Larimer County announces $100,000 in community wildfire mitigation grants; Fireshed adds $65,000

Larimer County officials on Tuesday announced $100,000 in community mitigation grants for 2025, awarding funds to 19 neighborhoods and homeowner associations to support local wildfire risk reduction and resilience projects. The county’s Office of Emergency Management also said the Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative is providing an additional $65,000 to expand the program.

The awards, presented by Josh Roberts, mitigation coordinator for Larimer County’s Office of Emergency Management, fund projects written and managed by the communities themselves. Roberts said grant-funded activities include hazardous fuels mitigation, community chipping and slash-removal programs, purchase of tool-and-equipment libraries (for example saws and dump trailers) and other neighborhood-scale mitigation work.

The grants matter because they support actions that reduce wildfire risk at the household and neighborhood level and encourage neighbors to coordinate mitigation work. “These projects not only do they help reduce the risk, but they really help improve resilience,” Roberts said during the meeting, noting the program’s emphasis on community-led efforts and neighbor engagement.

Community leaders who received awards described how small grants were stretched into larger mitigation efforts. Dave Herter of the Cherokee Meadows Road Association, who also represents Livermore Fire Protection District, said his award funded training on surviving wind-driven…