A Republican proposal that aims to prevent future forest fires on state owned lands gained unanimous approval by the Senate Agriculture Committee today.

Senate Bill 1318, sponsored by Republicans Sen. Jack Taylor, of Steamboat Springs, and Rep. Kevin Lundberg, of Berthoud, creates the Beetle Mitigation Fund in an effort to clean up Colorado’s state-owned forests littered with dead, beetle killed trees. 

"The single greatest concern posed by wildfire in Colorado is the enormous potential for the loss of life and property," said Taylor, following the committee hearing today.

The bill is part of the GOP's 2008 legislative agenda.  

Last week, when a 9,000-acre brush fire destroyed 24 houses near Ordway in southeastern Colorado and was responsible for the deaths of firefighters Terry DeVore and John Schwartz, Taylor's fear became a reality.

"The beetle infestation is killing trees in all forests across the state," said Taylor. "That dead wood is kindling. It's a disaster waiting to happen."

The newly created account would be funded by donations though a new website dedicated to clearing state-owned land of kindling.  The funds would also be used to save future trees from being killed by the beetle infestation.

"These spring fires have been ominous warnings of how disastrous the upcoming fire season this summer could be," said Sen. Mike Kopp, a Littleton Republican whose district includes significant forest areas. "We need to act now to prevent a fire such as the Hayman Fire."

The 2002 Hayman Fire destroyed 133 homes and 467 other buildings southwest of Denver. The fire was the largest in Colorado's history.