Protecting forests. Preparing communities.
From prevention to recovery: reducing wildfire risk across the basin.
Prevention, not just response.
Wildfire is where our story began. Here’s where it’s going.
ARWC was founded in response to wildfire, but we’ve made a deliberate shift from reacting to fires to preventing them. Today, the majority of our wildfire work focuses on proactive fuels mitigation: thinning overgrown forests, reducing fuel loads, and helping communities prepare before fire arrives.
Healthy forests are more resistant to intense fire, absorb more water, and support healthier ecosystems. By mimicking natural processes such as selectively thinning dense stands and removing dead or diseased trees, we reduce the severity of future fires and protect the water supplies and communities downstream.
When fires do happen, we’re ready to support recovery. ARWC has worked on post-fire stabilization and restoration following the Spring Creek, Decker, and Hayden Pass fires, but our goal is to make those responses less necessary over time.
How we do it.
Programs and projects building wildfire resilience across the basin.
Fuels Mitigation & Forest Thinning
Treating overgrown forests on public and private land — Halfmoon, South Teller, East Wet Mountains, and more. We work with USFS, CSFS, and private landowners to plan and implement treatments.
Community Slash Collection
12 slash collection sites across the basin where landowners can drop off material from their mitigation work — free of charge.
Lake County Chipping Program
A neighborhood-based chipping program making mitigation accessible for landowners who can’t transport slash. We come to you.
Neighborhood Ambassador Program
Training local leaders to help their neighbors navigate wildfire readiness — from creating defensible space to connecting with ARWC resources.
Wildfire Ready Watershed Plans (WRAPs)
Comprehensive, community-driven planning that assesses wildfire risk and identifies mitigation priorities at the watershed scale. Active in Lake, Chaffee, Fremont, and Custer counties.
Post-Fire Response Capacity
When fire happens, we support recovery — soil stabilization, erosion control, and community coordination. Past work includes Spring Creek Fire, Decker Fire, and Hayden Pass Fire recovery.
Wildfire resilience in numbers.
Building a more prepared basin, one acre at a time.
Acres treated
Slash Site Events
Landowners supported
Neighborhoods chipped
Current wildfire projects.
Where we’re working right now.
Interlaken Fire: 5 Months After Flame
Four months after an abandoned campfire ring ignited the hillside above Twin Lake Reservoir, I took a chilly...
Lake County Fuels Mitigation
Lake County recognizes the severe impacts of wildfires and has updated its approach through the Community Wildfire...
Restoring Resilience in the Aftermath of the Spring Creek Fire
On June 27, 2018, the Spring Creek Fire erupted near La Veta, Colorado, ultimately becoming the third-largest wildfire...
Protect your property.
Practical steps you can take today.
Whether you need a place to take your slash, want to sign up for chipping, or just want to know where to start — we can help.