WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, and Representatives Joe Neguse, Jason Crow, and Brittany Pettersen announced more than $26 million from the U.S. Forest Service to reduce wildfire risk and protect vulnerable Colorado communities. The funding comes from the $5.5 billion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Hickenlooper helped negotiate.
“Our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is all about giving communities the tools to tackle 21st-century challenges,” said Hickenlooper. “These local projects will help communities in Colorado and the West prepare for severe wildfires and address local risks. They’re the bipartisan solutions that Congress should deliver frequently.”
“In the last few years, Colorado has faced increasingly devastating threats from the largest wildfires in our state’s history,” said Bennet. “Investing in wildfire mitigation and preparedness is critical to safeguarding our communities, public lands, and way of life for future generations. I’m glad the investments we fought to secure in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continue to benefit Colorado and support important wildfire preparedness efforts across the state.”
Hickenlooper has long led efforts to combat the wildfire crisis and support wildfire resilience. He helped negotiate and introduce the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act that will help reduce wildfire risk for Colorado communities and speed up mitigation projects while maintaining environmental safeguards and encouraging local involvement. Hickenlooper has also helped secure billions in federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act to support wildfire risk reduction and new firefighting equipment. He fought the Trump admin’s illegal mass firings of federal employees that support wildfire resilience on our public lands and introduced legislation to restore those fired public servants.
A full list of funded Colorado projects is below:
| Recipient | Funding Amount | Project Title | Description |
| Coalition for the Upper South Platte | $249,290 | Coalition for the Upper South Platte Park County CWPP Update | This project will update the county-wide 2007 Park County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). The updated plan will meet all current requirements put forth by the Colorado State Forest Service and The Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) of 2003. |
| Grand County Wildfire Council | $2,448,000 | Grand County West Granby Fuels Corridor | The project is an 800-acre hazardous fuels reduction effort west and south of Granby, Colorado. This project will include strategic fuel breaks that will protect Granby and fuels reduction work will connect and enhance multiple ongoing wildfire mitigation efforts. |
| Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office | $9,668,390 | Jefferson County Wildland Fire Risk Mitigation, Education and Capacity Building | Funds from this grant will support implementation of the Jefferson County Wildfire Management Plan (WFMP) and Sustainable Lands And Safer Homes (SLASH) program. |
| Larimer County Office of Emergency Management | $9,856,000 | Protecting the Gateway to the Rockies | This project will improve wildfire defense in the area known as the “Gateway to the Rockies”. |
| Roaring Fork Valley Wildfire Collaborative | $865,009 | Glenwood Springs Wildfire Mitigation and Home Resilience Project | The Glenwood Springs Wildfire Mitigation and Home Resilience Project is designed to reduce wildfire risk, enhance community preparedness, and protect critical infrastructure. |
| The Ember Alliance | $118,814 | Livermore Fire Protection District CWPP Development | This project will create a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for the Livermore Fire Protection District in Larimer County, Colorado to effectively plan for and mitigate the risk of wildfires. |
| White River Conservation District | $531,308 | Resident Mitigation & Resilience Project in Eastern Rio Blanco County | Over four years, the project will assist at-risk groups in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) priority-identified areas to help them prepare for and reduce the risks associated with wildfires. |
| Wildfire Adapted Partnership | $2,573,318 | CWPP implementation in Montezuma County, CO | This project will involve multiple programs and initiatives aimed at educating the public and enhancing wildfire preparedness, supporting defensible space and community cost share projects. |
More information on the Colorado projects is available HERE.
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