MOUNTAIN VILLAGE – Wildfires are a fact of life in Colorado, yet few communities have taken the kind of bold steps Mountain Village did last fall to protect its land and forests.

The Town's community development department will hold an informational get-together Thursday, July 7, from 1-2:30 p.m., at Town Hall to help homeowners and builders better understand the new “defensible space” requirement for all new buildings or landscaping costing more than $50,000.

The regulation, which was voted in by Town Council last September as part of changes to Article 12 of the Land Use Ordinance, directs anyone who plans on developing or improving property over $50,000 to create a “defensible space” around it by clearing away dead and diseased trees and other flammable vegetation from a circumscribed area.

The space consists of three distinct “zones,” each with specific requirements for vegetation and tree crown mitigation. Thursday’s meeting will explain Article 12 and the zones in detail, as well the process of filing an application for fire mitigation and dead or diseased tree removal.

“It is going to take a concerted effort between landowners, contractors and the town” to achieve proper forest health and lessen the dangers of wildfires, Forester Dave Bangert said. “We hope this will be a starting point for more education and discussion.”