Gateway to the Rockies Wildfire Defense Project
This project will help protect the “Gateway to the Rockies” through a number of risk reduction and preparedness activities within and around adjacent wildland urban interface (WUI) communities, all taken to support fire adapted communities and resilient landscapes. The project area includes Estes Park and the forested landscape corridor along the Big Thompson Canyon.
Specifically, project activities will occur within the geographic boundaries defined in the three current Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) and are designed to meet goals outlined in these current CWPPs.
Project Goals
- Mitigation treatments to establish and improve defensible space, and education on
wildfire preparedness and Home Ignition Zone practice - Landscape-scale wildfire mitigation treatments on open spaces and larger
properties - Strategic fuels treatments along key roadways
- Enhancement of community capacity to manage the abundance of post-treatment
woody biomass - Improvements of evacuation plans and procedures
- Effective grant administration and project management
Collectively these integrated efforts will reduce wildfire risk – saving lives, protecting property, improving forest and watershed health, and strengthening community resilience throughout the Gateway to the Rockies region.
The project is funded by a USDA Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) and managed by the Larimer County Office of Emergency Management.
Project Timeline: 2026-2031
Project Interactive Map
Implementation of Community Wildfire Protection Plans
This award, and the CWDG grant program in general, will help to fund activities & goals outlined in the Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) written and adopted by these project communities:
Estes Valley Fire Protection District CWPP (2022)
Glen Haven Retreat CWPP (2020)
Loveland Fire Rescue Authority CWPP (2023)
CWPPS are authorized and defined in the Healthy Forests Restoration ACT (HFRA), and they represent one of the best opportunities we have to address the challenges of the wildland urban interface (WUI) in a way that brings about locally-centered and -supported solutions in a comprehensive manner through shared stewardship and collaboration.
Born From Partnership, Implemented Through Partnership
This project, a key initiative of the Big Thompson Watershed Health Partnership (BTWHP), unites government agencies, fire departments, non-profits, community groups, and landowners to support fire adapted communities and resilient forests and watersheds. All partners share the goal of improving the safety and well-being of our communities, and are committed to project activities and achieving its outcomes.
Main Contacts
Josh Roberts, Mitigation Coordinator, Larimer County Office of Emergency Management, josh.roberts@larimer.gov
Partners
Larimer County Office of Emergency Management (OEM)
Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS)
The communities of: Estes Park, Loveland, and Glen Haven
Funders
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) program
Upcoming Events
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