Black Forest Slash and Mulch Pile will likely close, can’t secure insurance policy
BLACK FOREST, Colo. (KRDO) - A crucial wildfire mitigation service that's been in Black Forest for decades is likely closing because they can't find insurance for their operation.
The Slash and Mulch Pile is a valuable resource for Black Forest and El Paso County residents by helping them get rid of wildfire fuels on their property, and they've been doing it for 32 years.
The operation, run entirely by volunteers since its inception, will now be forced to not open for the first time this weekend, April 27, as they've been denied renewal for liability insurance, which is necessary for them to open.
"If it takes two more weeks, we will open. I don't know after that, you know. We'll just have to see." explains Jeff DeWitt, volunteer director of the Slash and Mulch Pile.
DeWitt has been in his position for the last 15 years. He says they've always used American Family Insurance for their policy as long as he's been in charge. However, this spring, he says he was not granted a new policy.
"My impression is that it's not enough money to offset their perceived risk because historically for 15 years our premiums did not rise and they were less than 250 bucks a year," explained DeWitt. "Now, the one agent told me that if they can get insurance for us, it'll probably cost us three or four times that which we can deal with that if we have to," he added.
American Family Insurance told KRDO13 via email, that they are not able to say why they didn't renew the policy, due to customer privacy rules. DeWitt says he had agents try two other insurance companies as well.
The 'Slash and Mulch' takes in tens of thousands of cubic yards of wildfire fuels from around 3,000 landowners every season, at prices that are lower than any other similar businesses in El Paso County.
This season, DeWitt says their prices were going to be $10 a truckload or trailer load, for slash and $5 for buckets of mulch that they produce from the slash.
It's those prices and the accessibility of the Slash and Mulch Pile, that Michael Decker, a lifelong Black Forest resident who has used the facility for decades, finds to be a critical resource in the community.
"The prospect of it closing is rather devastating," said Decker.
He says that retired people on fixed incomes like himself, would find the closure of the 'Slash and Mulch' to be a major blow.
"It looks like we're going to have to find some other probably a lot more expensive way to dispose of stuff around our property," said Decker, who says he has spent upwards of $5,000 in the last few years on clearing out trees and other fire hazards in his 1.5-acre property.
The 'Slash and Mulch' also helps residents with their own insurance worries, which have grown in recent years.
"The insurance costs on my house have almost doubled just last year, and that's with all the fire mitigation that we have done around my home," he said.
DeWitt is hoping to quell those concerns within the next 10 days, when he thinks he will get a concrete answer on a policy working out for the Slash and Mulch this Summer.
