County to apply for forest restoration grant; seeks $258,000 with 50% local match

Routt County commissioners authorized staff to submit an application for the Forest Restoration and Wildfire Risk Mitigation (FurWARM) grant on Oct. 7. The county requested $258,000 and will provide the required 50% match, roughly $258,000, and said the funds would focus on life-safety priorities in the wildland-urban interface.

Staff described the work as focused on evacuation routes and ingress/egress resilience. Proposed activities include roadside mowing and trimming, mastication for dense vegetation, hazardous-tree removal and fuels treatments on private properties with owner permission. The county said it coordinated project selection with fire protection districts and used a recent countywide wildfire-hazard analysis to identify the top 10 project areas; the grant application will focus on those prioritized areas adjacent to evacuation and response routes.

Match and partnerships: staff said the county has budgeted $50,000 in 2026 as a potential local share and that the county will seek additional in-kind and cash contributions from fire districts and Road & Bridge for outreach and operations. The county noted North Routt Fire District had an earlier FurWARM award with remaining funds the county expects to coordinate with.

Why it matters: the projects target life-safety corridors and aim to reduce wildfire risk along primary evacuation and response routes. The board approved submission and a joint letter of support from the Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council.

Action taken: motion to submit the FurWARM grant application and approve letter of support passed by voice vote.