In a move to bolster wildfire defenses, Boulder County's Wildfire Partners has initiated a Multi-Family Dwelling Rebate Program, aiming to provide financial incentives for communities to remove juniper vegetation and enhance fire safety. As confirmed by Boulder County, the initiative offers up to $500 per housing unit for eligible wildfire mitigation activities, with a focus on juniper removal in common spaces of multi-family residences such as condos and townhome complexes.
The rebate is part of the greater Junk Your Junipers campaign and is available to property management companies and Homeowners Associations (HOAs) operating within Boulder County's municipalities and city bounds. Applications for the program began after Aug. 11, with Boulder County Commissioner Ashley Stolzmann highlighting the importance of reducing juniper presence as they "are one of the most combustible landscape plants in our region." The program underscores the significance of proactive community engagement in wildfire prevention and mitigation efforts.
Assisting in the process, Wildfire Partners will contribute expertise by dispatching a specialist to help in the identification and marking of junipers targeted for removal. To qualify for the rebate, the communities are required to obtain three project bids and finalize their contractor choice before the completion deadline of Oct. 27. Successful applicants can expect to receive their rebates within 8–10 weeks post-verification, according to program manager Jim Webster.
Interest in the rebate program has been piqued within the county, it is fueled by the Voter-approved Wildfire Mitigation Sales Tax from 2022, supporting various layers of wildfire resilience efforts from forest management to home hardening projects. Juniper plants pose a higher fire risk due to their "volatile oils, dense growth, and retention of dead plant material," making them a particular focus for local mitigation strategies, as outlined by Boulder County.
