EVERGREEN — On July 11, Governor Jared Polis met with leaders, legislators and first responders in Evergreen to give an update on forest health and wildfire mitigation systems.
Since 2020, the Polis administration has committed about $145 million in state funds for forest health and wildfire mitigation work to protect Colorado communities.
“Colorado now has a nearly year-round fire season and our administration in partnership with the legislature are stepping up to better support first responders and communities,” Governor Polis said.
Governor Polis also mentioned how important it is to get wildfires out while they're small, before they become major wildfires.
The Colorado Department of Natural Resources will be moving $13.3 million for forest mitigation work, and $44 million to protect and restore watersheds that are threatened by wildfires. The Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program (COSWAP) a program within the Department of Natural Resources was launched by the Polis administration to invest $25 million in targeted wildfire risk mitigation.
COSWAP has allocated this funding through the Landscape Resilience Investment, which focuses on larger investments in cross-boundary wildfire mitigation projects. They will award $7 million to 8 landscape projects.
Below is the list of projects, and how much they will cost:
- Larimer County: Pole Hill / Waltonia, $1,000,000
- Boulder County: Phase 1: St. Vrain Forest Health Partnership Project, $1,000,000
- Jefferson County: Jefferson County Wildfire Safe, $1,000,000
- RMRI Upper Arkansas - Chaffee County: Upper Arkansas Thrives - Landscape Level Resilience in Chaffee County, $500,000
- RMRI Southwest Colorado - Mancos Conservation District: RMRI SW Colorado - Northwest Mancos Priority Zone, $1,000,000
- RMRI Upper Arkansas - Lake County: Lake County CWPP Fuels Reduction Project, $500,000
- RMRI Upper South Platte - Jefferson Conservation District: Upper South Platte Landscape Resilience, $1,000,000
- Colorado State Forest Service - Teller County: Teller County Forest Health and Resilience Project (TCFHR), $1,000,000
Along with forest mitigation, Colorado has also invested in watershed protection, which is relied on by 80% of Colorado's population. This funding has gone towards post-fire restoration for the East Troublesome, Cameron Peak, Grizzly Creek, and Calwood Fires.
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