Current Projects for Fire Mitigation & Recovery

Greetings to all our forest and mountain loving community!

Recently Channel KRDO created a news story and great video featuring on of the stupendous collaborative projects between SPAWP, US Forestry (USDA/USFS) and Colorado Forestry (CSFS) - It's called the SFA HWY 12 WUI - the agencies have earmarked close to $300,000 in funds to be supervised contracted and allocated to this project BUT can only be distributed to those landowners who pull together and participate.

PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ AND WATCH THE VIDEO

In September 2020, the Colorado State Forest Service was awarded the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Hwy 12 Grant with SPAWP as the main implementation partner. "Which means this is set up specifically for protecting people who love visiting, hiking or living in a National or State forest area."

The purpose of this $300k grant is to use its funds to create a continuous 17 mile “Shaded Fuel and Fire Break” 150 feet on either side of Hwy 12 from Cucharas Pass to La Veta on state and private lands, the only evacuation route out of the Cuchara Valley. A shaded fuel brake is a zone where the density of the forest is reduced by removing fuel on the ground and increasing tree crown spacing to provide an area where, in case of a wildfire, the firefighters could safely and effectively fight the fire.

Since most of the land that applies to this grant is private, we need the help and partnership of the community to be able to to accomplish this extremely important wildfire mitigation. The question is not if the next wildfire will happen, but when it will happen. Let’s be prepared.

If you or a friend or family member has land that touches Hwy 12 between La Veta and the Cuchara pass and have not been contacted on how this program benefits you please right away email Daniela Lawrence to mail@spawp.org

USDA / USFS WUI – Mitigation Matching Funds Awardee

SPAWP (Spanish Peaks Alliance for Wildfire Prevention) was awarded an allocation for the opportunity to receive reimbursement for mitigation expenses via the USDA-US Dept of Agriculture vis USFS US Forestry Service Federal Funding who has developed the WUI (Wildland Urban Interface) program. Coordinated via the CSFS (Colorado State Forestry Service) These Funds are Reimbursement based on a matching percentage and type of qualifying approved paid expense receipts for projects completed on landowners private lands along the Hwy 12 Corridor, Colorado to reduce destruction risks caused by wildfire.

The Objective of the work is to widen and increase the defensible space and escape routes on both sides of Hwy 12 South of La Veta, CO that are at high risk of wildfire due to forces of nature, drivers throwing cigarettes/cigars out of automobile window and trailer chains that spark on the roads to name few popular risks that create fires along roadways.

The National Fire Plan (NFP) is a long-term strategy for reducing the effects of catastrophic wildfires throughout the nation. The Division of Forestry's NFP Program is implemented within the Division's Fire and Aviation Program through the existing USDA Forest Service, State & Private Forestry, State Fire Assistance Program. Congress has provided increased funding assistance to states through the USDA Forest Service State and Private Forestry programs since 2001. The focus of much of this additional funding was mitigating risk in Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) areas. In the West, the State Fire Assistance (SFA) funding is available and awarded through a competitive process with emphasis on hazard fuel reduction, information and education, and community and homeowner action. This portion of the National Fire Plan was developed to assist interface communities manage the unique hazards they find around them. Long-term solutions to interface challenges require informing and educating people who live in these areas about what they and their local organizations can do to mitigate these hazards.

The Comprehensive Strategy focuses on assisting people and communities in the WUI to moderate the threat of catastrophic fire through the four broad goals of improving prevention and suppression, reducing hazardous fuels, restoring fire-adapted ecosystems, and promoting community assistance.

This project reduces risks to assets, loss of Human lives and Wildlife as well as creates work employment for Contractors.

AIM CO-CO Awards SPAWP Pass-Through Grant for Creating Employment for Administration Contractors

SPAWP (Spanish Peaks Alliance for Wildfire Prevention) awarded reimbursement funds via AIM (Action Implementation and Mitigation) – via CO-CO.org (Coalitions & Collaboratives) through an agreement they have with the (USFS) U.S. Forest Service Federal Funding and National Association of State Foresters. Joining in a partnership of fellow fire and fuel-reduction practitioners. The Spanish Peaks Alliance for Wildfire Protection (SPAWP) has just been awarded a 12 month reimbursement pass-through based grant from the AIM CO-CO.org Partnership. SPAWP competed with organizations all over the US for this US Forest Service funding for staffing, studies, and training. This grant will allow the organization to be reimbursed to hire an Independent Contractor part-time Executive Director and an Independent Contractor Wildfire Mitigation Specialists and provide training.

Project Summary and Objectives: Strengthen SPAWP’s implementation capacity by funding a part-time Executive Director and a Wildfire Mitigation Team. This team will (a) coordinate project implementation and community engagement, (b) facilitate wildfire mitigation planning and training in fuel mitigation assessment, and (c) revitalize an existing Firewise Community and establish 3 new ones. The grant will provide money to hire a part-time Executive Director for project implementation, recruitment of volunteers, and public outreach. Other positions include Wildfire Specialists to provide assist new Firewise Communities, training, and planning for the future projects. Training will develop skills for the residents to become S-212 certified sawyers and to carry out Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) and defensible space assessments of homes.

The AIM (Action Implementation and Mitigation Program) Seeks to increase local capacity and support wildfire risk reduction activities in high-risk communities. CO-CO (Coalitions and Collaboratives, Inc.) provides direct support to place community based Wildfire mitigation organizations through pass-through grant funding, on-site engagement, mentoring and training on proven best mitigation practices to funded groups on accomplishing wildfire risk-reduction actions, in order to ensure programmatic sustainability at a local level; teaching technical expertise and subject matter, expert resources to help adaption goals. Awards are intended to help accelerate these concepts, increase resiliency and local capacity in protecting firefighters and communities. Funding is provided to a wide array of organizations.

This project reduces risks to assets, loss of Human lives and Wildlife as well as creates work employment for Contractors.

CSFS – Mitigation Reimbursement Grant FRWRM Awardee

SPAWP (Spanish Peaks Alliance for Wildfire Prevention) awarded an allocation for the opportunity to receive a matching expense reimbursement via CSFS (Colorado State Forest Service) State Funding: SPAWP continues to apply for allocation funds for matching reimbursement costs to work with community members to help landowners to recover approved portions of expenses incurred to mitigate the areas on their land or around their homes to prevent destruction by wildfire. These Funds are Reimbursement based on a matching percentage and type of qualifying paid expense receipts for projects completed. The passage of House Bill 20-1057 during the 2020 Colorado legislative session provided updates for the Forest Restoration and Wildfire Risk Mitigation (FRWRM) grant program, administered by the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS). The FRWRM program was created during the 2017 legislative session when the Colorado General Assembly passed Senate Bill 17-050, which consolidated the Colorado Forest Restoration Grant Program (previously administered by the CSFS) and the Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant Program (previously administered by the Colorado Department of Natural Resources (CDNR)).

This competitive grant program is designed to assist with funding community-level actions across the entire state to: reduce the risk to people, property, and infrastructure from wildfire in the wildland-urban interface (WUI); promote forest health and the utilization of woody material including for traditional forest products and biomass energy; and encourage forest restoration projects.

This project reduces risks to assets, loss of Human lives and Wildlife as well as creates work employment for Contractors.

USDA/USFS Slash Burn Pile – SPAWP Facilitates Community Collaboration

SPAWP (Spanish Peaks Alliance for Wildfire Prevention) facilitates discussions, negotiation and collaborations between the USDA/USFS (US Dept of Agriculture/US Forest Service), Huerfano County Dept of Emergency and Disaster Mgmt and local Communities to create designated areas for Slash Collection Piles for Supervised Burning by the USFS. SPAWP successfully facilitated this collaboration and mutually agreed location in the mountain forested area of La Veta, CO area. Further collaboration by the Huerfano County Department of Emergency and Disaster Mgmt supports volunteers for managing this effort to service residents and contractors and the USDA/USFS.

Slash-burning is a complimentary form of fire mitigation designed to keep forests healthy and prevent dangerous wildfires by safely burning leaves, pine needles, downed trees, standing small trees, and thick vegetation. The U.S. Forest Service burns piles of woody debris (slash) in an effort of reducing hazardous fuels. These piles are made from the slash left after mechanical thinning or cutting of trees in the forest has happened. Primarily, Mitigation projects by Private landowners, Contractors and US Forestry Service Personal in the area create massive tons of fire fuel materials (logs, branches, trees tops, bushes etc. known as slash.) that need a safe location to be collected, organized in preparation for burning and then later burned under safe USFS supervision standards that are also utilized as training activities for Fire Fighters and Forestry Management Personnel.

This project area compliments the removal and supervised destruction of fire fuel material.

SPAWP Ongoing Support of NFPA Programs and Education

SPAWP (Spanish Peaks Alliance for Wildfire Prevention) supports and endorses the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) standards and guidelines are supported by SPAWP and further collaborated with and supported Huerfano County, CO Department of Emergency and Disaster Management in promoting ongoing educational sessions training Fire Fighters and Residents to support the community in NFPA standards in hardening residences and buildings to lessen the impact of Wildfire destruction. The programs offer a certificate to participants who can then share their knowledge with individuals in the communities and encourage private property owners to aggressively mitigate “Harden their homes” to the threats of Wildfire or Neighborhood fires.

Education topics include: Top Fire Causes, Regional Risks, Seasonal Fire Causes, Specific Groups at Risk, Behavioral Risks and Wildfire.

AIM CO-CO Awards SPAWP Pass-Through Grant for Creating Employment for Administration Contractors

SPAWP (Spanish Peaks Alliance for Wildfire Prevention) awarded reimbursement funds via AIM (Action Implementation and Mitigation) – via CO-CO.org (Coalitions & Collaboratives) through an agreement they have with the (USFS) U.S. Forest Service Federal Funding and National Association of State Foresters. Joining in a partnership of fellow fire and fuel-reduction practitioners. The Spanish Peaks Alliance for Wildfire Protection (SPAWP) has just been awarded a 12 month reimbursement pass-through based grant from the AIM CO-CO.org Partnership. SPAWP competed with organizations all over the US for this US Forest Service funding for staffing, studies, and training. This grant will allow the organization to be reimbursed to hire an Independent Contractor part-time Executive Director and an Independent Contractor Wildfire Mitigation Specialists and provide training.

Project Summary and Objectives: Strengthen SPAWP’s implementation capacity by funding a part-time Executive Director and a Wildfire Mitigation Team. This team will (a) coordinate project implementation and community engagement, (b) facilitate wildfire mitigation planning and training in fuel mitigation assessment, and (c) revitalize an existing Firewise Community and establish 3 new ones. The grant will provide money to hire a part-time Executive Director for project implementation, recruitment of volunteers, and public outreach. Other positions include Wildfire Specialists to provide assist new Firewise Communities, training, and planning for the future projects. Training will develop skills for the residents to become S-212 certified sawyers and to carry out Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) and defensible space assessments of homes.

The AIM (Action Implementation and Mitigation Program) Seeks to increase local capacity and support wildfire risk reduction activities in high-risk communities. CO-CO (Coalitions and Collaboratives, Inc.) provides direct support to place community based Wildfire mitigation organizations through pass-through grant funding, on-site engagement, mentoring and training on proven best mitigation practices to funded groups on accomplishing wildfire risk-reduction actions, in order to ensure programmatic sustainability at a local level; teaching technical expertise and subject matter, expert resources to help adaption goals. Awards are intended to help accelerate these concepts, increase resiliency and local capacity in protecting firefighters and communities. Funding is provided to a wide array of organizations.

This project reduces risks to assets, loss of Human lives and Wildlife as well as creates work employment for Contractors.