Riverfront Collaborative Mitigation Projects Beginning Spring 2022

MESA COUNTY

Through the collaboration of Two Rivers Wildfire Coalition, local agencies are teaming up to tackle wildfire fuels reduction along the river in Grand Junction. Colorado Parks and Wildlife recently received a Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program grant (CoSWAP) to conduct wildfire fuel reduction along the riverfront.

Working together with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Colorado State Forest Service, the City of Grand Junction, the State Wildland Inmate Fire Team, and private landowners, nearly 62 acres will be treated across land ownership boundaries. It is estimated that these projects will protect approximately 340 homes, and 21 businesses.

The project will have four main areas including land within and adjoining Connected Lakes State Park, Letha Jean State Wildlife Area, and Walter Walker State Wildlife Area. Work will begin in the area of Indian Wash, and it is expected that crews will work throughout the spring and in the fall on the different project areas.

For more information on these projects, contact Pete Firmin at Pete.Firmin@state.co.us.

Donations From Alpine Bank, Western Colorado Community Foundation Support Wildfire Resiliency

MESA COUNTY-

The Alpine Bank Environmental Fund recently made a generous $5,000 donation to match the $5,000 donated by Western Colorado Community Foundation last year. With this seed money, Two Rivers Wildfire Coalition is now eligible to apply for grants that may require match or reimbursement. Most commonly, these grants are related to wildfire fuel reduction projects, but can also work to build capacity or purchase equipment to help build a wildfire adapted community.

Two Rivers Wildfire Coalition co-chair Ellis Thompson-Ellis said , “With this seed funding the Wildfire Coalition will strive to have monies continually reimbursed by grants so these funds can be used again and again.” Initially the Coalition will look to use the funds to support fuels reduction projects in high-risk areas of Mesa County.

Tawni Kelly, Community Outreach Director for Alpine Bank said, “Alpine Bank is thrilled to be able to support such an important effort here in our local community and we hope that this small contribution will help to provide some additional resources towards the critical work already being done by Two Rivers Wildlife Coalition.”

Emily Orbanek, Programs Manager for Western Colorado Community Foundation said, “Our Community Foundation is pleased to support the necessary work of Two Rivers Wildfire Coalition. The Coalition’s work is urgent as western Colorado grapples with more frequent and more destructive wildfires. By working in collaboration across the spectrum of land managers, TRWC is better equipped to navigate the next fire season.”

Two Rivers Wildfire Coalition is a collaborative non-profit focused on protecting Mesa County communities and natural resources by bolstering wildfire preparedness mitigation, response, and recovery efforts. With over 15 federal, state, local, non-profit, and private agencies working together, the group looks forward to completing more mitigation and education projects in the area in the coming year.

For more information contact the coalition at TwoRiversWildfireCoalition@gmail.com or call 970-697-7052.

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Two Rivers Wildfire Coalition Launches First Fundraising Campaign

Beginning August 23 through September 30, Two Rivers Wildfire Coalition is launching the group’s first public fundraising campaign. With a generous donation from Western Colorado Community Foundation, all donations up to $5,000 will be matched 1:1. Funds from the campaign will allow the Coalition to pursue larger grants for local wildfire fuels reduction projects and supporting Firewise communities.

To this point the Coalition has been working together as a group to leverage resources from their agencies for wildfire mitigation and outreach. “Our next step is to bring in grant monies to support mitigation across land ownership in our high-risk communities. So many of these grants require a match, or they reimburse costs, and we need this seed money to make that happen”, said Pete Firmin, Two Rivers Wildfire Coalition fundraising and grants chair and James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park Manager. Fundraising donations to this campaign are not only doubled by the match from the Community Foundation but will be multiplied again through grants to help our community. Future projects chosen by the Coalition will be in high-risk areas or will support private landowners pursuing Firewise status for their neighborhood.

“Our Community Foundation is pleased to support the necessary work the Two Rivers Wildfire Coalition. The Coalition’s work is urgent as western Colorado grapples with more frequent wildfires,” said Emily Orbanek, programs director for the Western Colorado Community Foundation.

For more information on the fundraising campaign contact the Two Rivers Wildfire Coalition at www.TwoRiversWildifreCoalition.org or find them on Facebook at facebook.com/TwoRiversWildfireCoalition. Donations are tax-deductible and can be made online.

About Two Rivers Wildfire Coalition

Two Rivers Wildfire Coalition is a collaborative non-profit focused on protecting Mesa County communities and natural resources by bolstering wildfire preparedness mitigation, response, and recovery efforts. With over 15 federal, state, local, non-profit, and private agencies working together, the group looks forward to completing more mitigation and education projects in the area in the coming year.