Biden Administration announces $18 million in federal aid to mitigate future wildfires in Colorado
On April 11, 2022, multiple members of the Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative had the honor of attending the first stop in the Biden-Harris Rural Infrastructure Tour where U.S. Forest Service Chief Moore announced $18 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investments that will be used to treat up to 10,000 acres across the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and the Pike-San Isabel National Forests. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “These two national forests are an important source of water for the Colorado Front Range, making it a critical landscape to reduce the likelihood, intensity and size of wildfires.”
“These efforts to reduce wildfire risk to communities located in these landscapes are just the beginning,” said Forest Service Chief Randy Moore. “The first-year investments are a part of a 10-year strategy to reduce the exposure of communities and infrastructure to the risk of catastrophic wildfire. With each successive year we will plan and implement more, continuing to reduce the risks associated with extreme wildfire for communities in these vulnerable areas.”
The Forest Service found that around 80% of the wildfire risk to communities is concentrated in less than 10% of “firesheds,” or areas where wildfires are likely to threaten communities and resources. These initial investments focus on firesheds of the highest risk, such as the Northern Colorado Fireshed where projects are ready to begin or to expand.
“Climate change continues to drive the devastating intersection of extreme heat, drought and wildland fire danger across the United States, creating wildfires that move with a speed and intensity previously unseen,” said Secretary Haaland. “Funding provided by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will support the Interior Department’s ongoing efforts to invest in the science and research that is needed to better understand the impacts of climate changes on wildland fire in order to better safeguard people, communities and resources. With so little room for error, we must remain steadfast in our commitment to wildland fire preparedness, mitigation and resilience.”
By planning and implementing collaboratively across federal, state, county, and private lands, the Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative (NCFC) will increase the effectiveness of wildfire mitigation treatments and improve watershed protection outcomes. Our mission is to create resilient landscapes by facilitating an increase in the pace and scale of not only mechanical fuel reduction methods but also prescribed fires and strategically managed wildland fires across jurisdictional boundaries.