DENVER \u2013 Farmers could be blocked from burning their ditches when fire danger is high under a bill the state Senate approved Friday.<\/p>\n
House Bill 1007 gives county commissioners the power to limit agricultural burning on red flag and windy days.<\/p>\n
Sen. Ellen Roberts, R-Durango, said it\u2019s unclear if they have the power already. She\u2019s talked to county officials who insist they have the authority and to others who insist they don\u2019t.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had the Cortez fire chief tell me one time at a town hall that this is of grave concern to the people of Cortez,\u201d Roberts said.<\/p>\n
Republicans were split on the bill, which was sponsored by Sen. Larry Crowder, R-Alamosa.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it is time that we need to realize there are consequences of fire around populated area,\u201d Crowder said.<\/p>\n
But Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, said a burn ban could be a problem on his farm.<\/p>\n
\u201cTiming is everything for us. When it is time to start irrigating, we have to have the ditches burned,\u201d Brophy said.<\/p>\n
And Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, said all the laws in the world will not stop fires.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not going to stop fires by these regulations. I tell you what we will do, though. We\u2019ll be more of a nagging nuisance to the ag community that is already overburdened,\u201d Lundberg said.<\/p>\n
The Senate passed the bill on an initial voice vote. It needs one more recorded vote, likely Monday, before it can pass the Senate. It already has passed the House.<\/p>\n
Although the Legislature has several bills that relate to wildfires, HB 1007 is one of a just a few that directly address fire prevention. The others would increase tax credits for landowners who remove overgrowth and allow loans from the state\u2019s water and power authority to fund forest health projects.<\/p>\n