Community Wildfire Protection Plan

The Routt County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) development is currently underway. 

A community survey was available during November and December 2022. The survey has since closed, and the data collected will be incorporated into the CWPP.

A series of public meetings were held November 14-17, 2022 across Routt County to gather input from our communities. Missed the public meetings? A recording of the Steamboat Springs Community Meeting held on November 17, 2022, is available on YouTube and the Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council's website.

For more information, contact Alyssa Ingles with Routt County Emergency Management at 970-761-9168 or email aingles@co.routt.co.us. 

Are you looking for resources to become more familiar with wildfire risk and mitigation strategies? Check out these great guides!

What is a Community Wildfire Protection Plan?

A Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) is a plan developed by local communities to guide long-term mitigation strategies across a defined area. A well-developed CWPP should include input from local governments and municipalities, fire protection districts, local utilities, State and Federal land managers, and local community members and organizations. To ensure this project is successful, Routt County pulled together a steering committee with representatives from many of these stakeholder groups to advise this project and ensure it meets the needs of our community.

A CWPP is not just a listing of fuel reduction projects. Instead, the CWPP gives us an assessment of our current landscape conditions and identifies and prioritizes our next steps.

This CWPP will guide the future of Routt County's wildfire preparedness and identify strategies for wildfire resilience and mitigation across our community. The CWPP will be adopted into the Routt County Hazard Mitigation Plan and will be subject to annual reviews and revision every five years.

Muddy Slide wildfire burns a forested area

The Muddy Slide Fire burned near the Stagecoach community in 2021. Photo courtesy David DeMorat, Emergency Operations Director.

Learn more at the Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council Opens in new window

Project Goals


The primary goals of the Routt County CWPP are to: 

  1. Provide a local ground-truth assessment of values at risk, key vulnerabilities, and a wildland-urban interface map
  2. Create an actionable and user-friendly wildfire mitigation and community resilience plan that prioritizes communities determined to be at the most risk of wildfires
  3. Promote inclusive, county-wide participation that results in a plan reflecting local needs and priorities
  4. Develop recommendations for specific and feasible actions including:
    • Forest management and ecosystems protection and restoration
    • Fuels treatment projects
    • Measures to improve public safety
    • Education and outreach activities
    • Critical infrastructure projection
    • Strategic plans and partnerships
  5. Identify a strategy for implementing recommendations, including key considerations, roles and responsibilities, and potential funding and technical assistance opportunities 
  6. Improve public awareness of wildfire risk, knowledge of risk reduction measures, and willingness to take and support mitigation actions

Steering Committee


The Steering Committee is a group of representatives that will help guide the creation of Routt County's CWPP. Members of the Steering Committee consist of Routt County employees, representatives from each of the Fire Protection Districts, representatives from State and Federal agencies, and members of the community.

Some of the responsibilities of the Steering Committee are to:

  • Support the project by ensuring tasks and deliverables are completed per expectations and meet the requirements of the stakeholders
  • Provide agency-specific information to the project
  • Track the project progress to ensure project remains on schedule, on task, and on budget
  • Participation in public meetings and outreach to the community and additional stakeholders to generate interest and encourage community engagement
  • Review and approve project deliverables

Schedule


August 9, 2022 - BCC approves Professional Services Agreement authorizing Jensen Hughes to begin work

August 29, 2022 - Project Kick-Off Meeting

September 26-30, 2022 - Jensen Hughes conducted site visits and fieldwork across Routt County

October 4, 2022 - Steering Committee Meeting

November 14-17, 2022 - Public Meetings 

January 2023 - 50% Draft Review

June 2023 - Final Draft Review

August 2023 - Tentative Project Completion

Additional Resources

There are many great resources for those looking to learn more about CWPPs: