EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. — August 1 is “Colorado Day” – the day that the state of Colorado joined the union in 1876.

Governor Jared Polis and Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera observed the wildfire mitigation efforts near Green Mountain Falls on Monday, in an effort to keep Colorado beautiful. AmeriCorps with the Mile High Youth Corps group showed state leaders the much-needed progress of thinning out the forest in El Paso County as part of Colorado Climate Corps.

“Colorado is stepping up and doing a lot more of this kind of forest fire risk reduction work because of the changing climate increase, population increase, usage of our public lands,” Gov. Polis said. “All of these factors are leading the increase forest fire risk. So in many ways, this kind of aggressive effort to reduce trees and fire fuel near where structures and people live is even more important for our future.”

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