MESA COUNTY, CO — Local fire districts across Mesa County will receive a financial boost to support wildfire suppression efforts on federally managed lands.
On Tuesday, March 10, the Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution to allocate $100,000 of the county’s federal Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding to local fire districts. Because large portions of Mesa County consist of federal land that does not generate local property taxes, the federal government provides PILT funding to help offset the financial impact on local governments.
Local fire districts are frequently the first to respond when wildfires ignite on federal lands, which often requires close coordination between local, state, and federal agencies. The board chose to allocate a portion of these funds to directly support the local resources necessary for this critical wildfire response.
The $100,000 will be distributed based on the total acreage of federally managed land located within each district’s specific response area. Mesa County will utilize geographic information system (GIS) data to accurately calculate the allocations for each department.
The funding will be distributed among the following fire districts that provide suppression services on federal lands:
- Central Orchard Mesa Fire Protection District
- Clifton Fire Department
- De Beque Fire Department
- East Orchard Mesa Fire District
- Gateway Unaweep Fire Protection District
- Glade Park Fire Protection District
- Grand Junction Rural Fire Protection District
- Grand Valley Fire Protection District
- Lands End Fire Protection District
- Lower Valley Fire District
- Palisade Fire District
- Plateau Valley Fire Protection District
County officials noted that this funding allocation plays a key role in supporting the local fire districts that protect communities, natural resources, and public lands throughout Mesa County.