Dead trees throughout Estes and the Valley

[Norm Mcgill]

     Congratulations Dr. Mieras on your well won victory in the voting! Now, I will put your feet to the fire! I am not able to vote in Estes affairs. I live a blade of grass outside Town limits, but that is close enough to share in the good, the bad, and the ugly. Currently the ugly is the great fire risk we face as attested to by Town print and signage.                                                                                                                                                                                                             Any Town official and/or employee traveling the streets and roadways can easily observe the terrific number of dead and near dead trees lining the roads and in citizens yards and properties. Just a cruise down Mary's Lake Road or up South Saint Vrain will provide a shocking display. There are dead/dying trees on these roadways sitting just 10 or 12 feet from homes and condos. Torches waiting to be ignited by sparks, fireworks, yard fires, or car crashes! It looks very bad, in my opinion, to the tourists, as well. Particularly disturbing to me are the dead trees sitting a short distance from the Estes Fire Department, motels, hotels, and restaurants.                                                                                                                                                                                      I feel Estes needs to enact an emergency town fire ordinance to address the removal of these trees by town employees, the county, business owners and homeowners. I have done this for my property.                                                                                                                                                                           Perhaps a town program can be created to help with assistance to property owners. Maybe county and state help. Grants or loans to help get the job done before the onset of a fire and then the panic and impossibility to protect these properties! The Estes Valley needs to be incorporated into this plan, as well. Many areas outside the town are just as bad! Maybe a large-scale contract with local tree removers to get the job done on a discounted basis. Using the town and county lineman to do the removal. One bad transformer explosion with a couple of dead trees nearby could be tragic and devastating! We just called in a transformer explosion we witnessed on Thursday to the police. They responded and fortunately found no fire but why wait.                                                        

     The past fire experiences of this area are well demonstrated and tragic. What price is the Town of Estes Park?                                                                                                                                                                    Thank you, Norm McGill

[Jamie Mieras]

Hi Norm, 

Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and for your ideas. I've noticed the dead lower branches in several areas, including inside the Park. I'll need to look deeper into how this issue would be handled in your area, and whether it falls under Town or County jurisdiction. Now that the weekend is over, I will have a chance to do so and will get back to you. 

Jamie

On Fri, May 15, 2026 at 5:23 PM Norm Mcgill <sonny...@yahoo.com> wrote:

     Congratulations Dr. Mieras on your well won victory in the voting! Now, I will put your feet to the fire! I am not able to vote in Estes affairs. I live a blade of grass outside Town limits, but that is close enough to share in the good, the bad, and the ugly. Currently the ugly is the great fire risk we face as attested to by Town print and signage.                                                                                                                                                                                                             Any Town official and/or employee traveling the streets and roadways can easily observe the terrific number of dead and near dead trees lining the roads and in citizens yards and properties. Just a cruise down Mary's Lake Road or up South Saint Vrain will provide a shocking display. There are dead/dying trees on these roadways sitting just 10 or 12 feet from homes and condos. Torches waiting to be ignited by sparks, fireworks, yard fires, or car crashes! It looks very bad, in my opinion, to the tourists, as well. Particularly disturbing to me are the dead trees sitting a short distance from the Estes Fire Department, motels, hotels, and restaurants.                                                                                                                                                                                      I feel Estes needs to enact an emergency town fire ordinance to address the removal of these trees by town employees, the county, business owners and homeowners. I have done this for my property.                                                                                                                                                                           Perhaps a town program can be created to help with assistance to property owners. Maybe county and state help. Grants or loans to help get the job done before the onset of a fire and then the panic and impossibility to protect these properties! The Estes Valley needs to be incorporated into this plan, as well. Many areas outside the town are just as bad! Maybe a large-scale contract with local tree removers to get the job done on a discounted basis. Using the town and county lineman to do the removal. One bad transformer explosion with a couple of dead trees nearby could be tragic and devastating! We just called in a transformer explosion we witnessed on Thursday to the police. They responded and fortunately found no fire but why wait.                                                        

     The past fire experiences of this area are well demonstrated and tragic. What price is the Town of Estes Park?                                                                                                                                                                    Thank you, Norm McGill

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