PILT funds will help support wildfire response by local fire districts
Local fire districts across Mesa County will receive support for wildfire suppression efforts on federal lands through a portion of the county’s federal Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding.
On March 10, the Board of County Commissioners approved a resolution allocating $100,000 of the county’s PILT funds to fire districts that provide fire suppression on federally managed lands within Mesa County.
Large portions of Mesa County are made up of federal land. These lands do not generate local property taxes, so the federal government provides PILT funding to help offset that impact on local governments.
The board chose to allocate a portion of those funds to fire districts that often respond to fires on federal lands, helping support the local resources needed for wildfire response.
The funding will be distributed among fire districts that provide suppression services on federally managed lands within Mesa County.
Districts include:
- 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
Funding will be distributed based on the acreage of federally managed land located within each district’s response area. Mesa County will use geographic information system (GIS) data to calculate the allocation.
Wildfires on federal lands often require coordination between local, state and federal agencies. Local fire districts are frequently among the first to respond when fires start in these areas.
Allocating a portion of the county’s PILT funds helps support the fire districts that play a key role in protecting communities, natural resources and public lands throughout Mesa County.
