REFLECTIONS, RESOURCES AND HOPE
It's been nearly a year since the Marshall fire caused unprecedented wildfire destruction in Boulder County. Only two years ago the East Troublesome Fire destroyed 366 homes, Calwood 23 homes, and the Cameron Peak Fire outgrew the Pine Gulch Fire as the two largest recorded fires in Colorado, both in the same season. It's been just over 20 years since the Hayman fire destroyed 133 homes, the Missionary Ridge Fire destroyed 46 homes, and the Iron Hills fire burned over 100 homes near Canon City. Residents and firefighters have lost their lives. For those who have lived through these and other wildfires, recovery is ongoing and deep scars remain. Recovery efforts are slowly evolving, and on the way to a future where wildfires burn with limited negative consequences, I am confident that Colorado's recovery leaders further develop our ability for long-term physical and emotional recovery for community members alongside landscape rehabilitation.
Hope is in the Air, with advancements in Funding, Structure Ignition Science, and the collaboration of our Network Partners; read the full post here.
From all of us at Fire Adapted Colorado, we wish you a merry holiday season, snow to be measured in feet, and we look forward to supporting your wildfire adaptation work in 2023 and beyond!
Becca Samulski
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Network Moves
The Monument Fire District is an active FACO member, (formerly known as the Tri-Lakes Monument and Wescott Fire), and we will be updating the contact info for Jamey Bumgarner and their directory listing. Congratulations to Patrick Kieran with the BLM. PK has moved into Carmen Thomason's Colorado position, while Zoe Schapira has joined the Big Thompson Watershed Coalition. We've also learned from the Roaring Fork Valley Wildfire Collaborative that they have their formal MOU signed by all partners. Congratulations to the RFVWC collaborators, including Kevin Warner. We're sure 2023 will be full of decisive moves as well; so, keep us all informed of changes across your organization by keeping your FACO directory listings and network contact information up to date.
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Video on project with West Region Wildfire Council and Colorado West Land Trust on conservation easement near Ridgway, CO.
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Working with Private Landowners near Ridgway
The West Region Wildfire Council worked with Colorado West Land Trust and other partners on this 140-acre parcel on Log Hill Mesa. In this video, you’ll see how this property could possibly act as a fire break to prevent a crown fire from decimating a large community. With 60% of Colorado’s land privately owned, working collaboratively to build partnerships, establish funding and implement treatments on private lands that reduce the risk of damaging wildfires is critical work to create better wildfire outcomes for Colorado communities and landscapes. Kudos to all involved, including the Montgomery family, in partnership with the Colorado West Land Trust, the West Regional Wildfire Council, the Log Hill Village Parks, and Recreation District, Great Outdoors Colorado and others.
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"Pay special attention to the 5 feet immediately around your home. This area should be designed and maintained to keep fire or embers from igniting materials and spreading fire to your home. Read more here
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (@disastersafety) January 18, 2022" Source: 9 News
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“What really happened is that on the day of the fire, these homes were engulfed in smoke,” de Gouw said. “And unfortunately, what happens then is that a lot of materials in the homes, they sort of act like a sponge.” The problem is wildland-urban fires like the Marshall Fire emit chemicals and substances because of contact with so many homes, appliances, and cars. The impact on human health is unclear. Source: KUNC.org
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Community Wildfire Mitigation Best Practices
Next Course Begins January 9, 2023 ~ There's still time to apply for the upcoming virtual Community Mitigation Best Practices Training with COCO and the USFS. Designed for mitigation personnel, this course provides the knowledge, science, tools, and resources to engage with your community and eliminate ineffective mitigation practices. Learn more at CO-CO.org! Apply here.
COCO will also be hosting a condensed 2-day pre-conference workshop at the #2023CWFC
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Colorado Resiliency Summit
January 26, 2023 | 1:00-3:30 | Virtual ~ The Colorado Resiliency Office is celebrating 10 years of their work supporting resiliency in Colorado. They have a line up of inspirational keynote speakers including Martin Carcasson, Director of the CSU Center for Public Deliberation, Councilwoman Lorelei Cloud of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, and Dr. Nicki Gonzales, Colorado State Historian who will share perspectives on the evolution of resilience and changes needed to move us forward. There will be breakout sessions to dive deeper in key areas. Register Here.
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Colorado Prescribed Fire Council Virtual Meeting
February 14, 2023 | 9:00AM - 12:30PM | Virtual ~ Learn about changes, challenges, and opprotunities for using prescribed fire in Colorado. The COuncil is also seekign ideas for 5-10 minute presentation on programs across the state. Reach out to Mike Babler if you want meeting details and aren't already on the FSC email list or if you are interested in presenting.
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Building a FAC Ambassador Approach Workshop
Boulder, CO | Feb. 27, 1:00-5:00 & Feb. 28, 8:30-4:30 | Cost: $40 | Apply to attend
Fire Adapted Colorado, Wildfire Adapted Partnership, and Boulder Watershed Collective are hosting a “Building a FAC Ambassador Approach” workshop in Boulder on February 27-28, 2023. Through a FAC Ambassador approach, practitioners can empower local residents to be catalysts for wildfire adaptation in their neighborhoods. The approach provides a structure to recruit and train volunteers, work with partners and support community events that will multiply other local mitigation programs through volunteer engagement. Read more here
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Cross-Boundary Landscape Restoration Workshop
Adapting to a Climate-altered West
May 2-4, 2023 | Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Early bird pricing ends March 1, 2023. Registration here
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Registration Open #2023CWFC
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- Early bird registration is $325 ($275 after FACO member discount code)
- Rates will increase to $375 beginning January 16th
- Optional Poudre Watershed Tour, $25, and includes lunch
- Fort Collins Marriott Accommodations, $113.00 per night
The #2023CWFC will also include a FACO Network social on the evening of April 11th, to include the presentation of awards to those FACO members who deserve recognition for their contributions to the network and who embody the FACO membership philosophy. Nominations can be made here.
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On August 10 the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published results of 187 experiments that examined how fire spread toward a structure is affected by combustible fences and mulch under conditions that may be encountered in a wildland-urban interface (WUI) fire. Sources: Wildfire Today / NIST
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Insurance is something everyone who drives, owns or rents a home or runs a business need, but how many of us even begin to understand how insurance works or how to use it when we need it the most? The Rocky Mountain Insurance Association's full-time job is to help consumers, the news media, and its partners in safety and loss prevention better understand auto, homeowners, and business insurance. The RMIA website includes a wealth of information on topics including Homeowners Insurance Q&A.
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