MEEKER | U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper met with Rio Blanco County ranchers, local officials and landowners Friday morning, pledging to continue fighting for federal disaster assistance and improved support for wildfire recovery nearly a year after the Lee and Elk wildfires devastated northwest Colorado.
The discussion, hosted by the Rio Blanco County Community Wildfire Resiliency Coalition at Mike Lopez’s ranch east of Meeker, focused on the long-term impacts of the fires, the denial of Colorado’s request for FEMA disaster assistance, forest management, drought, federal agency coordination and future wildfire mitigation efforts.
Moderated by Vanessa Trout, the meeting gave ranchers and community leaders an opportunity to speak directly with Hickenlooper about the challenges they continue to face rebuilding after the fires burned more than 150,000 acres across Rio Blanco County.
Rio Blanco County Commissioner Doug Overton said the county continues to deal with the financial impacts of the disaster.
“We had a fire that burned over 150,000 acres, and it really impacted our ranchers and farmers,” Overton said. “It isn’t over because it’s the flooding and stuff to clean up afterwards and rebuilding all the fences. It’s going to get really expensive. We’ve got verified $27 million so far.”
Overton also expressed concern about the cost of rebuilding damaged electric transmission infrastructure, saying local residents could ultimately bear those expenses through higher utility rates.
Throughout the discussion, ranchers described ongoing delays rebuilding fences, restoring grazing allotments and repairing water infrastructure while struggling to navigate federal agencies.
Mike Lopez said recovery efforts have been slowed by staffing shortages within the Bureau of Land Management.
“We are at an absolute standstill as a local field office on getting things done,” Lopez said. “We’ve got families that are dependent on this. Between private property and public land, it’s all tied together out here in the West.”
Chad Carter echoed those frustrations, saying producers often struggle to receive answers from federal agencies.
“You can’t even make a phone call,” Carter said.
A major focus of the meeting centered on Colorado’s unsuccessful request for FEMA disaster assistance following the Lee and Elk fires.
Following the discussion, Hickenlooper told the Herald Times he believes the funding should have already been approved.
“The Lee and Elk fires were devastating to Rio Blanco County, and obviously the county is going to take a while to recover,” Hickenlooper said. “That money was appropriated by the U.S. Congress, and the president has stopped it. That’s not legal. He doesn’t have that power to do that.”
Hickenlooper said he intends to continue pressing for the funding.
“We are in full fight to push back against that,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll get him to change his mind. If he doesn’t, he’s going to lose that election anyway. So we’re going to take back the House, take back the Senate, and then we’ll get that money. I guarantee you that’s our highest priority.”
Asked what ranchers should expect from the federal government over the next year, Hickenlooper said agriculture should remain a bipartisan priority.
“The federal government’s got to be a partner for farmers and ranchers,” he said. “No country can survive without producing enough food for its people, and we’re in danger of losing that capacity. Whether it’s a Republican or Democrat shouldn’t matter. This is a nonpartisan issue.”
Trout guided the discussion through three primary topics: wildfire recovery and FEMA assistance, improving communication between local producers and federal agencies, and increasing federal investment in forest health and watershed restoration projects.
She noted Rio Blanco County has spent years identifying priority mitigation projects but continues to struggle to secure federal support despite having projects ready to move forward.
Karl Maser, owner of Ute Lodge in eastern Rio Blanco County, urged Hickenlooper to help make the county a model for proactive forest management.
“We’re primed for something like this,” Maser said. “Why can’t we be a model for the country?”
“I will be your champion,” Hickenlooper responded.
Wildfire preparedness remained another central topic throughout the discussion as participants voiced concerns about worsening drought conditions and the potential for another active fire season.
Asked by the Herald Times whether enough federal resources are available to prepare for another severe wildfire season, Hickenlooper said additional investment is needed.
“Obviously, we do not have the resources we need,” he said. “There have been so many cuts in the BLM and the Forest Service. There just aren’t enough people to do all the things that need to be done.”
He said legislation aimed at streamlining forest management projects could help reduce future wildfire risk.
“I think it allows us to do fire mitigation, get out ahead of fire, take a lot of that dead wood and fuel that makes fires so much hotter than they used to, and get it out of there,” Hickenlooper said. “Put it to use in some way instead of having it burn up our forests and make normal wildfires 10 times worse.”
The conversation also included concerns over deteriorating rangeland conditions, delays in federal permitting, wild horse management and improving communication with federal agencies.
Before the meeting concluded, Hickenlooper committed to maintaining communication with coalition members and asked them to provide his office with a written list of priorities.
“Write those up, send them into the office, and we’ll check them off,” he said. “We’ll see where we stand in two to three months.”
Asked what message he would take back to Washington after meeting with Rio Blanco County ranchers, Hickenlooper said communities like Meeker deserve greater federal attention.
“The ranchers in western Colorado are really struggling,” he said. “These are things that are not getting the attention and the investment that the federal government needs to give.”
As recovery efforts continue across Rio Blanco County, local officials said they will remain in contact with Hickenlooper’s office while pushing for disaster assistance, improved coordination with federal agencies and additional investment in forest health projects aimed at reducing the risk of future catastrophic wildfires.
U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper stands with community members during his visit to Rio Blanco County to meet with local ranchers, officials and landowners. JARED HENDERSON PHOTO