HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-054-05/06/2025-AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE COLORADO STATE FOREST SERVICE FOR PRESOLUTION 2025-054
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMEN T WITH THE
COLORADO STATE FOREST SERVICE FOR PHASE 2 OF THE MICHIGAN DITCH
PRE-FIRE MITIGATION PROJECT
A.The City owns and operates a water utility that provides water service to
customers within its water service area. As, part of the water utility, the City owns and
operates the Michigan Ditch and associated infrastructure for the purpose of providing
raw water for water supply, including for drinking water treatment.
B.Between August and December 2020, the Cameron Peak Fire significantly
impacted federal arid state lands abutting the Michigan Ditch.
C.The City has identified a need to develop and execute forest health
treatment activities in priority areas at risk of future large scale catastrophic wildfires with
regards to pre-fire mitigation thinning, fuel breaks and forest restoration, including in and
around the Michigan Ditch and its associated infrastructure.
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D.The City has thus begun work on the Michigan Ditch Pre-Fire Mitigation
Project ("Project") and has worked with the Colorado State Forest Service. Phase 1 of
the Project and previous agreements with the Colorado State Forest Service are
addressed in Resolution 2024-113.
E.For Phase 2 of the Projec:t, the Colorado State Forest Service is willing to
develop and provide access to environmental information and expertise to provide
relevant data analysis and to complete certain forest fuels reduction work to mitigate the
risk of future large-scale wildfires in and around the Michigan Ditch and its associated
infrastructure.
F.For Phase 2 of the Project, the City and the Colorado State Forest Service
have also negotiated a proposed Intergovernmental Agreement Regarding Forest Health
and Pre-Fire Mitigation Services through the Colorado State Forest Service, attached as
Exhibit "A" ("Services Agreement"), the purpose of which is for the City to retain the
Colorado State Forest Service to perform certain forest health and pre-fire mitigation
services related to the Michigan Ditch and its associated infrastructure.
G.City Council finds that entering into the Services Agreement is necessary to
safeguard the City's critical water supply infrastructure and is in the best interests of the
City water utility ratepayers and the City as a whole.
In light of the foregoing recitals, which the Council hereby makes and adopts as
determinations and findings, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FORT COLLINS. that the City Manager is hereby authorized to enter into a Services
Agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit "A", with such additional terms and
conditions as the City Manager, in consultation with the City Attorney, determines to be
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