The Cody Conservation District is working to connect the community with fire professionals and other resources to lessen fire danger. 

District manager Cody Williams reported to the Park County commissioners at a mid October meeting that work is continuing on a community wildfire protection plan the district received a nearly $140,000 grant to accomplish. 

The district is also taking a larger role in facilitating the Firewise community program, a free program which helps communities improve fire prevention standards. Williams said the large, 34-home Cody Ranchettes subdivision east of town is the latest community to sign on with the program. 

“Now that has become a Firewise community, which is a great win for our community,” he said. “And we’re in communication with several other subdivisions of that size that want to potentially become Firewise communities.”

Becoming a Firewise community, Williams said, allows residents to protect their homeowners insurance from either losing it or potentially seeing their premiums lowered, which has becoming a growing issue especially with higher valued homes located in rural areas not close to fire services.  

“It’s using fire resilience methods to harden homes and properties against wildfire and wildfire risk,” Williams explained. “So it’s a national program, and when the community adopts those firewise standards of either building, landscaping, and community outreach, it can help with those homeowners insurance premiums, so it also protects the entire community.”

Protections include not keeping combustibles within 15 feet of homes, keeping low shrubbery, low grass and maintained green spaces. 

Williams said the district works with the Park County fire districts, which do fire assessments, and Wyoming Forestry assists with the application process and the Forest Service with outreach.

“Cody Conservation District is taking the leadership role of being able to roll that out to the community and using our fire professionals within the community to do the rest of the lift,” he said. 

Can still perform required services

The Cody Conservation District will still be able to provide the services required of it by state statute during the development planning process. 

Williams confirmed as much during the meeting while updating commissioners on what the district is working on. 

The district had asked on the primary election ballot for 1 mill to help fund the district, but those voters denied the added property tax by a wide margin. 

Conservation districts are required by state statute to examine the soil, percolation and flooding risk, among other examinations, before the county approves subdivisions or other developments.