Denver, Colorado

Wildfires in Colorado are reaching crisis proportions. Megafires caused by drought, past practices of fire suppression and exacerbated by an expanding wildland urban interface are no longer an occasional occurrence, but the new reality. This situation impacts all of us and threatens the values we hold dear as Coloradans: our clean air, water supplies, infrastructure, recreation, and scenic beauty—all of which contribute to our outstanding quality of life. But there are solutions. We can reduce the risk of catastrophic fires by restoring forests to their natural condition through forest thinning and prescribed fire over time in a mosaic pattern. The USDA Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy has prioritized the Front Range and is bringing new, one-time, financial resources to the table. But to deliver long-term solutions at scale we must use this window of opportunity to develop new approaches, coalitions, and sustainable funding sources to do the long-term work of wildfire risk reduction. Together, we will identify new innovative business opportunities that will help protect Colorado and preserve the essential values that forests provide.