On Aug. 13, 2026, Mountain Parks Electric’s board of directors approved $20,000 from its Unclaimed Capital Credits Fund for the Grand County Wildfire Council. The use of these funds will not affect utility or electricity rates, according to the press release from the Grand County Wildfire Council. They will support fire mitigation efforts around Granby, specifically an 800-acre project known as the West Granby Fuels Corridor. The area is classified as having a high to extreme wildfire risk in the council’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

The West Granby Fuels Corridor is part of the Grand County Wildfire Resilience Corridor and is supported by a $2.448 million federal Community Wildfire Defense Grant. The project aims to create a strategic fuel break along Mount Chauncey, the site of a lightning-caused fire on Aug. 12. . The fire remained less than 1 acre and was declared contained within three hours.

This area contains dense, beetle-killed timber. Reducing tree density and surface fuels will help decrease potential fire intensity, limit crown-fire development — a dangerous type of fire that spreads across the tree canopy rather than along the surface — and reduce the production of embers that could cause spot fires. The project will also improve firefighter access to densely forested private land and reduce the threat of a fire spreading rapidly toward Granby because of the area’s prevailing westerly winds.

Work is expected to be completed by 2030 and will take place entirely on private land in coordination with the Grand Fire Protection District and the Colorado State Forest Service. The Project could benefit over 20,000 people, including residents, business owners, critical infrastructure operators and people who may need to evacuate during a wildfire.

Blue Forest, a nonprofit conservation-finance organization, is assisting the council with financial development and project coordination. The organization has experience in conservation finance and in working with utilities, land managers and community partners to maximize the council’s use of the funding from Mountain Parks Electric, federal grants and private landowners. Blue Forest will help support the long-term financial stability of wildfire mitigation efforts in Grand County.

“Mountain Parks Electric is proud to support projects that reduce wildfire risk and protect the communities we serve,” said Aaron Street, vice president of Mountain Parks Electric. “Wildfire mitigation is a shared responsibility, and investments like this help create safer communities.”

“Wildfire does not recognize property boundaries or jurisdictional lines, which is why strategic mitigation is so important,” said Jessica Rahn, executive director of the Grand County Wildfire Council. “We are grateful to Mountain Parks Electric for recognizing the importance of this work and investing in the safety and resilience of our community. Support from partners like Mountain Parks Electric helps make that proactive work possible.”