This webinar is the first of two webinars. It will provide an overview of the purpose and planning potential of the assessment.
In 2022, the Colorado State Forest Service collaborated with Technosylva, plus representatives from the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment, the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute, and the USDA Forest Service to develop a major update to the 2017 Colorado Wildfire Risk Assessment (CO-WRA).
This webinar will provide an overview of the major changes in CO-WRA, including modification of Scott and Burgan (2005) standard fire behavior fuel models to better reflect fuel types in Colorado, incorporating LiDAR to produce higher spatial resolution data products, and advanced wildland-urban interface risk analysis. Presenters will explain how these datasets and information can be used to: (1) increase public awareness about wildfire risk; (2) support wildfire risk reduction efforts, decision-making, and research from state to local scales; (3) identify high priority areas; (4) assist in the development of Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) and other hazard mitigation plans; and (5) complement forest stewardship and forest management plans.