Colorado Wildlife Department Planning to Invest $20 Million Into Fire Prevention Tactics

The Colorado Wildlife Department is gearing up for another wildfire season by investing $20 million into an updated Wildlife Preparedness Plan. 

The CWD believes that Colorado’s mountains and plains are at risk for more wildfires than ever before. The department estimated there will be about 5,507 fires. According to the 2022 Wildlife Preparedness Plan, the fires will burn about 221,661 acres of land. 

According to the proposed plan, a chunk of the funding will be spent on early prevention research and tools to catch fires before they begin. One major and helpful tool the department plans to invest in is the DFPC Multi-Mission Aircraft (MMA). The MMA is a federal-level tool that the CWD will have to request access for. If the department is granted access, the aircraft will use state-of-the-art technology to detect infrared rays, effectively stopping fires before they begin. 

The CWD is requesting access to additional aviation resources, and larger crew teams to combat the fires at all levels. Funding will also be used to improve fire prevention training and education programs. The plan also highlight’s the wildlife department’s initiative to increase the number of fire investigations in the state. This testing will provide further insights on fire prevention tactics and improve response time to the site of the fire. 

The CWD has never asked for additional funding before. This increased funding would greatly expand the fire prevention tools and resources necessary for stopping the alarming amount of fires in the state. It is critical that the wildlife department gets this issue under control to preserve Colorado’s beautiful landscape. 

Learn more about Colorado’s 2022 Wildlife Protection Plan now.