A $500 rebate per unit is now available for multi-family households and homeowners associations in Boulder County if they complete certain wildfire mitigation strategies. The rebate is part of a pilot-program by Wildfire Partners to encourage the removal of highly flammable juniper vegetation. Wildfire Partners is a Boulder County wildfire mitigation program that was launched in 2014.
“This new rebate program is a notable step forward for our county’s wildfire preparedness,” Boulder County Commissioner Ashley Stolzmann said. “Junipers are one of the most combustible landscape plants in our region. By supporting communities in removing them, we’re making real progress toward creating fire-adapted neighborhoods.”
Wildfire Partners said that there is no plant that is “fireproof,” and all plants should be kept at least five feet away from a house or in a non-combustible flower pot. They have provided a list of “firewise plants” from the Colorado State University Extension.
Apartment, condo, and townhouse complexes are qualified communities for the program as well as HOAs and property management companies, which must apply on behalf of the entire community.
Wildlife Partners will visit the property to mark the junipers when an application is approved. Then, the community will ask for three bids to complete the work, choose a contractor, and complete the work by October 27 to receive the rebate. Once the rebate is approved, the rebate will be mailed within eight to 10 weeks. Qualified applicants will receive $500 for each unit.
“This effort reflects the kind of community-wide coordination we need to build long-term wildfire resilience,” Wildfire Partners Program Manager Jim Webster said. “By working together, we can make our neighborhoods safer and more fire-ready.”
The rebate program is funded by the Wildfire Mitigation Sales Tax that was passed in 2022 by Boulder County voters with 72 percent of the vote.
The application for the rebate program can be completed online at the Wildfire Partners website. For more information, residents are encouraged to contact Vicky Reinold at 303-441-1420 or [email protected]g.
