DENVER – Gov. John Hickenlooper wants to rent firefighting helicopters, small air tankers and spotter planes but not large air tankers for the upcoming fire season.
It would be Colorado’s first significant move into the expensive world of aerial firefighting. Last year, the state had contracts for just two single-engine air tankers.
But it was unclear Wednesday how the state will cover the $22 million cost. Senators will try to set the money aside this afternoon when the Senate debates the state budget.
“I think there’s a will to do it. The question is how,” said Doug Young, an adviser to Hickenlooper.
The governor’s top fire official, Paul Cooke, took legislators by surprise Friday by endorsing the idea of stationing a fleet of aircraft in Colorado this summer.
Hickenlooper has downplayed the idea in the past, saying it was intriguing but expensive. And his political adviser, Alan Salazar, told a Denver television station last Thursday that a bill to lease helicopters and buy airplanes would never pass because it called for aircraft purchases that did not match Cooke’s recommendations.
Young and Salazar clarified the administration’s position Wednesday afternoon in an interview with the Herald. Senior Democrats in the House and Senate also support the idea, meaning it is likely Colorado will have helicopters and small airplanes on standby when the wildfire season arrives.
Sen. Steve King, R-Grand Junction, has been prodding Hickenlooper to lease or buy airplanes dedicated to Colorado. He and Salazar squabbled publicly last week, but they made up earlier this week during a meeting that included Sen. Ellen Roberts, R-Durango.
“I think Senator King deserves a lot of credit for pushing. I think the governor deserves a lot of credit for making sure we get the facts,” Salazar said.
King could not be reached for comment.
Last Friday, Cooke released a report calling for the state to enter into exclusive-use contracts for four single-engine air tankers, four helicopters, two spotter planes and two large air tankers, with the goal of pinpointing the location of every fire within an hour of the first smoke report and providing air support within an hour of every request from fire bosses.
In a verbal briefing to the governor Friday, Cooke recommended against renting large air tankers this year because the ample snowfall in most parts of the state make it hard to predict when the big tankers would be needed, Salazar said.
Without the heavy tankers, the cost will be about $22 million next year. The state would contract for the planes, but it would not own or lease them, under Cooke’s plan.
Senate President Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora, is sponsoring a bill with King to boost the number of helicopters and airplanes stationed in Colorado. Her support makes it likely the Senate will find the money needed for an air force.
Speaker of the House Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, said he’s also on board with the idea, and it fits in to his top priorities for the year, which include disaster assistance for floods and fires. Both parties in both chambers want to see more air resources, he said.
“I think there’s an ability to make that a reality. It means difficult choices, of course, but that is one of the priorities we’ve had this session,” Ferrandino said.
jhanel@durangoherald.com
