Grants available to help communities reduce wildfire risk

The Colorado Department of Natural Resources is accepting applications for a fifth round of awards under the Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant Program. This phase will provide $1 million to reduce the risk of wildfire in areas where human development and forested lands overlap, often called the wildland-urban interface.

The program, created under Senate Bill 13-269, is focused on projects that reduce the risk for damage to property, infrastructure, and water supplies, and those that limit the likelihood of wildfires spreading into populated areas. Funds will be directed to non-federal lands within Colorado. Senate Bill 16-003 authorized an additional $1 million for the program.

Across four grant cycles, the program has awarded $10.8 million to 116 projects in 27 counties to treat thousands of acres in high-risk areas.

Eligible applicants include community groups, local governments, utilities, state agencies and non-profit groups. Applicants must contribute 100 percent matching funds, which can include in-kind resources, for a 50-50 grant-to-match ratio. Applicants must identify plans to make use of the woody material resulting from the projects. Those plans can include using the materials for biomass energy and/or traditional forest products.

Examples of projects considered for funding include:

· Creation of defensible space around homes and structures, based on Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) guidelines.
· Construction of fuel breaks, based on CSFS guidelines.
· Fuels reduction beyond defensible space, designed to protect water supplies and/or reduce fire intensity.
· Removal of useable materials with specific utilization plans; removal of slash including chipping, mulching, grinding, pile burning, broadcast burning or mechanical removal.

Up to 25 percent of total grant funds are available to pay for the purchase of equipment that will increase current and future capacity for hazardous fuels reduction. Applicants interested in using funds for these purposes can use a specific application form for capacity building.

All applicants must coordinate proposed projects with appropriate county officials to ensure consistency with county-level wildfire risk reduction planning. The deadline to receive proposals is Aug. 8 and awards are anticipated in mid-September.

A more detailed overview of the grant program and its requirements and limitations, as well as the grant applications, instructions and other materials, is available at https://cdnr.us/#/programs.

Earlier grant recipients have been working with Colorado Forest Restoration Institute to measure conditions before they begin treatment; this is part of a significant monitoring effort that will help forestry officials understand the impact of grant funds when the projects have been completed.

Awardees have also been working with the Colorado Wood Utilization and Marketing Program (CoWood) to maximize opportunities for woody material that is removed from sites. Additionally, awardees have been working with Colorado Youth Corps to identify opportunities for youth to get involved as a labor force on the ground.