What we’re doing:
Following the record-breaking 2020 Colorado wildfire season, during which multiple large wildfires threatened Estes Park, resulting in a full evacuation of the town at one point, and considering the history of wildfire activity in the area and the promise of future blazes, the Estes Park Community
Development Department is taking action to help the community become more resilient to this natural hazard.
Beginning in June 2021, the Town is partnering with Headwaters Economics, Inc., a non-profit and independent research group, via the Town’s voluntary participation in the latter’s Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW) program, which is funded through grants from the U.S. Forest Service and private foundations. The purpose of CPAW participation is, in the words of the program’s facilitators, to support “local adaptation to wildfire by providing technical assistance to communities.” For Estes Park, that means enhancing communication in the community, increasing land use planning capacity, and improving local partnerships.
Community Development staff will update this page with new information and relevant documentation as it becomes available. Please check back to see what we are doing to combat the threat of wildfire, and feel free to reach out to us for more information or with questions. Your staff contact is LauraJane Baur. She can be reached at 970-577-3717 or lbaur@estes.org.