Boulder staff present WUI risk index, inventory of 137 projects and 10 tier‑1 programs with 2030 targets
Summary
City staff told council they inventoried roughly 137 wildfire resilience projects, grouped them into 25 programs and used expert scoring to identify 10 tier‑1 priorities. Staff unveiled a Western WUI risk index divided into 12 sections and proposed 2030 measures, including treating city‑owned natural acres to wildfire risk‑reduction prescriptions.
City staff presented a multi‑part wildfire resilience framework: an inventory of about 137 projects organized into 25 program areas, a program prioritization exercise that produced 10 tier‑1 programs, and a geographic Wildland‑Urban Interface (WUI) risk index to target where work will be concentrated.
Paul Dennison of Open Space and Mountain Parks described the WUI risk index methodology: staff combined ignition‑risk zones, a 1,500‑foot buffer into adjacent natural areas and multiple risk indicators (home susceptibility, neighborhood exposure, fire intensity) to rank 12 Western WUI sections. "Our highest risk is concentrated in the Western parts of Boulder, West Of Broadway," Dennison said, and staff grouped sections into highest, very high and high risk categories to guide deployment of staff and resources.
For measurement, staff proposed time‑bound targets with a 2030 horizon. One example measure presented was to treat 100% of city‑owned natural acres in the 12 priority WUI sections to a prescribed wildfire risk‑reduction prescription by the end of 2030 (staff cited an initial tabulation of about 2,383 acres). Council members asked for clarity on geographic boundaries, funding options (including revolving loan concepts), contractor lists and how to scale support for renters and low‑income residents; staff said several of those items will be refined for the October follow‑up.
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