Copy
View this email in your browser

Fostering Fire Adaptation Work

Fire Adapted Colorado’s first-ever Social Network Analysis is complete and evaluates the health and impact of the FACO network. Graduate students at The Ohio State University, Harrison Fried and Jordan Inskeep, under the tutelage of Matthew Hamilton, PHD, in the School of Environment and Natural Resources, have completed their analysis and shared their findings: Evaluating FACO’s Network Health: Findings and Next Steps
 
In addition to evaluating connections among Coloraodo's fire adaptations professionals, the analysis also explores the impact of FACO’s programs on its membership. Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) interviews were conducted with a small number of FACO members during Autumn 2022. A larger REM exercise, along with a Member Awards Ceremony is being planned for a special FACO Member Social, on Tuesday, April 11th, prior to the Colorado Wildland Fire Conference kick-off on Wednesday morning. Read the full report here.

We're excited to have this baseline evaluation and to act on identified opportunities to strengthen our network in 2023!

IN THIS NEWSLETTER
MEMBERS' CORNER
Ellis Thompson-Ellis, FACO Board Chair
Ellis Thompson-Ellis, FACO Board Chair

Growing Wildfire Adaptation: The Case of Two Rivers and FACO's new Chair, Ellis Thompson Ellis 

 

Fire Adapted Colorado and our membership of wildfire resilience leaders in Colorado are growing in tandem. In the past several years, wildfire collaborative groups have coalesced around the state. FACO supports and follows these new partnerships; sharing example bylaws and Memorandums of Understanding, job descriptions for initial coordinators, providing one-on-one guidance and presentations, and facilitating early group meetings. Read more about how Two Rivers Wildfire Coalition is a great example of a burgeoning leader in community and landscape wildfire resilience supported by the FACO network.
 

2023 FACO Board Members & Officers  

At the January 11th, FACO Board Meeting, Ellis Thompson-Ellis, Community Outreach Specialist for the Grand Junction Fire Department, took the helm as FACO Board Chair, and Paul Cada, the Wildland Program Administrator for Vail Fire and Emergency Services has moved to the Vice-Chair role, while also continuing to assist with the office of Treasurer.  Wildfire Adapted Partnership's, Executive Director, Ashley Downing continues to serve as Secretary. Rounding out the board of directors are Jim Webster, Boulder County Wildfire Partners, Bill Hahnenberg, retired USFS/BLM and NWCG Incident Commander, and Eagle County Wildfire Mitigation Specialist and Past FACO Chair, Eric Lovgren.  Also, a very warm welcome to Dr. Sarah McCaffrey, one of FAC Net’s original research partners, and retired USDA Forest Service. We are looking forward to Dr. McCaffrey joining the Fire Adapted Colorado board in February. Lastly, Happy Trails to Pam Wilson, we wish you a joyous retirement and thank you for your many years supporting and mentoring us all!

We're also grateful for the continued support of our Network Members, Board of Directors, Agency Liaisons and CWFC Planning Team Members, who continue to support the FACO mission and vision and are working to improve outcomes for Colorado Communities.
 We Are Better Together

Network Updates  

Welcome  to the FACO network Upper South Platte Partnership!
Audrey Miles-Cherney serves as the Coordinator for the USPP Watershed. Since 2015, the Upper South Platte Partnership (USPP) has been working as a collaboration between government agencies (local, State, and federal), water providers, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and fire protection districts. Together, these partners share a vision of sustainable and resilient landscapes, healthy forests, proactive and engaged fire-adapted communities, with safe, effective, and efficient fire response and management in the Upper South Platte River HUC 8 watershed.  

Other network member updates include Stephanie Buchanan, Program Specialist with Boulder County Wildfire Partners, Dylan Williams, Wildfire Mitigation Specialist with Douglas County, Einar Jensen Risk Reduction Coordinator with Evergreen Fire/Rescue, and Jonathan Paklaian, Executive Director ARWC.

 

"Suppression is too late - Mitigation is the Emergency."  

Jonathan Bruno, Chief Executive Officer for Coalitions and Collaboratives Inc and former FACO Board Chair shared an excellent blog post providing his answers to questions posed on a panel of National Mitigation Leaders at the Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy workshop in Asheville, N.C. in November, 2022.

IMPACT STORIES

COSWAP - CYCA

COSWAP - Colorado Youth Corps mitigation project 

Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA) and our accredited conservation service corps are keystone partners in the Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program (COSWAP). This partnership funds life-saving fire mitigation work in the Wildland Urban Interface while providing jobs and service opportunities to hundreds of young Coloradans. This video profiles a Southwest Conservation Corps crew protecting homes and drinking water outside Buena Vista, Colorado. | Jan 10, 2023 (w/Alison Lerch Wildfire Mitigation Program Administrator) 

CURRENT AFFAIRS

Officials Have Ignored the Warnings

A year after the deadly Marshall Fire drove thousands of Coloradans from their homes, the state’s densest communities aren’t preparing for the next climate-driven wildfire.Wildfires in Colorado Are Growing More Unpredictable. Officials Have Ignored the Warnings. | SOURCE: ProPublica | Dec 27, 2022.

Firms 'misinforming the public'

According to the study, one example is California-based public utility Pacific Gas & Electric, which has been found to be at fault for multiple wildfires due to equipment failure. The company didn’t disclose the risk of wildfires until after its risk and liability were publicly reported. | Study: Many firms in the West are ‘misinforming the public’ by not disclosing wildfire risks.SOURCE: NPR for Northern Colorado | Jan 10, 2023.

LEGISLATION

Last Resort Coverage? 

State lawmakers are preparing to introduce a bill in the legislature that would create a quasi-governmental program offering basic home insurance to the growing number of Colorado homeowners who say they can’t get coverage from private companies because the risk of wildfire is growing. Colorado’s wildfire risk is so high some homeowners can’t get insured. The state may create last-resort coverage | SOURCE: The Colorado Sun Dec 30, 2022.

2023 Legislative Session Items

EVENTS

Register
Reserve a Room
Sponsor and Exhibit

Special Sponsorship Opportunities

There are several Special Sponsorship Opportunities for the #2023CWFC. We're especially looking for sponsors to support student scholarships. The CSU Alpha Chapter of the Society of American Foresters reached out looking for registration support for young forestry and fire science students. 

"As students studying natural resources and fire science, opportunities to learn more about wildland fire from professionals and make connections within the industry are extremely valuable. Some of us have already gained experience as wildland firefighters and know the narrow, immediate response to wildfire, but we are seeking to gain an understanding of the bigger picture and vision for the future in wildfire management. We hope to gain insight from this conference on what is currently happening in wildland fire, how to apply this to natural resource management, including fire mitigation, and how we can engage our communities in this undertaking."  visit the conference website and see the Sponsor & Exhibitor section to support the Colorado Wildland Fire Conference.

RESOURCES

Colorado State Forest Atlas

The Colorado Forest Atlas is a web portal providing a suite of interactive mapping applications portraying information about Colorado’s forests. These applications provide Colorado citizens the best available information about forest conditions and Colorado State Forest Service activities. The Forest Atlas is designed to satisfy the mission of the Colorado State Forest Service by providing easy access to this information. Applications are organized to best meet public information demands. Learn More About The Forest Atlas

Prioritizing Access and Functional Needs in Emergency Planning and Wildfire Response

Gabe Kohler and FAC Net Staff have published a new blog about Access and Functional Needs during Wildfire, available on the Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network website | Jan 12, 2023 

FUNDING

JOBS

WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED
Pitch Your Story Idea!

FACO members, visit our Member Workspace on PODIO    HOW TO USE THE SITE 

Facebook
Website
Email
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
Copyright © 2022 Fire Adapted Colorado All rights reserved.

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
 






This email was sent to <<Email Address>>
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
Fire Adapted Colorado · PO Box 2312 · Dolores, Colorado 81323 · USA

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp