Council votes to support residents by picking up Fire Wise debris.

Terri Potter, Alpine Fire Chief and a member of the Wyoming State Forestry Division, met with the Star Valley Ranch Town Council on Tuesday evening. She discussed how the Fire Wise program was moving forward in the town.
“We have had a good response with the program,” Potter said. “So far about 30 people have signed up.”
According to Potter, through the Fire Wise program residents can get funds to assist, educate and finance Fire Wise landscaping choices. The program operates on a 65 percent to 35 percent scale.
“What that means is that for every $100 you spend you are going to get $65 back,” said Potter. “There is no cost for me to come out and look at your property and see what can be done. I will make recommendations of things you can do to  make your property safer.”
The Fire Wise program deals with creating “defensible space” around homes. The defensible space gives firefighters a better chance at saving homes should a fire occur. Such space also makes fighting fire safer for response crews.
“A lot of people think that we are going to ask them to cut down all of their trees,” said Potter. “That isn’t the case. There are lots of things homeowners can do. Sometimes we do have to cut down trees, but there are many others things that can be done as well.”
According to Mayor Boyd Siddoway, the Town of Star Valley Ranch wants its residents to know that the town supports the Fire Wise program.
“This is something that you as individuals have to decide that you want to do,” said Mayor Siddoway. “But we do want people to know that we support this.”
The town council agreed to haul Fire Wise debris away at no cost to homeowners if homeowners are under contract with the Fire Wise program. Homeowners who wish to take advantage of the town’s decision are asked to notify the town prior to stacking yard debris so the town can determine how best to pick the debris up.