As executive director of Wildfire Adapted Partnership (formerly FireWise of Southwest Colorado), a local nonprofit working to protect lives and property from wildfire, I am gratified to see the new and continuing efforts to address the threat of wildfire in our community.
The threat is real, especially with current drought conditions, and WAP is working with our neighbors and agency partners to build fire-adapted communities that are made up of informed residents who are prepared to live safely with wildfire. WAP assists residents and subdivisions through wildfire education and mitigation incentive programs to help lower the risk of wildfire around homes and in communities.
For many residents, key barriers to completing wildfire mitigation on their properties are the lack of specific information about what to do and financial assistance to get the work done. WAP addresses both of these barriers through its programs, but each year demand far exceeds our organization’s capacity and available funding.
The proposed Southwest Wildfire Impact Fund, the Rocky Mountain Restoration Initiative and La Plata County’s recently established Wildfire Advisory Board are all steps in the right direction and are important partners in the critical work we need to do to protect lives and property in Southwest Colorado. With the attention, resources and efforts of many to address the threat of wildfire, we will be better positioned to mitigate future damages. We appreciate our partners.
For more information, visit our website, www.wildfireadapted.org.
Ashley DowningDurango
