On Monday, April 11, U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore and U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland traveled to Colorado for an event with Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and Representative Joe Neguse to help launch the Biden-Harris Administration’s Rural Infrastructure Tour. It highlighted how President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investments will help deliver results and resources in rural communities. They announced $13 million in funding for the next year on fire mitigation in Boulder County.

Chief Moore, Secretary Haaland, Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper, and Representative Neguse visited Boulder County and conducted a joint field visit to discuss the Biden-Harris Administration’s comprehensive efforts to protect rural communities from the threat of wildfires and improve the resilience of America’s forests and public lands.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes historic investments to implement this critical work through hazardous fuels management and post-wildfire restoration activities across America’s forests, rangelands, and grasslands. After receiving a joint operational briefing from wildland fire experts about the seasonal fire outlook, they shared their vision for the Biden- Harris Administration’s wildland fire preparedness and response at a press conference at Heil Valley Ranch, 257 Geer Canyon Drive, northwest of Boulder.

The event started at about 1 p.m. Boulder County Commissioner Matt Jones said he has been a state senator and public lands manager. He lives in Louisville and is lucky to still have a house there after recent fires.

Half of the Calwood fire burned part of the area near Heil Valley Ranch. The community needs thinning, suppression, and restoration. Mitigation helps with watershed, and the Longmont water supply is just over the hill.

“It’s hard to bring back the forests. It also changes the recreational setting, so they should do more for fire mitigation,” Jones said.

The congressional delegation has been working hard. Jones is thankful for emergency watershed funds, and a fireshed group has been formed. It’s a smart investment up front, Jones said.

Tony Chang said they have a united strategy. They have a ten-year plan including the size and severity of the fire and thinking about what we do on the landscape.

They have the science and tools to situate treatments and outcomes that will make a difference. He urged that we keep investing in the fire-fighting strategy.

Jones said it costs $1,000 an acre for fire mitigation, and that takes funding. In Boulder County, there are many tree huggers, and “I am one,” he said. In Boulder, he claims, everyone works together.

State Fire Manager for the Bureau of Land Management said they are working with the Department of the Interior on pre-planning and taking an all-lands approach. They want to put folks on the ground with better tools. Twenty years ago, it would have been impossible to do that.

After the background information, the press moved down the hill to picnic tables and the announcement of funds. Congressman Joe Neguse said this is the most beautiful district. He introduced U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore, who is the first African American to serve in the position.

Chief Moore said that people are our greatest resource. The Calwood fire was the largest fire in the area for 100 years. There was a briefing this morning, which indicated that there will be a drought this year. “We need to double down on this investment, which will pay in the future,” he said.

Senator and former Colorado Governor Hickenlooper said that with the acceleration of climate change, the Infrastructure Bill combines an aggregate of a number of smaller bills. We have to address climate change with collaborative efforts between non-profit organizations as well as creating new best strategies.

Senator Michael Bennett said that without the Secretary of Agriculture, he wouldn’t be here today. He has been working on this for 20 or 30 years. The message is that we need to invest on the front end; that this is a resilient place; and success is only as good as the collaboration. We can come back stronger than before, Bennett added.

Chief Moore said he worked in Pueblo and Colorado Springs. The State has a 10-year strategy for 20 million acres to protect communities, water, and threatened species. The first round for Colorado stands at $1.3 million.

The priorities are bringing people together, Moore said. “It’s a good thing to have….We have seen the devastation from fires. We have overgrown forests with bugs and insects, which will destroy our forests. I am pleased to see government agencies pulling together.”

Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland said that she appreciated everyone in uniform who was at the gathering. She had a terrific morning, she said, and she will come back to Colorado. She added that she “dug into a five-mile hike yesterday. It wasn’t too overcrowded.”

Climate change makes fires more intense. The outline is for a shared vision to restore ecosystems. The five-year plan identifies treatment strategies.

Chief Moore said they are trying to hire 1,000 firefighters, but firefighters are hard to come by. This is the first year of the program, and they will have $130 million this year across eight states.

The Department of the Interior has recently released a roadmap for making historic investments in forest restoration, hazardous fuels management, and post-wildfire restoration in coordination with federal, non-federal, and Tribal partners. This roadmap follows the release of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service 10-Year Wildfire Crisis Strategy earlier this year.

Taken together, these plans outline the treatment, monitoring and maintenance strategy the agencies will use to address wildfire risk, better serve communities, and improve conditions on all types of lands where wildfires can occur.

For more information, go to https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2022/01/18/secretary-vilsack-announces-new-10-year-strategy-confront-wildfire