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County accepting Common Ground committee applications

Jan. 19, 2021 — The Chaffee County Board of Commissioners is accepting applications from citizens interested in serving on the Chaffee County Common Ground Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). Applications may be found at http://www.chaffeecounty.org/Public-Notices.

The CAC consists of seven members who are full-time residents of Chaffee County. At least one member shall be chosen from each of the Commissioner Districts with the remaining four members “at large.” The members are selected and approved by the BoCC, based on diverse and relevant background/skill sets as further outlined below. Two positions are to be filled at this time.

General Duties: Develop and manage a program of grants and partnerships that fulfill the following programs:

  • “Strengthening forest health” may include without limitation planning and execution of treatment activities enhancing forest health and community fire resilience, such as thinning and wetlands/riparian enhancement (including through grants and partnerships).
  • “Conserving and supporting working ranches and farms and rural landscapes” may include without limitations planning and programs (including through grants and partnerships) designed to strengthen agricultural operations, conservation easements, land acquisition and other tools developed in partnership with the agricultural community to enhance economic viability and long-term longevity of working agricultural lands.
  • “Managing the impacts of growth” may include without limitation project planning and project execution (including through grants and partnerships) to protect the landscape and watershed health from negative impacts resulting from outdoor recreation use, such as hardening recreation assets, restoring impacted areas, managing waste (human waste, trash), decreasing erosion and sediment generation, educating users and land acquisition (including easements) to disperse use and impacts.

Specific Duties: In development of the program elements the following are to be done: 

  • Recommend to the BoCC possible partnerships with any organization to advance any of the funding areas listed above for planning or specific projects.
  • Develop and oversee the grant application process, evaluation criteria and grant cycles subject to approval of the BoCC.
  • Make grant recommendations to the BoCC for their approval.
  • Meet periodically with the BoCC to provide them an update on progress and get guidance from the BoCC on their priorities for the program areas.

Citizens Advisory Committee Membership Requirements as follows:

Members must commit to monthly and additional meetings and 15 to 20 hours per month of working time (to develop grant rating criteria, rank grants, etc.).
Members must be full-time residents in Chaffee County.
Members must have demonstrated ability to work as a team.
Members must have demonstrated appreciation and understanding of broader program goals and ecosystem approach.
Members must be acknowledged as outstanding, positive community members.
Members shall provide appropriate geographic representation of the County.
Members shall include representatives with the experience in funding topic areas as follows:

  • At least one member with background and experience in forest management and/or silviculture.
  • At least one member actively involved in agricultural production in Chaffee County.
  • At least one member with background and experience in outdoor recreation/ conservation.
  • At least one member with proven skills in leadership and program management.
  • Preferential consideration should also be given to additional members that provide:
  • Experience with conservation tools (Conservation Easements, fee acquisition, conservation planning)
  • Background and experience in wildfire and natural resources management (e.g. soils, water quality).
  • Experience in local business ownership, education, land use and community development.

Community Planning and Engagement: Planning processes to support program success are underway, including:

  • Community Wildfire Protection Plan,
  • Envision Recreation in Balance Program, and
  • Programs to keep working lands working, including: Community Conservation Connection and Working Lands Helping Hands.

Applications will be accepted until 4:00 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, in the Commissioner’s Office at the Courthouse, 104 Crestone, or mailed to P.O. Box 699, Salida, CO 81201, or e-mail to chaffeeadmin@chaffeecounty.org. For further information please call (719) 539-2218.

Common Ground invests in 2020 projects

July 7, 2020 — Chaffee Common Ground will invest $450,753 in 10 local programs and projects this year, plus an additional $400,352 in 2021 and 2022 for multi-year projects that address the program’s community goals. Matching funds total nearly $2 million.

The funding package recommended by the Common Ground Citizens Advisory Committee was approved by the Chaffee Board of County Commissioners on July 7. This marked the second funding cycle since the ballot measure generating revenues passed in 2018. In 2019, $660,716 was awarded for six grants, and the BoCC indicated the intention to provide future support of $1,140,834 through 2024 for multi-year and future-year requests. Matching funds so far will bring nearly $9 million in value to the community.

“Investments last year had a strong agricultural focus due to timely opportunities to protect rural landscapes through conservation easements,” Committee Chair Cindy Williams said. “This time, excellent forest health and wildfire protection opportunities ranked very well, providing a balance in investments over time as promised.”

Sixteen applications were submitted during the Spring 2020 grant cycle. Due to unknown economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak, the committee decided to recommend a conservative funding package, Vice-chair Rick Hum said. “The program is sales-tax dependent so we will continue to track revenues and evaluate available funds,” he said, adding that the next grant cycle is likely to take place in early 2021. The Citizens Advisory Committee is a seven-member board appointed by County Commissioners. Spring 2020 winning programs and projects by category:

Forest Health & Wildfire Resilience

Chaffee Chips Fire-Adapted Communities Implementation — $34,000 to Chaffee County Fire Protection District to purchase trailers to haul slash, chain saws and other materials, rent a chipper and pay for labor for Chaffee Chips, a program that provides professional assistance to landowners to decrease wildfire risk while implementing the Chaffee County Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

Coyote Valley Road Community Fuel Break — $4,652 to Colorado State Forest Service to begin work on a 2-mile-long, 400-foot-wide community fuel break south of the Mesa Antero subdivision west of Hecla Junction. The fuel break designed by the Envision Forest Health Council will improve firefighting capabilities in the event of a wildfire in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, improve egress for residents and visitors and protect structures in the surrounding area. The committee recommended $163,998 to complete the project in 2022.

Methodist Front Wildland Urban Interface Forest & Watershed Health Restoration Project — $341,545 to Chaffee County for a multi-jurisdictional wildfire mitigation project within the foothills of Methodist Mountain, planned and executed by Envision Forest Health Council partners to create a 5-mile-long area of fuel breaks to protect the southern flank of the Salida and Poncha Springs communities of 7,000 people. Specifically, funds are for forest treatments on city, state and privately owned lands to create the fuel breaks. The two-year funding recommendation is $545,000.

Sustainable Agriculture

Chaffee Provides — $2,442 to Envision Chaffee County in partnership with Guidestone Colorado and the Kelly Ranch, for a marketing and educational program that connects agricultural producers and local consumers during a time of food insecurity due to COVID-19 and build community support for local agriculture. The two-year funding recommendation is $4,884.

Kelly Ranch Equip Irrigation System — $40,000 to ranch owner David Kelly to install a pipeline and irrigation system to capture and transport water to 40 acres of the 389-acre Kelly Ranch, delivering increased production of 60 to 80 tons of hay annually. The ranch west of Johnsons Village is on the National Historic Register of Places and under a conservation easement since 2011. Irrigation supports the burrowing owl, a state threatened species, as well as elk, antelope and deer, and the property contains one of the largest natural high-altitude fen wetlands in Colorado.

Land Link Lunch & Learn Online Series — $2,000 to Guidestone Colorado to support a new, year-long virtual online learning series through Colorado Land Link, a program that encourages conversation and resource development for land access and farm succession.

Sunnyside Park Ditch Feasibility Study — $8,000 to Sunnyside Park ditch company to conduct a feasibility study to explore options for long-term repairs and reinforcements of the ditch serving ranches north of Salida on both sides of Highway 291.

Recreation Impact Management

Chaffee County Recreation Plan — $10,152 to Envision Chaffee County to support the delivery of a strategic plan to manage outdoor recreation growth and support the goals developed by the Envision Recreation in Balance program, which are to enhance or maintain natural resources, exceptional user experiences, and the economic benefits of recreation. The two-year funding recommendation is $40,609.

Fourmile Midland Road Restoration — $3,812 to Wildlands Restoration Volunteers to close and revegetate a 3,200-foot road section in the Fourmile/Midland recreation area as requested by Bureau of Land Management partners, to help direct recreation to less sensitive areas and allow deteriorated natural areas to recover for a better overall user experience.

Healthy Horn Fork — $4,150 to the Greater Arkansas River Nature Association (GARNA) in partnership with Noah’s Ark Rafting & Adventure Co., U.S. Forest Service and Envision Chaffee County to plan and implement stewardship activities in Horn Fork Basin, a 6,000-acre area west of Buena Vista encompassing Bear and Kroenke lake drainages and three Fourteeners in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness. The project is designed to serve as a model for long-term stewardship of Wilderness areas.

Common Ground 2019 Annual Report released

March 3, 2020 — The Chaffee Common Ground Citizens Advisory Committee releases its first annual report today. In 2019, Common Ground invested over $673,000 in projects managed by five nonprofits and a nonprofit/land agency partnership for eight different projects and programs. Additional future support of $1,140,230 was indicated for multi-year and future-year grant requests. Matching investments for these grants will bring $7 million in value to the community.

Prior to the first grant cycle in 2019, the Citizens Advisory Committee developed overall program goals, agreed to written guiding principles, and created a citizen-led allocation system. All activities and detailed funding information is provided in the 2019 Annual Report. A printed copy is available at the Chaffee County Administrative Offices, 104 Crestone Ave., Salida.

BoCC reappoints two Common Ground committee members

Feb. 4, 2020 — Two members of the Chaffee Common Ground Citizens Advisory Committee, Ben Lenth and Brink Messick, have been reappointed to their seats on the committee. Lenth and Messick were appointed to one-year terms in 2019. Their new terms are for three years.

“I appreciate the opportunity to be part of this program from the beginning and am excited to continue over the next 3 years,” Messick said. “The programs that we are able to support through Common Ground will have long-lasting effects, positively impacting our region for generations.”

Citizens Advisory Committee members agree on Guiding Principles

May 6, 2019 — All seven members of the Citizens Advisory Committee agreed to sign and abide by Guiding Principles in their positions on the committee. They agreed to:

  • Follow spirit and letter of the Colorado Open Public Meetings Act.
  • Encourage public input. Consider large community meeting when grant applications are rolled-out.
  • Disclose personal and professional relationships with grant applicants. The other members are to determine if the conflicted member will refrain from discussion and voting.
  • Fully support majority-vote decisions and not express individual opposing views.
  • Work for the best interest of the program and not act as a representative of one of the funding areas or region of the county.
  • Not represent interests of any nonprofit, government agency or contractor.

View complete Citizens Advisory Committee Guiding Principles here. Committee members agreed to also sign the county’s conflict-of-interest policy.