Dear Editor,

Boulder County is proud to continue taking significant steps forward in its community safety and environmental stewardship with the 2025 season launch of Wildfire Partners Community Chipping Program.

This program supports all county residents with managing the high-risk vegetation on their properties, fostering a safer, cleaner, and more fire-resilient environment for all.

This county chipping program is free to all county residents, allowing adequate disposal of slash — green branches, and brush — in a safe and sustainable manner. This program is actively improving defensible space around properties and reducing the potential for fire to spread.

“Wildfire Partners saw tremendous growth with last year’s chipping program. Residents had been waiting for a new Chipping Program, and the quick growth demonstrates just how proactive our communities are becoming,” said Boulder County Chipping Coordinator Zack Bertges. “For 2025, we’ve prepared for and are expecting over 1,600 homes to participate. Our chipping contractors and internal systems are prepared to support this fast-growing program. It’s a very exciting time for residents to jump in and participate.”

In collaboration with local fire districts and approved chipping contractors, the county chipping program fosters community engagement and public awareness about wildfire mitigation. This program also emphasizes collaboration among neighbors to establish neighborhood chipping events, where groups of five or more homeowners will work together to complete the chipping event in their community.

Funding for the Community Chipping Program is provided by the Wildfire Mitigation Sales Tax. The sales tax was approved by Boulder County voters in 2022 to fund work in two areas: Strategic Forest and Grassland Management, and Community and Individual Programs to Improve Wildfire Resilience. The Community Chipping Program is one of the first community programs to be funded by the Wildfire Mitigation Sales Tax.

Learn More and Apply

A minimum of five participating neighbors is required to host a community chipping event. At each community event, a county approved chipping contractor will provide the chipping services and haul the chips to a partnering donation site.

During a chipping event, homeowners prepare piles of slash in front of their homes. On the scheduled eventdate, a county-approved contractor arrives to chip the piles using a wood chipping machine. The woodchips are then transported to partnering farm sites or Boulder County community sort yards for disposal.

For more information, contact Zack Bertges, Wildfire Partners Chipping Coordinator, at 303-678-6168 or zbertges@bouldercounty.gov.

Rick Hackett

Boulder County