May 18, 2022
Contact: Matt Robbins, Community Connections Manager
[email protected] or 303.271.5902
Reduce wildfire danger and protect your property through Jeffco SLASH: Sustainable Lands and Safer Homes.
Jefferson County is once again hosting summer-long slash collections at which you can drop off tree debris and other organic material. The 2022 slash collections will be at various locations throughout Jefferson County from June 2 until November 6.
Currently, more than two-thirds of the County is in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), including the Evergreen and Conifer area which rank #1 in Colorado, and in the top 10 nationally, for potential risk of property loss to wildfire, according to the Verisk Fireline State Risk Report. Removing fuels, such as trees and associated debris from land creates defensible space around homes and structures and increases the chance of preventing catastrophic loss in the event of a wildfire. Great tips on how to protect your home and property can be found on the Jeffco Sheriff’s hazard mitigation page and at FireWise website.
This spring and summer, make a point to clean up and clear out your tree debris then take your slash to one of the collection sites. Visit the Jeffco SLASH web page to find the nearest location to you.
Changes to Jeffco SLASH in 2022
Given the ongoing importance of wildfire risk reduction in the Jeffco foothills and the success of the SLASH program, the County is seeking ways to improve this program to make it more available to residents and cost-effective to the County. For those purposes, this year the following changes are being implemented.
- Increased collection days: Collections will increase from two days a week to four days a week and will be open from Thursday-Sunday at most locations. This will double the total number of collection opportunities to 88 days.
- Collections will remain at most locations for 3-4 weeks in a row. This will reduce mobilization time and provide increased availability and predictability at each location.
- Partnership with Jefferson Conservation District: Jefferson Conservation District (JCD) is responsible for staffing and operating slash collections.
- Community Partnerships: this year SLASH will allow local fire districts to drop off woody material from their neighborhood chipping programs. The program is also partnering with fire districts, local realtors, and insurance companies to provide education and outreach regarding fire mitigation and defensible space.
What Can be Brought to a Jeffco Collection
Slash includes tree debris and limbs with a maximum length of eight feet and a maximum diameter of six inches.
What is Not Accepted
We cannot accept items such as household trash, tree stumps, metal of any kind, rocks, yard waste/grass clippings, construction materials, and lumber. Bags are not accepted; all bagged material must be emptied into the collection pile.
Fees
A single load will cost $20 and only credit cards will be accepted. A single load is a truck bed full to the truck cab height or a trailer up to 8’x5’x4’. If your load exceeds these parameters, you will be charged additional fees accordingly. The fees help offset the costs for the processing equipment, staffing, and to help keep the program sustainable so it can continue into future years.
