BonFire contract approved by BOCC

SANDPOINT — A contract between Bonner County and The Mountain View Company was approved by county commissioners Tuesday to cover work cleaning up wildfire hazards throughout the county.

Fire mitigation program manager Nick Zahler talked to the commissioners about the contract, saying the work will happen at no cost to the county because it will be funded by an Idaho Department of Lands grant.

The work will occur on the private properties of a few county residents to help mitigate fire risks on the property and in the surrounding areas, Emergency Management director Bob Howard said in a follow-up email.

“The goal is to make private property more defensible in case of a wildfire,” Howard said.

The treatment and removal of the hazardous wildland fuel, Zahler said, will remain in compliance with the county’s BonFire Program. This program helps bring awareness to the risk of wildfire in the county and assists property owners in the maintenance and removal of hazardous fuels on their land.

Property owners who receive this assistance must agree to maintain the improvements made for a minimum of 10 years, or until they move or sell the property. The BonFire Program is exclusively funded through federal grants.

“I would just like to say that this is my favorite type of [county funds] match, which is none,” Commissioner Luke Omodt said.