” said Kyle Fenner, director of Elbert County’s Community and Development Services Department and a lifelong equine enthusiast. At the time, Fenner was living in Teller County, three miles from
where the fire started, and she worked alongside others to pull large animals, including her own, out of the fire’s path. Fenner said that in the aftermath of the Hayman Fire, as the community rallied to transport and then care for the displaced animals, “it was evident to Elbert and Douglas county residents who were dealing with the other end of the fire that an organization of the various horse clubs and horse owners was needed to continue with assisting in disaster rescue — as well as to work closely with the county governments to make sure the collective voice of the horse community was heard.” So, Fenner explained, the Douglas-Elbert County Horse Council (DECHC) was formed and in just a few short years, the organization has become an invaluable resource for area horse
owners. On May 12, from 9 a.m. to noon, DECHC will be conducting an emergency preparedness clinic at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Castle Rock and owners of all large animals, including horses, are encouraged to attend. A more recent development happened early last year, Fenner explained, when the Elbert County Volunteer Safety Corps (ECVSC) was set up for the express purpose of assisting in the event of a disaster. Since then, the animal-rescue portion of the ECVSC has joined forces with its counterparts in Douglas County, forming DECART (Douglas/Elbert County Animal Response Team). DECART allows the two counties to work together in the event Horse continues on Page 19
A horse grazes in pastureland adjacent to Elbert County Road 13 on March 26. An emergency preparedness clinic on May 12 will focus on animal evacuations. Photo by George Lurie
Committee clears oil, gas study Bill and bill’s price tag expand during talks By Vic Vela
vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Republican state Sen. Steve King and others hosted an open house on March 26 at Centennial Airport that featured a live water drop demonstration of the Martin Marietta C-130 Hercules Next Generation Airtanker, built by Coulson Aviation USA. Photo by Deborah Grigsby Smith/Centennial Airport
Firefighting fleet not just a dream Plan would set aside funds to buy or contract planes, choppers By Vic Vela
vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com One way or another, the state will soon free up money to make a currently unfunded state aerial firefighting fleet a reality. The governor’s office and legislative leaders are on board with a spending plan that would set aside $21 million to purchase or contract planes and helicopters that are equipped to fight fires. The money was approved through an
amendment to the annual state budget that was debated in the Senate on April 3. Gov. John Hickenlooper’s office and lawmakers will have to get creative to find where fleet funding will be secured in the budget. But all sides agree that this will happen this year — much to excitement of the state legislator who has been instrumental in driving the creation of the Colorado Firefighting Air Corps. “Quite frankly, this is the most important legislation of my life,” said Sen. Steve King, R-Grand Junction. The funding behind King’s effort comes on the heels of a much-anticipated state fire report that was released last week. The Colorado Division of Fire Preven-
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tion and Control found that the state lacks resources in key firefighting areas, including a lack of aerial firefighting capabilities. “Colorado does not have the ability to deliver appropriate aviation resources in a timely fashion to support local suppression response to small fires while they are still small,” states the report, which was authored by CDFPC Director Paul Cooke. The report was mandated through last year’s passage of a bill — sponsored by King and Sen. Cheri Jahn, D-Wheat Ridge — that created the Colorado Firefighting Air Corps, a state-owned firefighting fleet. The “idea” of the fleet became law, but the legislation went unfunded, at least until the state could learn more about the feasibility of having its own fire fleet. Prior to the release of the fire report, Hickenlooper had been noncommittal on the idea of undertaking the potentially enormous costs that come with operating a state-owned aerial fleet. However, Hickenlooper had been open to exploring ways of sharing those costs through a multistate effort. For months, it was uncertain whether Fleet continues on Page 19
The potential health impacts of oil and gas operations among Front Range residents will be studied, under a bill that is making its way through the Legislature. But increased costs to the legislation that were added during a recent House committee hearing left the bill sponsor worried that the effort might not get funded. House Bill 1297 would require the state to study the impacts that oil and gas operations may have on a person’s health and quality of life. Report The three-year study would focus on residents living in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Larimer and Weld Counties. Those counties include cities that have placed limits on fracking — the mixing of water, sand and chemicals that are blasted deep into the surface to crack porous rock to free up blocked oil and gas. So far, five Colorado cities and more than 100 municipalities across the nation have either placed bans or other limits on the practice. The bill would require the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to review scientific literature regarding the health impacts of oil and gas operations, and would then conduct a health survey of randomly selected Front Range residents. If the findings warrant further research, a second-tiered part of the study would kick in, which could involve the review of medical records. The final reports would then be presented to Legislators and would be made
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Study continues on Page 19