Teller County commissioners issued a Stage 1 Fire Ban last week.  The ban on open burning is a response to the ongoing drought, daily red flag warnings and lack of moisture.

From issuing the ban to railing against proposed bills in this session of the Colorado General Assembly, commissioners Bob Campbell, Erik Stone and Dan Williams have testified, or plan to, testify against many of them.  

“We have bills attacking property rights, taxes, guns, hunting and natural resources,” Williams said.

For instance, HB26-1310, if passed, would give individual homeowners access to grants for mitigation projects.

“What they didn’t tell you is that the pot of money is coming out of COSWAP (Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program),” he said.

With COSWAP, the state funds large-scale projects, such as those in Green Mountain Falls by the Mile High Youth Corps or in both counties by the Coalition for the Upper South Platte.

On the other hand, Stone announced that homeowners can get help with mitigation projects on their land.  

“In 2027, homeowners can get a 25% tax credit for projects up to $10,000,” Stone said. “This could be a $2,500 tax credit on your Colorado state income tax return.”

Another proposed bill, HB26-1323, would ban hunting beavers on public land for recreational or commercial purposes.  

“The issue is that the state is trying to override the Colorado Department of Wildlife,” Williams said, adding that CPW had a long list of qualified wildlife biologists who do not support the bill.  “Once again, we have activists who don’t live in Colorado trying to attack hunting.”

Williams and Stone testified last week against the bill in the state legislature.

“We had a record number of people testify, including CPWs executive director Laura Clellan,” Williams said. “The activists are after the commercial fur trade, starting with the beaver.”

Williams was appointed by Gov. Jared Polis to the state’s Pine Needles Task Force, which he said has been applied for and been rejected by the Trump Administration.

“It was denied because of the administration’s sanctuary policies,” Williams said.

While Teller County has declared it is not a sanctuary county when it comes to cooperating with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the administration includes the entire state in its denials.

“My concern is how we’re going to pay for the program. We are about to start fire season and are under-resourced,” Williams said.  

As they have in the past, the commissioners emphasize that the elections in Teller County are done with integrity, backed up by extensive investment in election machines.

“We don’t have a ‘national’ election; all elections are local,” Campbell said. “In Colorado; as far as offices for local, state and federal governments, they are all done by the local clerk & recorder. It is not done by a national process.”

In other business, Williams announced that the childcare center in Cripple Creek has raised $3.2 million and needs another $700,000.  The facility, “It’s a Place for Kids,” is under construction on Bennett Avenue.

Expecting another financial hit in Teller County for nonprofits who collectively have been denied federal grants up to 25% of the need, the county expects to seek grants to fund food banks in Teller County.

“Nonprofits who have DEI (diversity, inclusion and equity) policies have been denied grants by the Trump Administration,” said Williams, a board member of CASA, one of the nonprofits denied federal grants.  “We are concerned about food insecurity, the elderly population and mental health.”

For nonprofits who fulfill those missions, Wiliams encourage the directors to reach out.

“This is a critical population,” he said. “I think we will be well-supported again this year.”