Committee considers reallocating CoSWAP dollars to pay for home hardening grants; supporters cite ember science, opponents warn of cuts to landscape mitigation

Representative Story introduced a strike‑below amendment to HB 13‑10 to move a narrowly specified sum from the Wildfire Mitigation Capacity Development Fund to the Wildfire Resilient Home Grant Program (WRH): $600,000 in fiscal year 2027–28 and $2,000,000 in fiscal year 2028–29. She framed home hardening as a missing leg of Colorado's wildfire strategy and argued grants are needed (rather than rebates) to help low‑income homeowners and people who cannot perform the work themselves.

Supporters included fire chiefs, wildfire practitioners, insurance association representatives, scientists and community groups. They cited evidence that most structures that burn do so from ember entry and ignitions in the home ignition zone (roughly the first 100 feet) and that home hardening (ember‑resistant vents, noncombustible roofs, maintained defensible space) raises survivability. Several witnesses said home hardening is scalable, one‑time or infrequent work, and can increase insurability.

Opponents — municipalities, the Department of Natural Resources (CoSWAP administrators), fire districts, conservation groups, water utilities and workforce training organizations — warned the proposed reallocation would divert money from CoSWAP's landscape mitigation and workforce development grants that fund multi‑acre treatments, workforce training and community‑scale projects. They submitted examples of CoSWAP projects, matched funding, acreage treated and workforce outcomes and argued those investments reduce fire intensity and protect watersheds and communities at scale.

Committee action: Representative Story moved amendment L002 (strike‑below) and it was adopted. A roll‑call vote to advance the bill to Appropriations failed (recorded 3 yes, 10 no). The committee then moved to postpone HB 13‑10 indefinitely; the motion carried and the bill was postponed indefinitely.

What remains: Stakeholders on both sides described complementary needs — funding for home hardening and continued investment in landscape‑scale mitigation and workforce development. Witnesses urged additional state investment rather than reallocating existing CoSWAP funds. The committee record shows no further action this session following postponement.

Attributions and sourcing: Direct quotes and data points are drawn from committee testimony. Representative Story summarized the bill and the strike‑below amendment; Delaney Rudy and other wildfire practitioners, CoSWAP administrators, municipal leaders and conservation organizations provided the body of supportive and opposing testimony.