Partnering for More Resilient Forests

How do we make prescribed fire more feasible across private lands in Northern Colorado? NoCo Fireshed partners recently joined the Fire Learning Network (FLN) for a two-day workshop focused on a challenging piece of our landscape-scale strategy: broadcast burning on private lands.

Residents and officials in Jefferson and Clear Creek counties are taking a hard look at wildfire risk this season, with forest management efforts at various stages across the region.

Rainbow Hill Road leads to a community spanning about 3,200 acres — with one way in and one way out.

The challenges facing Northern Colorado’s forests and watersheds are larger than any single organization can solve alone. Recognizing this, Peaks to People Water Fund launched the Big Thompson Watershed Health Partnership (BTWHP) in late 2022 to provide the collaboration and shared strategy required to meaningfully reduce wildfire risk and strengthen watershed resilience.

Fire is a natural and important part of a healthy Colorado ecosystem. Northern Colorado, with its picturesque landscapes and vibrant communities, is no stranger to wildfire. The region’s unique blend of dry climate, dense forests, and gusty winds creates a perfect storm for wildfires to wreak havoc.

Fire managers on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests are preparing for pile burning season this winter. Current and forecasted weather conditions may create favorable pile burning conditions over the next several months.

Colorado Forest Restoration Institute (CFRI), a key partner of the NoCo Fireshed, recently released a study showing that areas with prior forest treatments, like thinning, prescribed fire, or previous wildfire, burned less severely than in untreated areas during the wildfires in 2020.

With support from the Fireshed Fund through the Larimer County Community Mitigation Grant Program, the Soldier Canyon community is taking big steps to reduce wildfire risk.

At The Fireshed Fund, we’re proud to see our funding at work strengthening local wildfire resilience across Larimer County.  

Recently, three responders from Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department (RCVFD) wrapped up an S-212 Chainsaw Course lead by The Ember Alliance. The training helped bring together participants from Glacier View, Poudre Canyon, and Rist Canyon volunteer fire departments. 

The St. Vrain Forest Health Partnership (SVFHP) recently hosted a community field tour to the Coulson Gulch area, giving community members the opportunity to learn more about the USDA Forest Service’s St. Vrain Forest Health Project and how collaborative forest management efforts are shaping the future of the St. Vrain Watershed. 

Earlier this month work started on the first roadway treatment within the Red Feather Lakes Area Wildfire Defense Project, a multi-year, $9.7M grant co-managed by NoCo Fireshed partners: Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed (CPRW) and the Larimer County Office of Emergency Management. Funding from this grant is available to treat up to 10 miles of roadway in the project area.