While the impact of the Marshall fire on affected residents has certainly been uppermost in the thoughts of Congressman Joe Neguse, he allows that the event is just one of many that has plagued his district — more ominously, he continues, is the sense that such occurrences aren’t going to be mere one-offs.
“It is safe to say that the bulk of our portfolio from a constituent response perspective pertains to wildfire response — helping residents who are rebuilding,” Neguse said during a recent interview with Colorado Matters Senior Host Ryan Warner about the anniversary of the Marshall fire. “(There’s) rebuilding as a result of the Marshall fire, but folks in Granby are rebuilding to this day as a result of the East Troublesome fire back in 2020.”
“But I believe that these wildfires and grass fires are going to be coming to a community near you, and so it's important for us to be ready,” Neguse said.
To that end, Neguse expressed interest in taking steps to ensure victims of such blazes receive the recovery assistance they need. A program similar to the National Flood Insurance Program, created in 1968, might be a possible step, he said.
“It is clear that the under-insurance challenge that is very acute in Colorado is a matter of national concern,” Neguse said. “We've learned through the Marshall fire that many in our community are underinsured. The reality is that as these fires become more and more pervasive, it's going to become more difficult to procure sufficient insurance to be able to protect one's home, one's belongings, and that is a problem that is systemic.”
“It's been an uphill battle convincing folks to take it as seriously as I think we need to take it and to potentially explore some solutions that some folks might not be necessarily interested in, but that nonetheless warrant discussion.”
During the interview, Neguse, a Democrat from Boulder, also discussed how his work on addressing climate change might change in the face of the Republican Party regaining control of the House of Representatives, as well as his own struggles with navigating the demands of everyday life in the face of climate change.
Interview Highlights
Neguse on bipartisanship between political parties on climate change:
“I will say we've worked really hard to try to find areas of consensus as it relates to wildfire mitigation prevention, resiliency. In particular, I co-chair the bipartisan Wildfire Caucus with John Curtis, Republican from Utah, who represents Park City, a district somewhat similar to my own. We've worked really closely to try to find ways to generate consensus within the Congress on pushing the Forest Service, for example, to take more meaningful steps on the mitigation side. And we have one rule for our caucus, which is that you can only join the caucus if you join with a member of the opposing political party. Unfortunately, that has kept it rather small, but also has meant that the individuals who are part of this caucus, the 10 members, are very focused on really trying to find results and deliver results. So in any event, there will be opportunities I certainly hope for us to continue to make progress on those issues, notwithstanding the changing political winds here in Washington.”
On how federal money earmarked for fire mitigation and resiliency will be spent:
“The resiliency dollars in large part will go towards fuel management projects. So this is essentially altering and improving the landscapes around these particular areas, these subdivisions, these neighborhoods, so that to the extent that a fire ends up occurring, it can be mitigated against, it doesn't develop as quickly and can be ultimately suppressed more easily by our brave wildland firefighters just by way of example. The fuel management projects are very different, again, in a suburban area when you're talking mostly about grasslands juxtaposed against the fuel management projects that we do in other parts of my district. Fifty-two percent of Colorado's 2nd congressional district is federal public land. You could imagine places like White River National Forest and Arapaho Roosevelt, where large-scale fuel management projects are very important. Very different, when you think about these more suburban open space landscapes … Ultimately those are decisions made by the local jurisdictions that will receive these grant dollars, so that's subject to their discretion. For example, in this case, the Boulder County Open Space Department and the various city and local officials.”
On making everyday decisions in the face of climate change:
“I think it's a balance. Clearly, we all collectively, I think most Coloradans recognize the need for a transition to a renewable energy future. The path to getting there is not necessarily an easy one, and it requires, I think, a lot of thought, and it's going to also require actions at every level of government and of course actions on the part of individuals as well. But it's a transition. It's not meant to convey that that's happening overnight and clearly that's a balance and a nuanced conversation that I suspect happens in many businesses and nonprofits and around the kitchen table for families and of course for policymakers as well. So it's an ongoing project of trying to find ways to expedite the transition to a renewable energy future and doing it in a way that's inclusive and that brings everyone along, but it's not without its challenges.”
Full Transcript
This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
Ryan Warner: Congressman, welcome back.
Congressman Joe Neguse: Thank you for having me, Ryan.
Warner: We're here ostensibly to talk about the Marshall fire, but just the other day there was a close call in your district with the Sunshine fire. We expect the conditions that lead to wildfire to intensify in the face of climate change, hot dry conditions. As a decision maker, how do you deal with the sense of inevitability that I know I struggle with, and that others do too?
Neguse: Yeah, it's a conundrum, Ryan. I think you articulated the challenge before us really well. The reality is, that as a result of climate change, record-breaking, unprecedented drought that we've experienced in Colorado over the course of the last several years, which is a historic abnormality, we are likely to see these fires become more pervasive and more intense over the coming years. And they are likely to metastasize further and further outside the WUI, the "wildland-urban interface" as it's commonly referred to, and threatening more suburban and urban communities across Colorado. Of course, as you know, my district has been an epicenter for these fires over the course of the last several years. The most salient example being the Marshall fire, the most destructive fire in the history of our state nearly one year ago.
But as I communicate with my colleagues on the work that we are doing to try to make Colorado more resilient, I've tried to implore anyone who will listen that these fires are likely to be a threat, not just to the communities I represent, but to communities up and down the front range from Arvada to Ken Caryl, from Highlands Ranch to Pueblo, and it is important for us to take it seriously and to make the necessary investments to do what we can on the prevention side and on the mitigation side, understanding as you said, that there is a certain inevitability.
Warner: It occurs to me that you'll be entering the minority in the house. Do you feel like that power change is going to affect your ability to get climate stuff done?
Neguse: It's certainly going to change the priorities of the Congress writ at large, and unfortunately, I think that climate action and action to save our planet and the type of investments that we made, for example, in the Inflation Reduction Act just a few months ago, are unlikely to be on the agenda for the 118th Congress in light of the Republicans taking the majority temporarily here.
However, I will say we've worked really hard to try to find areas of consensus as it relates to wildfire mitigation prevention, resiliency. In particular, I co-chair the bipartisan Wildfire Caucus with John Curtis, Republican from Utah, who represents Park City, a district somewhat similar to my own. We've worked really closely to try to find ways to generate consensus within the Congress on pushing the Forest Service, for example, to take more meaningful steps on the mitigation side. And we have one rule for our caucus, Ryan, which is that you can only join the caucus if you join with a member of the opposing political party. Unfortunately, that has kept it rather small, but also has meant that the individuals who are part of this caucus, the 10 members, are very focused on really trying to find results and deliver results. So in any event, there will be opportunities I certainly hope for us to continue to make progress on those issues, notwithstanding the changing political winds here in Washington.
Warner: When it comes to the Marshall fire, the government has earmarked $720 million for landscape restoration, a little over $5 million for resiliency. I think most people on the ground in and around Lewisville and Superior would like to know, “What does any of that money mean for me and my safety?”
Neguse: Sure. Well, the resiliency dollars in large part will go towards fuel management projects. So this is essentially altering and improving the landscapes around these particular areas, these subdivisions, these neighborhoods, so that to the extent that a fire ends up occurring, it can be mitigated against, it doesn't develop as quickly and can be ultimately suppressed more easily by our brave wildland firefighters just by way of example. The fuel management projects are very different, again, in a suburban area when you're talking mostly about grasslands juxtaposed against the fuel management projects that we do in other parts of my district. Fifty-two percent of Colorado's second congressional district is federal public land. You could imagine places like White River National Forest and Arapaho Roosevelt, where large scale fuel management projects are very important. Very different, when you think about, again, these more suburban open space landscapes.
Warner: So what does that look like? Giant lawnmowers?
Neguse: Ultimately those are decisions made by the local jurisdictions that will receive these grant dollars, so that's subject to the discretion. For example, in this case, the Boulder County Open Space Department and the various city and local officials. Understanding that, of course, as you know, incredible and pristine open space is a big part of why we love Colorado, why folks choose to live in Colorado and choose to stay. So there's a balancing act there and attention that that's part of the process.
Warner: And so there is also an individual homeowner responsibility here as well. Is any of the federal money in service of individual support, or is it all at the broader community level?
Neguse: There is. There's a significant portion of the funds that go towards programs like Firewise, which are local jurisdiction-based programs that go directly to homeowners to make necessary improvements to their own properties. Now, of course, again, it's a paradigm shift because most of those programs have in the past largely gone towards residents who are firmly within the WUI. These are individuals who might live in a property that is adjacent to Forest Service land. You can think of folks, for example, who live in places like Evergreen. Of course, there are steps that residents can also take in more suburban and urban areas, but those are different.
Warner: Yeah, it's a real paradigm shift. I feel that. We heard earlier from Jessica Carson of Louisville, who is the first homeowner to rebuild and move back into her home after the Marshall fire. While there have been 250 rebuilding permits issued, there have only been two certificates of occupancy granted thus far to Carson, and then a Target store in Superior. Does that pace seem slow to you?
Neguse: I think what we learned from natural disasters of the past, particularly in the jurisdictions that I represent in Boulder County and Larimer County, is that the recovery process is always a very long one. The historic 2013 floods are probably the most salient example where when I was first elected to Congress in 2018, we inherited much of the recovery work for my predecessor, now-Governor Polis, in still continuing to assist communities within Boulder County and Larimer County to recover from that historic 100-year flood.
This wildfire, the Marshall fire is no different, and it is the reality that this is going to take quite a long time. I've been fortunate to visit it with a number of residents who are in the process of rebuilding their homes. And as you mentioned, some are farther along. We are always available to assist residents to do what we can to ensure that they are getting a responsive government, whether it's at the local or state or federal level. But it will take time. And I know that it's frustrating to many in our community, many in Louisville, many in Superior, many in unincorporated areas of Boulder County.
Warner: Congressman Neguse, could you estimate for us the number or the percentage perhaps of emails, of letters, of calls that you get now related to people's rebuilding after the Marshall fire and perhaps their frustrations there with?
Neguse: I would broaden it even further. Ryan, it's tough to put a particular number on it, but in the last two years, the state's largest wildfire, the Cameron Peak fire in Larimer County, the state's second largest wildfire, the East Troublesome fire in Grand County, and the state's most destructive fire, Marshall fire all happened within my congressional district. So it is safe to say that the bulk of our portfolio from a constituent response perspective pertains to wildfire response to helping residents who are rebuilding, not just folks in Superior. Rebuilding as a result of the Marshall fire, but folks in Granby rebuilding to this day as a result of the East Troublesome fire back in 2020. But I believe that it will, as I said, these wildfires and grass fires are going to be coming to a community near you, and so it's important for us to be ready.
Warner: The worst trailer I've ever heard, Joe.
Neguse: Yeah. Yeah, agreed on that front.
Warner: So can you share with us a win? In other words, tell us about, if you could, a constituent, and you don't have to name names, but a constituent that you were able to do something for.
Neguse: Oh, sure. I mean, look, it runs the gamut between things that some folks might find diminutive, right? Securing the waiver of fees for folks to be able to replace their passports that were destroyed in the Marshall fire to the much more large scale, the securing of FEMA approval for the private property debris removal process, which included this very rare approval of cost coverage for removing damaged home foundations. Again, very technical. Doesn't sound like a big deal, but makes a huge difference.
Warner: Can you share a frustration? Can you share something you wish were different about recovery?
Neguse: Yeah, A couple of things. I'd say first and foremost, it is clear that the under-insurance challenge that is very acute in Colorado is a matter of national concern. We've learned through the Marshall fire that many in our community are underinsured. The reality is, as these fires become more and more pervasive, it's going to become more difficult to procure sufficient insurance to be able to protect one's home, one's belongings, and that is a problem that is systemic. You see that in California, you see it in other states as well. One of my frustrations has been the lack of any kind of political will of my colleagues in Washington to do something about it. We have been trying to ring this alarm. As you know, property casualty insurance is largely a matter of state jurisdiction. It's regulated at the state level through a national consortium, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
We have a very effective insurance commissioner in Colorado who I think, again, has leaned in and leaned in very early, but clearly this is an issue that should be on the minds of policymakers in Washington. It's been an uphill battle convincing folks to take it as seriously as I think we need to take it and to potentially explore some solutions that some folks might not be necessarily interested in, but that nonetheless warrant discussion. Thinking along the lines of, for example, the National Flood Insurance Program that we've developed. In any event, that would be one challenge. There are many others.
Warner: So the notion of there being flood insurance that is federally backed and might you do something like that for wildfire?
Neguse: Precisely.
Warner: Okay. Before we go, I find that I have to live a life in the face of climate change, I both have to think about climate change, and then there's a part of me that knows there are behaviors I engage in where I kind of have to put my fingers in my ears and go, la, la, la, la, la. Be it the car I drive, which is a combustion engine. You do a fair bit of flying as a member of Congress. I wonder if you'd spill your guts a bit and share with us an example of something where modern life gets in the way of the ideal, the values around fighting climate change.
Neguse: Well, you've listed a couple of salient examples. Look, I think it's a balance. Clearly, we all collectively, I think most Coloradans recognize the need for a transition to a renewable energy future. The path to getting there is not necessarily an easy one, and it requires, I think, a lot of thought, and it's going to also require actions at every level of government and of course actions on the part of individuals as well. But it's a transition. It's not meant to convey that that's happening overnight and clearly that's a balance and a nuanced conversation that I suspect happens in many businesses and nonprofits and around the kitchen table for families and of course for policy makers as well. So it's an ongoing project of trying to find ways to expedite the transition to renewable energy future and doing it in a way that's inclusive and that brings everyone along, but it's not without its challenges.
Warner: I hear you say it's a process, Ryan, take a breath.
Neguse: A much more concise way of saying exactly what I had intended to convey.
Warner: Congressman, thank you so much for your time.
Neguse: Of course. Thank you.
