Colorado Fire Commission unveils statewide strategy to expand prescribed burning on nonfederal lands

The Colorado Fire Commission presented a statewide strategy to expand prescribed burning on nonfederal lands during the Colorado Forest Health Council meeting in Pagosa Springs on April 30.

“This is the Colorado statewide strategy for prescribed fire on nonfederal lands,” said Katie Lobidosinski, program manager for the Colorado Fire Commission, as she introduced the plan to council members and agency staff.

The strategy frames prescribed fire as a tool to reduce wildfire risk, restore ecological function and support long‑term forest and watershed resilience. It identifies six categories of barriers — liability, training and certification, permitting, coordination of treatments, public and political outreach, and funding — and packages 21 recommended strategies to address them. The subcommittee behind the work rated nine of those strategies as requiring legislative action and 12 as administrative actions that agencies can pursue without new law.

Why it matters

Prescribed fire advocates say more controlled, planned fire on the landscape will reduce the likelihood of catastrophic wildfire and make landscapes and communities more resilient to changing climate and weather patterns. The strategy aims to lower the practical and legal hurdles that limit prescribed burns on private and other nonfederal lands, especially where cross‑boundary work is required.

Key recommendations

- Liability and insurance: The plan recommends clarifying statutory liability language, exploring legal frameworks for shared or pooled insurance, and creating a state prescribed‑fire claims fund to provide a financial backstop for certified burners, trainees and landowners. (Colorado’s proposed legislation on a prescribed‑fire claims cash fund — discussed…