In 2022, the Boulder Watershed Collective engaged with Nederland community members and the Timberline Fire Protection Districts (TFPD) through interviews and workshops. Connecting with the community and TFPD last year was in “anticipation of the upcoming update to the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for the Nederland/Timberline Protection Districts,” shares Fire Adapted Communities Coordinator Kirin Riddell.

With the new CWPP update fully underway, further community engagement will ensure “good communication, community input, and feedback regarding the final written CWPP document.”

The CWPP isn’t the only thing receiving updates. This year, the approach to community participation will include a kick-off informational meeting on Monday, July 31, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The meeting will be at the Nederland Community Center, with a virtual option. A recorded option will be available for those who register but can’t attend. The meeting is an opportunity for partner organizations working on the CWPP to provide information to community members.

Among the presenters and representatives are The Ember Alliance, the Nederland and Timberline Fire Protection Districts, the Boulder Watershed Collective, the Town of Nederland, and representatives from Boulder County.

Other community engagements include focus groups and a public comment period around February 2024. The Boulder Watershed Collective is also looking into organizing a community wildfire council.

CWPPs are quintessential in keeping mountain communities thriving. These plans are a method for identifying priority projects which help protect the community from wildfire. The projects work better when they’re carried out by appropriate agencies, as well as by members of the community.

So, why are CWPPs important? Riddell states, “Knowing about these actions by familiarizing themselves with the CWPP will allow community members to understand how they can participate in collective community action on wildfire preparedness and take a leading role in turning plans into reality in their neighborhoods and landscapes.”

“Additionally, identifying priority projects and actions in a CWPP can open the door to discovering sources of funding for those projects,” continues Riddell. To ensure proposed and funded projects reflect community values and priorities, community members need to participate in this process.

While the Boulder Watershed Collective works throughout the Boulder Creek Watershed, this CWPP is specifically for the Nederland Fire Protection District and the Boulder County section of the Timberline Fire Protection District.

“Our involvement in this project is, however, rooted in our mission to cultivate partnerships, promote community stewardship, and revitalize social and ecological systems within the Boulder Creek Watershed and beyond,” says Riddell.

To register for the meeting, zoom link, or recording, please visit https://NedTimberlineCWPPinfo. eventbrite.com. You can find the Boulder Watershed Collective on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/boulderwatershedcollective or you can give them a call at 303-449-3333.