Governor Jared Polis and the Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have announced an $8.4 million investment in 19 new wildfire mitigation projects through the Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program (COSWAP). The funding is intended to accelerate forest restoration and reduce wildfire risk, focusing on protecting communities, watersheds, and critical infrastructure.
This round of funding includes 14 Workforce Development Grants aimed at treating 1,045 acres of forested land and training over 150 individuals in wildfire mitigation. Additionally, five Landscape Resilience Investments will be carried out in partnership with the Colorado Water Conservation Board’s Wildfire Ready Watersheds program. These investments target wildfire risk reduction and protection of water infrastructure in high-priority counties such as Garfield, Grand, Boulder, Jackson, and Montezuma.
“Here in Colorado, no matter what happens in Washington DC, we are aggressively expanding fire prevention strategies that work, and that includes the Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program. This critical funding supports wildfire mitigation efforts across the state and helps Coloradans gain skills, and earn hands-on experience to become the next generation of well-equipped Colorado foresters,” said Governor Polis.
Dan Gibbs, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, stated: “This year, I am pleased we are able to provide significant new funding for on the ground hand crews and training and significant landscape scale projects to a wider range of Colorado communities for forest mitigation and watershed protection work. Our COSWAP program rose up out of the devastating 2020 wildfire season and I am proud of the growth and innovation the program has shown. It provides essential on the ground funding to help protect lives, property and critical infrastructure while helping our communities become more resilient in the face of larger, more complex wildfires.”
The Workforce Development Grant aims to lower wildfire risk by providing entry-level training opportunities with support from partners such as the Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA) and Department of Corrections’ State Wildland Inmate Fire Teams (DOC SWIFT). These programs offer practical skills development for future land stewards. Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera has played a role in securing investments for CYCA and creating opportunities for AmeriCorps members to develop skills relevant to mitigation efforts.
Among this year’s grant recipients are CYCA crews like Larimer County Conservation Corps, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, Mile High Youth Corps, and Southwest Conservation Corps who will undertake six mitigation projects. DOC SWIFT teams will work on three additional projects. Five other awards will fund basic wildland firefighting and chainsaw operation training.
Scott Segerstrom, Executive Director of CYCA said: “COSWAP is a transformational program in Colorado. Not only does it protect the lives and livelihoods of millions of Coloradans, it also unites people through service to their communities. This investment will develop the next generation of wildland firefighters, provide a pathway to the next chapter of service for the women and men of the National Guard, and bring a sense of purpose and accomplishment to conservation corps members. It represents the best of government, allocating resources to proven, impactful solutions.”
Deputy Fire Chief Kieth Novak from Pueblo Fire Department commented: “The Pueblo Fire Department has obtained this grant funding every year since 2022, and it has had a significant positive effect on the spread of fire in those areas. The City of Pueblo cannot express how much we appreciate being awarded this grant for three years in a row continuing into 2025 and how much it increases the safety of our citizens… The work these crews do has significantly decreased the hazard risk associated with fire spread to homes around the rivers.”
This year also marks support for Serve Colorado’s pilot project with Rocky Mountain Youth Corps in Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest involving both Serve Colorado members and National Guard personnel.
Major General Laura Clellan said: “Members of the Colorado National Guard make up a population that are dedicated to serving their state and nation. By partnering with AmeriCorps to develop workforce pathways for National Guard personnel into the public sector… Through this program… our part-time service members receive financial stability – building our military readiness-, our communities benefit from …military training…, all while ensuring our local communities …are more prepared for whatever the future throws at them.”
COSWAP’s Landscape Resilience Investments focus on large-scale fuels reduction projects across boundaries. A special release this year partnered with Wildfire Ready Watersheds; $4.85 million was distributed among several cities including Boulder https://bouldercolorado.gov/, Fort Collins https://www.fcgov.com/, Glenwood Springs https://cogs.us/, Grand Fire Protection District https://grandfire.org/, as well as Mancos Conservation District https://mancoscd.org/. Over three years these entities will treat a combined 1,313 acres.
All recipients are developing Wildfire Ready Action Plans designed to assess community infrastructure impacts from wildfires while establishing frameworks for planning mitigation strategies before fires occur.
Chris Sturm from CWCB noted: “The Wildfire Ready Watersheds program is designed to help communities understand …the risks that post-wildfire hazards… pose…. By integrating this work with COSWAP’s Landscape Resilience Investments…we’re ensuring that wildfire mitigation efforts not only protect homes …but also safeguard …watersheds…. These grants set our partners up for success by combining strategic planning with on-the-ground action….”
Some funded projects are located within high-risk watersheds draining into major rivers like https://www.coloradoriverdistrict.org/the-colorado-river/Colorado River; integrating forest health with watershed management is expected to foster long-term ecological resilience.
Since Senate Bill 21-258 passed https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb21-258 , COSWAP has invested $25.4 million into its Landscape Resilience Investment initiative alongside $13.8 million toward Workforce Development programming.
