Colorado River Wildfire Collaborative protects communities through cross-jurisdicational projects

Garfield County and the east edge of Mesa County have some of the highest fire risk areas in the state with a long history of fire starts from multiple sources. Drought has dried the landscape, but recent winters have increased wildfire fuels. Many mitigation project areas overlap with big game winter and transitional landscapes. Pinion and juniper tree incursion into sagebrush areas impact species' habitat and critical winter forage. Local firefighting resources are stretched to cover communities and open space, and reducing fuels near communities and private land is essential.

In November 2022, stakeholders along the Middle Colorado River corridor joined forces to form the Colorado River Wildfire Collaborative (CRWC) to address pre- and post-wildfire challenges. Joint mitigation efforts to decrease wildfire risk and intensity would reduce the potential impacts of post-wildfire flooding from fire-damaged, hydrophobic soil and debris flows that damage infrastructure.

More than 40 organizations are involved in the CRWC to coordinate pre-disaster mitigation coordination, response, and recovery from fire and fire-related events. The CRWC aims to mitigate, protect, and restore pre- and post-wildfire ecology using on-the-ground change to reduce burn severity. Key partners signed an MOU to work on cross-boundary efforts include the region's towns and fire districts, the counties, the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Colorado State Forestry, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

CRWC’s partners address multiple needs in an area that serves agriculture, tourism, recreation, oil and gas, and public lands and natural resources. Wildfire mitigation projects are intended to bring forests to a more natural and manageable state. Adaptive management means changing attitudes and habits that increase the risk of losing susceptible infrastructure.

Garfield County updated its Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) in 2022. Its goals in response to wildfire are to protect human life, infrastructure, economic values and the environment. The CWPP addresses mitigating wildfire risk for homes and infrastructure built closer to the wildland urban interface (WUI). Mesa County completed an update of their CWPP in 2023 with an understanding of the high fire risk in western Colorado, and identified hazards, risks and susceptibility to formulate ways to abate wildfire risk. Middle Colorado Watershed Council recently completed a Wildfire Ready Action Plan for the CRWC to identify community values that are susceptible to post-fire event damage.

There is a long list of proposed projects identified by the CRWC’s stakeholders that include but are not limited to: Wallace Creek including Table Top Mesa, Alkali Creek and De Beque Ridge; 500 acres of Grass Mesa; 150 acres near Helmer Gulch; 2,500 acres in the Battlements to reduce fuels; mitigation on leased lands on Conn Creek; the wild horse area northwest of De Beque; and the South Rifle Habitat Enhancement Project Area on the south side of the Colorado River.

The CRWC will compile information on each of these projects for mitigation strategy that includes researching land ownership and identifying utility service areas and infrastructure and water supplies. Projects will be prioritized based on need and partnership engagement