The Mission of the Colfax County Coalition of Firewise Communities (CCCFC) is five-fold:

1.Enhance Awareness of Wildfire Mitigation Opportunities Among Property Owners of the CCFWC

To enhance awareness of wildfire mitigation, an educational program will use the Communities’ websites, publications, seminars, and field demonstrations.  We will seek the cooperation and active participation of forest and fire authorities and experts.  These include, but are not limited to, federal, state, and local organizations such as the U.S. Forest service, and the New Mexico and Colorado State Forest Service.

2.Annually Review and Update the Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP)

The CWPP is a comprehensive document developed to evaluate current conditions and assess fire risk, recommend strategies to minimize fire hazards, and pre-plan actions in the event of a wildfire.  With this plan individual efforts can be coordinated into a larger effort, which benefits the entire community. The CWPP enhances our ability to compete for available funding in both the public and private sectors.

3.Promote Fuel Reduction in the Forest at Communities that Comprise the CCCFC.

To educate community home owners as to the value of property and the impact of Firewise forest health maintenance through fuel reduction around their homes and in the adjacent forest as the primary means of defense against wildland fire.  We intend (a) to encourage permanent and seasonal residents to implement the Defensible Space Concept around homes and other structures, (b) to encourage all owners to physically remove dead and diseased trees, and slash by mulching and grinding within the confines of their properties, (c) to remove dense undergrowth fuel, and (d) to thin, prune, and limb trees to diminish ladder fuels.  The thinning of dense stands restores the health and vigor of the forest by reducing tree populations to historically sustainable levels that are adapted to recurrent wildfire.  Thinning also reduces the stress of competition on desirable trees, thereby improving tree resistance to drought, disease, and insect infestation, which further adapts them to withstand wildfire. The overall objective of fuel reduction is to minimize the likelihood of catastrophic crown fires that are often costly and difficult or even impossible to extinguish.

4.Encourage Restoration of Thinned and Cleaned Areas and Planting of Native and Fire-adapted Plants

To restore areas thinned and cleaned of downfall and slash, we will encourage planting of native and fire-adapted plants around structures.  .  We will encourage planting of native grasses and wildflowers in the open areas.  

5.Explore Sources of Private and Public Funding

To secure funding to achieve the Coalition’s goals, we will investigate the availability of grant money provided through various private and public sources.  Volunteer work may be applied as an “in kind” contribution of funds to match those available through a grant.  To this end, we will encourage voluntary owner participation in fire mitigation and forest restoration on private property as well as the common areas.