Jefferson County, Colorado • Homeowner Funding Guide

Program information reviewed October 28, 2026

Jefferson County Mountain Pine Beetle Grant: 2026 Homeowner Guide

Own forested property near Evergreen, Conifer or the Jefferson County foothills? Financial assistance may help you treat newly infested pine trees before mountain pine beetles spread.

Here is what the 2026 Jefferson County mountain pine beetle cost-share program covers, who qualifies, how to apply, and how Colorado’s separate wildfire mitigation tax credit fits into the picture.

Request a Property AssessmentView Official County Program

Up to 50%

Reimbursement of county-approved eligible treatment costs

$10,000

Maximum 2026 fall award per owner, if approved

Nov. 5

Fall 2026 application deadline, 5:00 p.m.

Program status — updated October 28, 2026: The fall application window is open for owners meeting the 40-acre ownership requirement, but funds are limited and the county may close applications early. Work must be completed by December 12, 2026, and cannot begin until the county approves the application. Allow up to three weeks for review; the short remaining timeline makes planning essential.

Who qualifies for Jefferson County pine beetle funding?

The 2026 Fall Mountain Pine Beetle Landowner Assistance Program is a narrowly targeted reimbursement program—not a general tree-removal rebate. The county is trying to limit the spread of live mountain pine beetles on privately owned land.

Potentially eligible

Check these five items

  • You hold 40 acres or more of qualifying private-property ownership in total, including qualifying interests across properties or in a trust.
  • The treatment parcel is entirely within Jefferson County.
  • You are the owner of record or authorized representative.
  • There are green pine trees with live mountain pine beetle stages for the county to verify.
  • A qualified contractor can complete the exact approved scope by the deadline.
Not eligible in this round

Common reasons a project does not qualify

  • Less than 40 total acres of qualifying ownership.
  • Only older red, gray or already-dead beetle-killed pines.
  • Work completed before written approval, or homeowner DIY work.
  • Pesticide spraying, verbenone pouches and injections.
  • Consulting fees, sales tax and work outside the approved treatment scope.

Multiple parcels and trust ownership have special application rules. Jefferson County will make the final eligibility determination. Owners may submit only one application; owners or their family members may not hold an interest in the company performing the work.

Which pine beetle trees and treatments qualify?

The important distinction is active infestation versus old beetle damage. Mountain pine beetles commonly affect ponderosa and lodgepole pines in the Colorado Front Range. New attacks may produce pitch tubes (small popcorn-like resin spots), reddish boring dust or woodpecker feeding. Those signs deserve an inspection, but they do not by themselves prove that live mountain pine beetles are present.

For this particular grant, the county must verify living beetle stages in a qualifying green tree. A red or gray pine that died in a prior season may still pose a falling-tree or wildfire-fuel concern, but it is not eligible for the fall 2026 live-beetle reimbursement program.

Approved control methods

The county’s fall 2026 treatment list allows debarking, chipping on site, hauling chips, hauling logs to an approved site, mastication and tightly restricted solar treatment. Solar methods are considered only for projects involving 10 trees or fewer. Methods have technical rules for slash, chip depth and wood handling. A contractor hauling infested logs off the property must have the county’s required Compliance Agreement.

SELS can help assess the property, distinguish candidate active infestations from older mortality, mark proposed treatment trees and prepare a method-specific quote. Jefferson County—not SELS—confirms the infestation and approves eligible work.

How to apply: six homeowner steps

A complete application matters. Jefferson County reviews qualifying submissions in the order received, and incomplete or inaccurate submissions are not considered.

01

Confirm ownership and inspect the trees

Check the total acreage you own and whether the treatment parcel lies wholly in Jefferson County. Have a contractor inspect for recently attacked green pines, mark each proposed tree with paint or flagging tape, and confirm the project can meet the schedule.

02

Choose a qualified contractor

The county recommends requesting two or three bids. The contractor must be registered and in good standing with the Colorado Secretary of State. Verify credentials, insurance and experience, and confirm a log-hauling Compliance Agreement if necessary.

03

Prepare the map and itemized quote

Your PDF property map should show parcel boundaries, buildings, access points and individual trees or counted tree groups. Your PDF quote must list the contractor, unit and total pricing, treatment methods, and projected start and completion dates. Trust-owned property requires supporting trust documents.

04

Submit the official application by November 5

Use the county’s online application or mail the paper form in time to arrive by 5:00 p.m. Thursday, November 5, 2026. Emailed applications are not accepted. Funds can be exhausted sooner.

05

Attend the county inspection and wait for approval

If the application is considered, Jefferson County contacts you about a field visit. The homeowner must be present and proposed trees must be marked. Do not authorize or begin reimbursable work until the county gives its approval; the approved tree count, contractor and methods cannot then be changed.

06

Complete the work, pay, then request reimbursement

The contractor must finish approved work by December 12, 2026. The homeowner pays the contractor and submits the county’s reimbursement form with a paid invoice by December 15, 2026. The county may reinspect before reimbursing the owner.

Use the official Jefferson County program page for the application, current status and complete eight-page guidelines. The county’s current guidelines are dated October 26, 2026.

What could reimbursement look like—and how likely is approval?

Illustrative example: $12,000 of approved beetle treatment

Eligible contractor invoice$12,000
Homeowner pays contractor first$12,000
Potential county reimbursement (50%)Up to $6,000
Potential net cost after reimbursement$6,000

Illustration only. The approved amount may be lower, funding can run out, and the owner remains responsible for the contract. The $10,000 award cap still applies.

There is no published approval percentage. Jeffco’s fall program is first-come, first-served for complete applications, subject to a live-beetle field inspection, available funding and project deadlines. Having a qualifying property does not guarantee funding. Applications with missing maps, unmarked trees, unsuitable methods or impossible schedules may fail the requirements.

Practical takeaway: If you are eligible, prioritize verifying the live infestation and getting a complete map and quote. If your trees are already dead—or your property is under 40 acres—ask about a separately scoped wildfire mitigation / defensible-space project and the state tax credit instead.

Colorado wildfire mitigation tax credit: up to $1,000 for 2026

The Colorado wildfire mitigation tax credit is separate from Jefferson County’s pine beetle reimbursement. It applies statewide to qualifying paid, out-of-pocket expenses for eligible wildfire-risk reduction work on qualifying property, subject to ownership, income, tax-year and forestry-standard rules.

2026 tax year

Up to $1,000

Generally 100% of otherwise eligible out-of-pocket contractor costs, up to the annual cap. Nonrefundable; a federal taxable-income limit and available Colorado tax liability apply.

Beginning 2027

Up to $2,000

Under enacted HB26-1289, the credit becomes refundable, the income limit expands to $300,000 federal adjusted gross income, and qualifying beetle-risk or beetle-kill thinning is expressly included.

What can qualify in 2026? Work such as defensible-space creation, fuel breaks, thinning primarily to reduce wildfire risk to structures, and approved slash treatment—when it meets applicable Colorado forestry standards. Routine cosmetic removal does not automatically count. The more explicit beetle-related expansion begins with the 2027 tax year, not retroactively in 2026.

Can you use a county grant and the state tax credit? Potentially, but the grant-reimbursed portion cannot also be claimed as an out-of-pocket tax-credit expense. Only unreimbursed costs that separately meet the tax-credit rules may qualify. Retain an itemized paid invoice and ask your tax preparer about Form DR 0104CR and your income eligibility. It is a tax credit, not an automatic $1,000 check from the county.

Jefferson County pine beetle funding: frequently asked questions

Does my 1-, 5- or 10-acre property qualify?

Not for the fall 2026 Jefferson County program unless your total qualifying ownership reaches 40 acres or more. Smaller-parcel owners should watch for future county programs and may explore the separate Colorado wildfire mitigation tax credit.

Can I get paid to remove red or dead beetle-killed pines?

Not through the fall 2026 live-MPB reimbursement program, which focuses on green trees with live beetle stages. Dead-tree work may be suitable for a separate wildfire-risk reduction project. For 2027 and later, Colorado law expressly broadens tax-credit eligibility for qualifying beetle-killed vegetation thinning.

Do pitch tubes prove my tree is eligible?

No. Pitch tubes and boring dust are warning signs, but county staff must verify the eligible live infestation. Other beetles and unsuccessful attacks can look similar.

Can work begin before the grant is approved?

No. Jefferson County will not reimburse treatment performed before approval. The project must also be completed by the program’s required date.

Does Jefferson County pay Stone Elk directly?

No. Under the fall 2026 program, the landowner pays the contractor, then submits a paid invoice and the county reimbursement request. County reimbursement goes to the approved landowner or qualifying trust after requirements are met.

Will a grant or tax credit guarantee that insurance premiums go down?

No. Mitigation can help reduce certain hazards and provide documentation, but neither funding approval nor a contractor’s work guarantees insurance coverage, discounts or changes to an insurer’s underwriting decision.

Need a funding-ready beetle mitigation estimate?

Stone Elk Land Services helps Jefferson County homeowners assess candidate infested trees, plan an appropriate treatment scope, mark work areas, and prepare a clear map and itemized estimate. We can also document qualifying wildfire fuel-reduction work separately. We do not administer the county program, determine grant eligibility, or provide tax advice.

Request an AssessmentCall 303-475-4409

Serving Jefferson County properties around Conifer, Evergreen, Indian Hills, Kittredge, Idledale, and nearby foothill communities. Tell us your acreage, property location, and whether you are seeing newly attacked green pines.

The assessment request form is on the Stone Elk Land Services home page. We can help prepare a project scope and documentation; public funding decisions remain with the administering agencies.

Also researching assistance for a Douglas County property? Read our Douglas County wildfire mitigation grants guide.

Official sources and further reading

Last reviewed: October 28, 2026

This educational article is not an official county notice or an offer of public funding. Program rules, budgets and deadlines can change; always verify with the agency before relying on an award. Stone Elk Land Services is an independent forestry contractor and does not guarantee tax, grant, safety or insurance results.