The Grand County commissioners are concerned about fire danger along the railroad tracks. During the board meeting on Sept. 2, the commissioners directed county staff to draft a letter to the Union Pacific Railroad regarding their role and responsibility for fire mitigation.

The county is requesting that Union Pacific perform fire mitigation on its right of way within county and town limits. For example, the railroad can remove dead trees and other fuels that are near its tracks.

Community member Kirk Klancke brought this issue of needing fire mitigation to the commissioners.

“I would like to see a letter sent to the railroad asking what their fuel reduction plan is and what is the timing of this plan,” he wrote to the commissioners. “We are presently in Stage 2 severe drought which adds a sense of urgency to their fuel reduction plan. Metal wheels on metal tracks is reason enough for them to respond.”

The commissioners agreed to send a letter to the railroad; commissioner Ed Raegner reccommend that the county also have the towns sign the letter, along with other stakeholders such as Denver Water, the Grand County Wildfire Council and Granby Ranch.

According to Klancke, the fuels near the railroad track pose a risk to the community, especially the developed towns of Fraser and Winter Park. Klancke took note of fuels by the track and shared a photo with the commissioners of a dead tree.

He expressed that community members recently performed fuel reduction work at the Fraser cemetery. The train track runs alongside the cemetery. Klancke wrote that while visiting the cemetery “it dawned on (him) that while the private sector is taking fuel reduction seriously the railroad is not.”

In other business

Commissioners sign letter regarding wolf introduction delays

The commissioners approved signing on to the Gunnison County Stockgrowers Association’s Citizen Petition. This document requests the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission to adopt a rule that delays the introduction of new wolves until the requirements set forth in Proposition 114 and codified in state statue are satisfied. Voters approved Proposition 114, a ballot initiative for wolf reintroduction, in 2020.

The first Citizen Petition to pause bringing new wolves was put forth to the parks and wildlife commission in September 2024; the commission voted to deny this petition. The second iteration of this petition, written by the Gunnison County Stockgrowers and signed by the Grand County commissioners, seeks to delay wolf introduction until least Nov. 16, 2026. The petition asks for introduction to be designed to resolve conflicts with farmers and ranchers.

This new petition was also signed by Grand County’s Middle Park Stockgrowers Association, the Colorado Cattleman’s Association, Colorado Woolgrowers Association, Club 20, Colorado Farm Bureau and other petitioners.

GoRail letter

Also at the meeting, commissioners agreed to sign on to a letter by the organization GoRail. The organization wrote a letter to U.S. Congress to urge support for federal funding for rail safety and grade crossing programs. This letter will be sent to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

GoRail is a national organization that educates community leaders about the public benefits of freight rail investments, and encourages them to support a stronger rail network.