Colorado is spending $6.5 million in grants for on-the-ground fire mitigation work and watershed projects this year in its ongoing work to prevent and control wildfires that increasingly threaten the state’s quickly growing counties, Gov. Jared Polis announced Thursday.
The funding will come from Colorado’s Strategic Wildfire Action Program, which was launched through legislation passed in 2021 to invest in wildfire risk mitigation projects, the governor’s office said in a news release. The program has since become permanent and over the past four years, the state has shelled out about $145 million and leveraged more federal funding to boost forest health and protect communities at high risk of wildfire.
The grants will go toward communities that need help with forest health and wildfire risk reduction projects, the office said.
Firefighters no longer refer to wildfire “season” as fires erupt year-round, with some of the most destructive fires igniting during the winter. As the climate warms, they say fires are expected to become bigger and more frequent.
More work is needed to provide communities with tools and resources to prevent and control fires, Polis said in the release.
“This work keeps Coloradans safe, protects our air quality, and supports our thriving communities and Colorado’s iconic outdoors,” he said.
Last year, a $4.5 million workforce development grant funded 27 projects across eight counties, the governor’s office said. Several projects work with the Colorado Youth Corps Association, which gives young people hands-on experience in forestry and natural resource management. The grant also funded three projects with the Colorado Department of Corrections State Wildland Inmate Fire Teams.
The state received more than $2 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act last year, which was allocated to two watershed projects, the governor’s office said. Watershed projects help control pollution and protect natural resources in areas of land that drain rainwater into common bodies of water, like creeks or a bay.
The Jefferson Conservation District and Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District each were awarded $980,000 for the projects and will receive $720,000 in local, federal or other state funding, the governor’s office said.
“With very limited storage, the Yampa Basin relies heavily on the hydrologic production of the natural environment for most of our water supplies so protecting the source is a top priority for the Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District,” Andy Rossi, general manager of the district said in a statement.
COSWAP works directly with government agencies to develop mitigation and watershed projects. Potential applicants can see future grant announcements on the program’s website and apply for funding.