Chaffee Common Ground

Protecting Chaffee’s unique character

With clean air and water, beautiful landscapes, vibrant small towns, fantastic recreational opportunities and friendly people, our community shares a compelling vision for this place we call home. Quality of life is valued so much that many of us continue to make sacrifices just to be here.

Yet the community faces landscape-scale challenges as we grow and change. County population is increasing and will continue to expand as Colorado adds an expected 1.5 million new residents by 2030. Declining forest health is also critical, with risk of severe wildfire a top concern among residents.

These challenges are highlighted through Envision Chaffee County, a planning initiative that engages citizens to create the future the community wants as the county grows. Voters supported solutions to three significant challenges by passing a 0.25% sales tax increase in November 2018 (Ballot Issue 1A). Revenues creating the Common Ground Fund are earmarked for (1) strengthening forest health and reducing wildfire danger; (2) conserving and supporting working ranches, farms and rural landscapes; and (3) managing the impacts of growth in outdoor recreation.

Through Chaffee Common Ground, Chaffee County strives to support locally based, collaborative programs and projects through a transparent process that leverages tax dollars to achieve the highest impact. A Citizens Advisory Committee develops program guidelines and partnerships to make funding recommendations to the Chaffee Board of County Commissioners. The Common Ground Fund is helping to protect our community’s unique character, because quality of life matters the most.