Grand County Turns Troublesome into Triumph

Grand County, Colorado, located over the mountains northwest of Denver and the other burgeoning metropolitan centers of Fort Collins, Boulder and Loveland, is a landscape defined by extremes. Ski areas and high-end resort communities are juxtaposed against agricultural lands and ranches. Small residential properties lay sleepily next to new developments and industrial areas. Like many resort communities, new residents and second homeowners outnumber full-time residents. Less than 30% of Grand County’s homes are owner-occupied primary residences. The cost of living in a mountain community challenges both seasonal workers and long-term residents, as well as employers striving for a dedicated workforce. The mountains, forests, and valleys draw people in droves for fresh air, open spaces, beautiful forests, recreational pursuits and access to the National Forests, including the Arapaho & Roosevelt, the second most visited in the country. In 2020, Rocky Mountain National Park, a national treasure located in the northeastern part of the county, attracted over 3.3 million visitors from all over the world. 

In 2020, Grand County residents were witness to another extreme – a megafire. In one day alone, fueled by over 100 mph winds and dry conditions, the East Troublesome Fire, grew by over 160,000 acres. Two other large wildfires, the Williams Fork and the Cameron Peak, also impacted Grand County and the Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests during the late summer and fall of 2020. The 193,812-acre East Troublesome Fire and the 208,913-acre Cameron Peak Fire rank as the two largest fires in Colorado in the past 20 years. With the East Troublesome Fire destroying over five hundred structures and impacting roughly 17% of the County’s total land mass, the sense of urgency to adapt is thick in the thin mountain air. 

Though numerous wildfire mitigation efforts have been occurring, mitigation leaders and governmental agencies recognized that post-fire recovery efforts could easily detract residents and wildfire mitigation personnel from the mitigation momentum seen over the past ten years. They also recognized that much of their work was occurring in silos, and they could accomplish more by working together in a more cohesive fashion. 

Following on the heels of several successful collaborative efforts on the Front Range, the Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests and the Grand County Wildfire Council requested a  Community Mitigation Assistance Team (CMAT)  to work with local land management agencies and community partners. The CMAT was asked to review existing mitigation programs, plans and activities and provide analysis and recommendations intended to: 

• Increase collaborative activities, mitigation capacity and communication between partners and cross-boundary activities. 
• Help to establish and/or clarify roles and responsibilities. 
• Develop a Mitigation Action Plan that outlines next steps and recommendations, that is both implementable and identifies specific actions that support increasing mitigation outcomes. 

This is an opportune time for collaborative wildfire mitigation action planning in Grand County with the recent fire history and national momentum and expectations for large scale investments in wildfire resilience. 

This was the second hybrid assignment for CMAT, with six members from Colorado in person and three members working remotely. Team members were chosen for their knowledge of Colorado’s wildfire activity and their technical skills to achieve maximum benefit for Grand County.  

A unique challenge afforded by this assignment was the opportunity to engage with three other federally funded efforts underway in Grand County:  

• Wildfire Research (WiRē) Team, which uses a paired dataset of a rapid risk assessment of a home’s wildfire risk (as determined by a wildfire mitigation specialist) and resident survey information to determine the residents’ awareness of, and perceptions about, their wildfire risk.  
• Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW), managed by Headwaters Economics, which provides policy and planning recommendations and code adoptions; communications expertise and mitigation implementation and guidance​.
• Colorado Forest Restoration Institute (CFRI), which is conducting a geospatial analysis of fire risk and behavior to assist forest managers with prioritizing areas for future treatment 

Over the summer, CMAT engaged these entities to discuss how to support each other’s efforts, and ultimately, inform comprehensive recommendations to Grand County.  

In addition to the recommendations of this action plan, the direct support and connections made during CMAT’s two weeks in Granby have led to the sharing of resources and new partnerships. The neighboring Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council is simultaneously pursuing an Executive Director position. The Grand County Wildfire Council recently joined the Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative. It is important that Grand County wildfire partners continue to connect and coordinate with these efforts to raise collective voices and realize opportunities of scale.  

This report summarizes the CMAT’s findings and provides Mitigation Guiding Principles and recommendations. The Mitigation Guiding Principles are overarching best practices gleaned from numerous successful practitioners and should be used to guide all partners’ mitigation and engagement efforts. The Team’s findings and recommendations fall into four themes: 

1. Organizational Structure & Shared Vision  
2. Collaboration Across All Lands 
3. Our Landscapes and Watersheds 
4. Our Homes and Communities 

An online  Community Toolbox  contains research, templates and reference documents directly related to the specific recommendations provided in this report. 

Consider these guiding principles when developing your Grand County wildfire mitigation strategy and the projects that comprise it; they will make your efforts more effective.

Work together – A group of people who share the same goals can get more done together than separately. Plan together, piggyback on strengths, share resources, staff, and the work. A partnership is more likely to get supporting funding. Collaboratively planning, implementing, sharing successes and lessons learned is an essential first step in building a common vision and gaining broad community support

Be strategic – Be strategic by creating larger landscape fuel treatments and helping clusters of homes reduce risk but realize this takes time. Incremental actions, (one home / one acre), is progress!

No boundaries – Wildfires do not stop at jurisdictional boundaries. Link fuel reduction and defensible space projects to benefit cross-boundary areas. Engage with other neighborhoods and other jurisdictions to accomplish work on adjoining properties.

Promote home hardening and defensible space – Having homeowners prepare their yard and structure for wildfire is the single most important thing to avoid loss, and is always where work should begin.

Help underserved populations – Provide mitigation assistance for low-income, elderly, and disabled residents who may be unable to accomplish this work on their own.

Face-to-face engagement – Sharing with residents is best done face-to-face through a home assessment and conversations about actions they must take. Often this discussion has to take place many times before someone takes action.

Stretch project funds - Homeowner contributions should be part of the funding equation, but expectations for investment vary by community and homeowner. When and where appropriate, require an investment of labor, time, or financial resources. This investment empowers the homeowner to take responsibility for what’s theirs and makes them more likely to maintain their project over time.

Check Assumptions - Everyone makes assumptions about why a community or individual may not be mitigating. The reality is that barriers to mitigation vary widely. Commonly held perceptions often don't hold up to further scrutiny.

Invest most available time and resources on risk reduction actions – Meetings, recognition programs, news releases, or attending events won't accomplish mitigation. Respect everyone’s time. Do not hold additional meetings if wildfire mitigation discussions can be consolidated into existing forums. Make meetings short and strategic. Ensure tasks and initiatives are clear at the end of each meeting and are moving the partnership forward.

Celebrate success! – Sustained participation in any partnership will require frequent communication and recognition of everyone’s contributions. Recognition does not have to be formal and can be as simple as a handwritten thank you. Recognition in the presence of peers and partners goes a long way toward retaining volunteers. Share accomplishments through media, presentations, yard signage, or site visits to build momentum for mitigation work. Stories, especially those from the perspective of the property owner, often have the biggest impact.

Grand County sits high in the north-central Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The majority of land in the county, about 75 percent, is public land managed by the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Colorado State Board of Land Commissioners, and large areas of public lands are available for recreation activities of all kinds. The resulting tourism industry bolsters the Grand County economy. 

Lodgepole pine and aspen spread across the lower elevations of the forests, transitioning to fir and spruce forests, and eventually, high alpine terrain above tree line. Mountain pine beetles and wind events frequently impact lodgepole pine forests, making it difficult to keep up with the removal of dying and dead trees. 

Due to its elevation and forest types, Grand County has not historically seen large fires. However, as forest reach apex maturity and climate changes bring warmer and drier conditions, beetle epidemics and lower snowpack, Grand County, like many other places, is threatened by the increasing wildfire hazard.  

Recognizing this trend, local fire departments and land management agencies spearheaded an effort to create the Grand County Wildfire Council in 2015. The council works to raise awareness and ignite resident action. Mitigation efforts have been fairly extensive across the county, and increased in recent years due to the use of the Good Neighbor Authority between the USDA Forest Service and Colorado State Forest Service, and investments made by Denver Water and Northern Water. 

During the 2020 Williams Fork Fire, the opportunity to invite a Community Mitigation Assistance Team to Grand County was introduced to the Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests. The Forest has worked closely with the Grand County Wildfire Council since that time to invite this targeted mitigation support. The volunteer-run council is looking to increase their capacity and work more collaboratively with agency partners as they move to increase mitigation momentum in upcoming years. 

Grand County has many existing collaborative efforts to be proud of and there are many more opportunities throughout the county to expand those existing successes. Taking advantage of these opportunities will strengthen and enable the community to survive the next fire. 

The Grand County Wildfire Council (GCWC) formed in 2013 and became a 501(c)(3) in 2015. The Council does not have any employees; it is comprised of a volunteer working Board, a Mitigation Committee and an Education and Outreach Committee. Any interested stakeholders are invited to join quarterly meetings where they serve as a de-facto Steering Committee and share and advise on topics relevant to partners and the community. The numerous programs offered by the Council are currently exceeding the capacity of the volunteer Board to manage them.  

The GCWC is at a turning point as they move from a fully volunteer organization to one with 1-2 employees. Grand County recently committed funding for the GCWC. Additionally, there is the possibility of the Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests contributing some funding to a coordinator position to facilitate a broader collaborative group to guide action on public lands and across ownerships. This is an opportune time to see if a well-established, existing non-profit can expand its mission and take on the collaborative role that partners are seeking. 

Many of the organization's roles are not clearly defined, and many working agreements are informal in nature. This makes it difficult to hold each other accountable, which hinders efficient and effective actions. To overcome this, the addition of a “liaison” or “convener” is necessary. After hiring an Executive Director, the Grand County Wildfire Council will be primed to serve this role to continue pushing mitigation actions forward. 

Some discussions with the Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council have occurred around the concept of a shared Executive Director; however, right now it might be difficult to mesh the two councils as the Routt Council is just getting started and Grand County has many well-established programs in place.  

In the future, there could be one Executive Director for both councils, but each county would need its own Mitigation Specialist due to the workload that currently exists in Grand County. Other positions that could potentially be shared include GIS support and administrative staff. CMAT developed a potential organizational structure for consideration if the two councils choose to join forces (see Toolbox). 

RECOMMENDATIONS: 

A) Hire a full-time Executive Director (or Collaborative Coordinator) and a Mitigation Specialist to meet the immediate capacity needs of the GCWC.

1. The Executive Director/Coordinator will be responsible for initially convening collaborative partners, seeking funding, providing broad oversight of all programs, compiling an annual accomplishment report, and maintaining partner accountability. This approach will allow time for GCWC and partners to come together, work on their shared vision, and further assess the need for a separate collaborative coordinator position.  
2. The Mitigation Specialist will be responsible for managing GCWC’s community mitigation programs, developing scopes of work for projects, and supporting Neighborhood Ambassadors.
3. Explore various options to meet staffing needs such as a contracted position, GCWC employee, or partnering with an established non-profit with employment processes already in place. 
4. Factor in the cost of living in a mountain town in order to attract top quality candidates for each of these positions.

B) Utilize existing working groups within the GCWC structure.  

1. Reinvigorate the Mitigation Committee to function as a Planning and Implementation Committee that will drive shared planning priorities toward implementation. This Committee should compile and maintain a living list of shovel-ready projects with detailed scopes of work.

C) Review the need for additional standing and ad-hoc committees to accomplish the shared goals of the GCWC and partners. 

1. Funding Committee: support grants, awards, and agreements. Partners sharing funding opportunities during funding committee updates at regular council meetings will increase awareness and collaboration to seek funding together. 
2. Mapping Working Group: if needs arise beyond the planning and implementation group.
3. CWPP Revision Working Group: encompass planning, mapping, and program tracking.
4. Wildfire Regulation Working Group: inform and guide code/regulation development and the adoption process. This could be a part of a Legislative Committee that advocates for wildfire resilience opportunities that will support the Grand County community at all levels.
5. Maintain the Education and Outreach Committee to share mitigation information and empower individuals and neighborhoods to take action.

D) Continue discussions with the Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council to gain efficiencies and have a stronger regional voice. Schedule at least quarterly meetings between Wildfire Council Executive Directors once both positions are filled. Some opportunities include: 

1. Aligning missions and pursuing a larger-scale, landscape fireshed collaborative together. 
2. Sharing administrative and support function positions (Executive Director, Administrative Assistant, GIS Specialist, and Volunteer Coordinator).
3. Expanding programs such as the fuels reduction cost-share reimbursement program allowing for adaptations to meet specific geographic and demographic needs, and to match available funding sources.   
4. Sharing a planning platform and site assessment process to cover both counties. 
5. Sharing educational tools specific to the landscape (BeWildfireReady.org, 2nd Homeowner and vacation rental guidance, latest science for lodgepole pine vegetation management).

The Grand County Wildfire Council (GCWC) focus, activities, programs and projects have, without a doubt, moved the needle, yet more must be done. The fires of 2020 acted as a wakeup call, and a painful reminder that the work and investment needs to increase. Confronting this reality, partners must come together to assess the existing collaborative and ask the hard questions. 

• Who is involved? Who needs to be? 
• Are the mission and vision clear and appropriate? 
• Is a partnership with other adjacent counties the best approach now or should partners focus on bolstering GCWC first? 

Grand County Wildfire Council Mission Statement

Through education and action, promote wildland fire prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and survival.

Grand County Wildfire Council Vision Statement

GCWC will provide a countywide platform that connects practitioners to develop a collective voice to better advocate for wildfire resiliency.

Realizing worthwhile outcomes do not come easily, partners must demonstrate their commitment to one another through coordinated actions that focus on responsibility, consideration, and accountability. This commitment to each other embodies a shared mission and vision.   

RECOMMENDATIONS:

A) Review the Grand County Wildfire Council’s mission and vision statements to ensure they represent the totality of the organization’s work. 

The Mission must correctly describe what Grand County Wildfire Council does and why. The mission must be outcome-focused and inclusive of everyone’s goals. 

A Vision is what you want the future to look like. The vision must encompass each organization’s unique role and responsibility within Grand County. The vision is understood and shared, yet broad enough to include the diverse participants, inspiring and easy to communicate.   

B) Revisit each participating organization’s value proposition, or what they get from participating in the Grand County Wildfire Council by asking: 

C) Assess whether the GCWC mission and vision meet the needs of partners and the community. If they do not, co-develop a new mission and vision.

D) Do not expand the geographical reach of the GCWC just yet. Development of the shared vision will help to move toward or away from this critical organizational change. 

1. Numerous ideas to expand have been presented, including the development of a Fireshed Collaborative, much like that of the Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative, and in a multi-county initiative with Routt and Jackson Counties.

There are ongoing attempts to leverage resources both within the county, and across boundary lines, but greater organization, accountability, and collaborative planning are needed to maximize mitigation project impacts on the ground. There are limits to the amount of mitigation action that can occur from planning processes that are outdated or that overlook consideration of key community values. The Colorado State Forest Service serves as a major connector between private and public land projects, finding opportunities for cross-boundary work and filling in gaps between treatment areas.  

Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) expands capacity and creates new partnership opportunities for accomplishing forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration projects on federal lands. Leveraging working agreements, like the current Good Neighbor Authority, is helping to connect project work across jurisdictions and remove fuels from the forests. Collaborative planning is hindered by the lack of a scalable shared vision between partners, which should be integrated into every project for clarity of direction, prioritization, implementation, and reporting. The vision is the first step to aligning stakeholders to ensure they are all moving in the same direction; from here, the group moves as one to overcome challenges.  

RECOMMENDATIONS:

A) Strengthen the GCWC collaborative so that it: 

• Is strategic in nature
• Requires a higher level of commitment and organization
• Develops long-term goals and strategies for accomplishments
• Completes projects simultaneously, whenever possible
• Shares ownership among partners
• Has many levels of communication and increased interaction
• Shares the burden and successes of mitigation efforts

B) By 2022, develop a partnership agreement between the USDA Forest Service and GCWC.  

C) By 2022, develop a Memorandum of Understanding between GCWC partners. 

D) Establish an agreed-upon framework of accountability to ensure organization actions are efficient and effective throughout the planning and implementation process. 

E) Where possible, organizations should provide more than one individual to participate in collaborative efforts and share information back to personnel and departments within their organization. 

Finding: Funding is available for most current programs and there are many landowners who can afford private land mitigation work. The Grand County Wildfire Council has been successful in obtaining funding to provide direct assistance for private land mitigation projects. Demand for funding increased following the 2020 fire year, a trend that is likely to continue. 

Opportunity: Use current and future funding efficiently and strategically.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

A) Develop project implementation plans with desire conditions, detailed budgets, deliverables, costs, and leads identified. 

B) Denver Water has a Memorandum of Understanding with the USDA Forest Service, Colorado State Forest Service, and Natural Resources Conservation Service which ends in 2022. With this revision, Grand County Wildfire Council and other “new” partners may be directly eligible for funding.   

C) Collaboratively apply for the Federal Emergency Management  Agency  Hazard  Mitigation  Grant  Program. 

D) Work closely with the Grand Foundation, a source of flexible funding, to increase the effectiveness of mitigation programs.  

E) Where wildlife values align with other mitigation priorities, consider Colorado Parks and Wildlife Habitat Partnership Program as a funding source. 

F) Use new funding commitments from Grand County, towns, and fire protection districts  to  leverage other grants and awards. 

G) Investigate the use of Natural Resources Conservation Service, Environment Qualities Incentives Program (EQIP) for larger private land projects. 

H) Revisit the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program request to include a more inclusive process. 

Findings: Accurate mapping is needed to assess the condition of wildfire fuels in the area and prioritize mitigation action. Help is needed from Grand County stakeholders to resolve mapping inaccuracies. Lacking a central point of reference from which groups begin the planning process hinders effective mapping. 

 It is essential that efforts align, leverage, and compound actions to protect communities, watersheds, and critical infrastructure.

Opportunity: Collaborative partners share information, learnings, and strategies, while working towards common targeted outcomes. Shared planning and mapping will allow all partners to plan, prioritize, implement, and report accomplishments of wildfire risk reduction progress for internal and external audiences.  

RECOMMENDATIONS:

A) In lodgepole pine forests, focus efforts immediately adjacent to communities first.

B) Identify and adopt one planning platform that is accessible by all stakeholder groups to serve as a centralized database to track planning, implementation, mapping, and programmatic efforts and outcomes.  

C) Leverage funding capacity of the Grand Foundation to contract a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist for the mapping component of initial planning process.

1. Some GIS support may be available through the collaborative partners, Colorado Forest Restoration Institute and Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative, but dedicated project support will help build momentum.
2. Collaborate on steps to secure funding, design a request for proposals, and select a contractor.

D) Use collaboratively developed maps to target high risk wildland-urban interface areas for home ignition zone assessments and incentive programs. 

E) Use collaboratively developed maps to help determine locations for USFS land priority fuel breaks.  

F) Focus Denver Water and Northern Water Conservancy District resources toward treatments in their zones of concern that will protect additional community values first.  

G) Collaborate with the County GIS Department to incorporate a GIS Layer of homeowner  status (Primary, Secondary, Rental). 

H) Consider using rapid wildfire risk assessment survey tool to assess wildfire risk of communities and structures. 

1. Incorporate these assessment findings into geospatial models and inform projects and structure hardening needs for community wildfire protection planning. 
2. Assessments can also be used to make appropriate regulatory recommendations and spark the next level of resident engagement.  

I) Explore the use of the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (CDFPC) wildland modules to conduct rapid wildfire risk assessments in alignment with GCWC. 

1. Incorporate the built environment into shared project prioritization and remain open to supporting mitigation action wherever there is a partner and neighborhood level interest. 

J) Offer opportunities for on-site project planning and discussion with stakeholders.  

K) Use field days to celebrate success of collaboratively developed treatments. 

Findings: The Grand County Community Wildfire Protection Plan has not been updated since it was created in 2006 and is not a “living” document, making it difficult to utilize for current and future situations. There is a debate on whether the county-wide CWPP is as valuable as the fire districts' CWPPs. Many of the recommendations and maps compiled for this action plan can serve as the foundation for a countywide CWPP.   

Opportunity: Develop a countywide CWPP with fire district level priorities and a shared vision that is compiled collaboratively, maintained by GCWC ED/GIS Specialist and is accessible by partners and the community.  

RECOMMENDATION: 

Form a working group to develop and oversee implementation of the new CWPP.   

• Convene decision makers and partners (CSFS, GCWC, et al.) to outline the desired needs of a living plan. 
• Include activities that increase countywide wildfire resilience as well as projects and programs that are specific to the conditions and capacity in the fire districts. 
• Integrate CWPP priorities into the County All Hazards Mitigation Plan. 
• Include CWPP development in the current Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding request.

Findings: Personnel is needed for effective planning, and across the board, participants noted a significant lack of people power. This weakness was highlighted by the acknowledgement that many individuals wear many hats, vacant positions remaining unfilled, and several critical partners are not consistently at the table. The lack of personnel and rate of turnover due to burnout and more attractive opportunities elsewhere, leads to a loss of valuable institutional knowledge and built relationships, which fragments collaborative efforts. Cost of living adjustments are not keeping pace with the increasing costs of living in Colorado mountain towns, putting significant stress on the local workforce. Cumulatively, these factors have created a gap in all existing private and public land resources available to plan and implement projects at all scales.

Opportunity: Develop creative ways to attract and retain critical wildfire mitigation staff.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

A) Hire new positions at attractive rates that support the cost-of-living in Grand County. 

B) Review cost-of-living adjustments to better support and retain staff annually.  

C) Look for additional benefits that may attract new employees, such as child care opportunities, ski passes, etc. 

D) Explore opportunities for designating lower-cost housing options for seasonal workers. 

1. The Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests should consider partner opportunities with anticipated capital investments including employee housing for the Sulphur Ranger District. See Chaffee County example in  toolbox . 

Findings: The area is fortunate to have a few small timber operators and processors; however, the workforce is aging and on the decline. A consolidated list of tree service contractors is available, but existing industry is inadequate to meet the demand for cutting, hauling, and wood utilization. Much of the available wood is very low value, post-fire tree removal is overwhelming forest businesses and the working season is short. Recent wildfires, steep slopes, completion of many easy acres, lack of end use markets, and demand have created higher costs which have more recently limited outcomes. 

Opportunity: Increase the number of qualified individuals, contractors, and organizations providing mitigation services. 

RECOMMENDATIONS:

E) Explore opportunities with economic development partners to support entrepreneurial enterprises to create fire mitigation and wood product businesses.

1. Business training and incubator programs can benefit both capacity building and local employment base development. 

F) Assist local contractors with training and insurance.  

Opportunity: Develop support training programs to increase available workforce

RECOMMENDATIONS:

G) Plan and carry out mitigation events to train residents, volunteer groups, Neighborhood Ambassadors and industry partners, such as building, landscaping, and real estate, to increase mitigation knowledge, skills, and abilities. 

H) Connect implementation partners with on-the-job training programs to increase worker qualifications including internships and apprenticeships.  

Opportunity: Increase the use of available mitigation implementation resources.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

I) Develop and increase opportunities to use the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, Team Rubicon, Headwaters Trails Alliance and other organizations and volunteers to complement the work of private tree service businesses.   

J) As funding becomes available, consider use of Rocky Mountain Youth Corps for smaller landscape scale projects.  

K) Develop alternative mechanisms to support mitigation and forestry waste disposal.  

1. Purchase and operation of an air curtain burner.
2. Programs to match those with excess wood and wood chips to those who want them. 
3. Develop a pile burning cooperative.  
4. Support landowners with prescribed broadcast and pile burning. Agricultural landowners may be open to agricultural burning with assistance (i.e. Middle Park Stock Growers).

Findings: A majority of USDA Forest Service National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)-cleared project areas have been treated. More NEPA writing and reviewing must be completed to access additional areas; however, the forest lacks sufficient resources to complete the work.  

Opportunity:  Complete planning processes for collaboratively prioritized projects on public lands. 

RECOMMENDATIONS:   

L) Increase knowledge and use of categorical exclusions and all available authorities by federal land management agencies. This includes educating local partners on the limitations and opportunities of each authority to improve community support. 

M) Pursue larger landscape planning areas for treatment opportunities such as the landscape-scale prescribed fire analysis currently in progress on other parts of the Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests. 

N) Commit dedicated staffing for project planning and implementation on USDA Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands in Grand County. 

O) Use partnership agreements or contracts to enable partners to supplement planning capacity needs for public lands. 

Programs and technical assistance to support the private residents are delivered primarily through the Grand County Wildfire Council, Fire Protection Districts, volunteers, and the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS). Existing programs include fuel reduction cost-share, chipping days, property addressing programs, and landowner mitigation activities both large and small. The Good Neighbor Authority agreements with CSFS/USFS/BLM are successful in getting cross-boundary hazardous fuels removed and the Grand Foundation has created the Wildfire Emergency Fund to help with mitigation and recovery on private lands.  

The numerous and diverse Home Owner Associations (HOAs) within the county strain the capacity of existing resources. Many of the HOAs work independently, struggle to find matching funding, and are limited by prohibitive covenants. Some fire personnel are performing property level wildfire risk assessments upon request, but there is not a uniform risk assessment system. 

Opportunity: Improve upon the success of the Fuels Reduction Cost-Share Reimbursement Program. 

RECOMMENDATIONS:  

A) Define coordination process for GCWC members administering cost-share assistance by having regular meetings to review project applications, including criteria for prioritizing work to ensure alignment with community risk reduction strategies. 

B) Seek cost-share funding for projects that reduce the risk of home ignition during a wildfire by “hardening” the home from ember exposure. 

C) Provide incentives for landowners who work together on projects that link private mitigation projects for greater impact. 

Opportunity: Improve upon the success of the Free Community Chipping Days Program. 

RECOMMENDATIONS:  

D) Empower HOAs to coordinate chipping days in their communities with technical and financial support from the GCWC to alleviate burden on directors. 

E) Work toward building a sustainable chipping program by seeking donations and/or asking for a nominal fee from residents to help cover program expenses.  

F) Establish permanent community slash site for residents to bring material to year-round.  

G) Develop agreements with other partners working on post-fire recovery projects to create sustainable outlets for material from chipping days. 

H) Provide slash hauling support (purchase dump trailers, engage volunteers to lend their trucks) to those without hauling capabilities. 

Findings: The Grand County Wildfire Council has been supporting Firewise USA® leaders to become Neighborhood Ambassadors supporting education and mitigation in their own and neighboring communities. The Ambassadors feel overwhelmed and need additional direction and support to engage their neighbors in effective mitigation.  

Opportunity: Expand the Grand County Neighborhood Ambassador program, which focuses on a train-the-trainer approach by teaching Ambassadors how to reduce risk within and beyond their neighborhood, throughout high-risk areas of the county. See FAC Neighborhood Ambassador guide in the  toolbox .  

RECOMMENDATIONS:  

I) Develop a Grand County-specific Ambassador Training program that includes details about local volunteer expectations, fire behavior, incentive programs, and have GCWC partners provide 1-2 times a year to orient new ambassadors.  

J) Engage Grand County resident and fire department staff who attended a program development workshop for the ambassador program in 2021 which provides a good starting place for effective growth of this approach. 

K) Formalize participation with responsibilities, conflict of interest and liability agreement. 

L) Provide connections with partners and Ambassadors for ongoing learning and project planning. 

M) Leverage the non-profit umbrella of the GCWC for resident associations and self-defined neighborhoods participating in the Neighborhood Ambassador Program to collaborate and jointly apply for grant funding. 

N) As an incentive for Ambassador communities, develop a Community Kickstart incentive that provides funding ($2,500–$7,500) for a community project like mitigation in open space, or a shaded fuel break along roadways. Require Ambassadors to report out on their projects at GCWC or Ambassador meetings.

O) CELEBRATE SUCCESS! Publicly acknowledge individual and community accomplishments through annual recognition events, social media and newsletters. Hold Ambassador meetings and make space for residents to share their accomplishments. 

Opportunity: Use the GCWC Mitigation Specialist to support Ambassadors through technical support, connection to partners and GCWC resources.  

RECOMMENDATIONS:

P) Conduct training for one-on-one interactions within communities to conduct home ignition zone assessments. Oversee appropriate use of cost-share program by ensuring that treatments occur in moderate to high-risk areas and defensible space principles are completed to CSFS guidelines.  

Q) Complete strategic planning within the community to tie together treatments between lots or with adjoining public lands. 

Opportunity: Improve efficiency of the current 'Reflective Address Sign Program' to minimize burden on directors.  

RECOMMENDATION:

R) Use GCWC website for sign orders, but link directly to the vendor for production.  

Opportunity:  Develop mitigation programs that address the underserved population. 

RECOMMENDATIONS:   

A) Work with health and human services agencies and the Grand Foundation to develop a list/map of key residents or locations needing assistance. 

B) Establish 'Buddy Program'—neighbors helping neighbors to prepare for wildfire/sponsorship program where affluent residents sign up to sponsor low-income risk reduction projects. 

Opportunity: Improve efficiency and impact through a Home Ignition Zone level assessment system for the entire county.  Wildfire research surveys conducted in spring of 2020 indicated that the greatest encouragement for residents to reduce risk is providing specific information about what needs to be done on their property.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

C) Seek to schedule multiple assessments in a neighborhood on the same day to increase efficiency and landscape impact. 

D) Look to neighboring county assessment systems in Colorado for tools, techniques, and training. An HIZ Assessment Program framework is included in the  toolbox . 

E) Listen to homeowners first to understand their values and leverage multiple benefits of wildfire risk reduction activities to move residents to action (wildlife, home maintenance, views, etc.) 

Opportunity: Improve efficiency and impact through a Home Ignition Zone level assessment system for entire county.   

RECOMMENDATIONS:

F) Leverage rapid risk assessments to provide initial responders and fire managers easily accessible information and maps to develop rapid situational awareness for wildfire response, and to effectively prioritize future mitigation efforts including use in community assessments for Firewise USA® participation. A wildfire map book overview is included in the  toolbox . 

G) Incorporate site assessment tracking into recommended countywide collaborative project planning and implementation map application. 

Opportunity: Develop engagement and outreach strategies that increases participation in mitigation programs 

RECOMMENDATIONS:

H) Meet with residents on-site to provide them with recommendations on what to do on their property and how to do it. 

I) Engage local PIO group to assist with action-based outreach focused on mitigation. 

J) Engage Colorado Parks and Wildlife on key points for outreach and communications regarding wildlife habitat benefits resulting from mitigation treatments. 

K) Utilize Wildfire Research Center (WiRē) social science research to inform outreach and engagement actions. 

L) Provide resources on local mitigation programs, scheduling for site assessments, ongoing neighborhood communications, and annual meetings in new landowner packets distributed by realtors, HOAs, and property management groups. 

M) Use holidays and special scheduled events timelines (e.g. Granby Art Fest) to host mitigation events or  projects when residents are in town. 

Findings:  There is currently a lack of existing development standards aimed at reducing wildfire risk being implemented at a county and municipal level. There is a perception that the culture is anti-regulatory, however; research by the WiRē team suggests a heightened public perception of increasing wildfire risk, and a general willingness to consider regulatory solutions for new development. This is further strengthened by the existence of wildfire-centric covenants being enforced at an HOA level in some parts of the county, but in less populated areas, HOAs often do not exist (and others still have restrictive covenants that do not allow for tree removal without penalty).  

Grand County does not have a dedicated Wildfire Mitigation Specialist to review new development in the WUI, so plan and building permit review for wildfire hazards becomes a collateral duty of other departments, or the prevention staff at the fire district(s). There are communication barriers within county and municipal organizations that may make unified code adoption challenging, but the community does have an appetite for appropriate and scalable regulations at a local level.  

Opportunity: Engage builders and developers with scientific wildfire data and call to action. 

RECOMMENDATIONS:

A) Form Wildfire Regulation Steering Committee to inform and guide code/regulation development and adoption process. 

B) Update Grand County’s Land Use Regulation (LUR) and Building Resolution.

C) Utilize the Grand Foundation for public outreach, updates, and marketing.

Opportunity: Provide wildfire education and outreach to land-use planners and building officials on appropriate codes and ordinances for Grand County.  

RECOMMENDATIONS:

D) Utilize the Grand Foundation for public outreach and marketing regarding home hardening, defensible space, and effective land use planning strategies (i.e., reference science-based best practices for home risk reduction from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)).   

E) Engage appropriate partners in the Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW) process and implement action strategy.

Opportunity:  Create a fee structure for development activities instead of imposing a tax for sustainable funding. 

RECOMMENDATIONS:

F) Use building permit fees to fund mitigation programs. 

G) Utilize Wildfire Mitigation Specialist to work with county government to form a working group to configure fee structure and seek approvals to implement. 

Opportunity: Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW) 

RECOMMENDATION:

H) Use the recommendations from the Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW) to inform regulatory approaches. 

Opportunity: Leverage property owner association regulatory authority to strengthen wildfire resilience in high-risk neighborhoods. 

RECOMMENDATION:

I) Provide model regulations for home and property owners’ associations to establish building and vegetation management guidelines to protect their communities. 

 Link  to Google Drive

Many thanks to the following individuals for their participation and input during the in-person/virtual CMAT workshops, interactions, and numerous follow up emails (listed in alphabetical order):

The individuals listed above represent the following federal, state, and local agencies and organizations: 

• Bureau of Land Management, Kremmling Field Office 
• Rocky Mountain National Park 
• USDA Forest Service, Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests/Pawnee National Grassland, Sulphur Ranger District 
• Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control
• Colorado Forest Restoration Institute
• Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative 
• Colorado Parks and Wildlife 
• Colorado State Forest Service, Granby District 
• Colorado State University Extension 
• Denver Water 
• Headwaters Economics/Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire 
• Middle Park Conservation District 
• Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District 
• Wildfire Research Center (WiRē) 
• Grand County Board of Commissioners 
• Grand County Natural Resources 
• Grand County Office of Emergency Management
• Grand County Sheriff’s Office 
• Grand County Wildfire Council 
• Grand Foundation 
• Headwaters Trails Alliance 
• East Grand Fire Protection District #4 
• Grand Fire Protection District No. 1 
• Grand Lake Fire Protection District 
• Hot Sulphur Springs Parshall Fire 
• Kremmling Fire Protection District 
• Town of Fraser/Fraser/WP Police 
• Town of Granby 
• The Fairways Firewise USA® site 
• The Valley at Winter Park Firewise USA® site 

The Community Mitigation Assistance Team  (CMAT)  is sponsored by the USDA Forest Service to assist communities impacted by wildfire. CMATs are comprised of public and private wildland-urban interface (WUI) mitigation professionals from across the country. The Team provides technical and strategic mitigation support to build and strengthen sustainable mitigation programs. The Team mentors organizations, helps to identify and provide tools, advises on the highest priorities for risk reduction, and shares best management practices for mitigation.