Enhancing Community Resiliency

In January of 2025, The Town was awarded funding to support wildfire mitigation efforts for the next three years. The grant program aims to facilitate a comprehensive range of essential mitigation activities. These encompass diverse initiatives, ranging from the reduction of fuel loads in open spaces and fortification of facilities using fire-resistant materials, to the creation of defensible zones around structures.

Additionally, the program includes vital post-fire soil stabilization techniques, like the introduction of native plant species for erosion control and containment of fire-prone invasive plants. By aligning this project with the overarching objective of bolstering community resilience, Superior is well-positioned to achieve great progress. These initiatives are now actively underway. To follow the latest updates and track the progress of ongoing activities, please visit the Town of Superior: Wildfire Mitigation Storymap.

This effort focuses on pinpointing and ranking strategies to safeguard lives, assets, and essential infrastructure within the wildland-urban interface (WUI) in the event of a wildfire. The CWPP encompasses an in-depth assessment of key areas, encompassing hazard reduction strategies, the capacity to respond to wildfires, community readiness measures, and the susceptibility of structures to ignition. This involves evaluating many factors such as historical fire occurrences, the state of vegetation (fuels), prevailing weather trends, and the community's ability to effectively manage wildfire incidents. Guided by this comprehensive evaluation, the CWPP delineates a series of strategies and projects aimed at diminishing risks, augmenting community preparedness, and fostering overall resilience.

The Town of Superior is currently participating in two CWPP processes, one with Mountain View Fire and Rescue and another with Boulder County. The two CWPP's were awarded to the same consultant and there is collaboration on many levels to ensure the best outcomes.

• Mountain View Fire Rescue CWPP Website
• Mountain View Fire Rescue CWPP Plan
• Boulder County CWPP Website
• Colorado State Forest CWPP Minimum Standards

One of the mitigation best practices Superior has implemented over the last few years is goat grazing. Goats are considered one of the most effective tools in vegetation overgrowth and eat everything in their environment which helps limit overgrowth. Their hooves aerate the soil and their saliva acts as a natural herbicide, which is an added benefit. This helps render the seeds they consume inert so they do not grow next season, reducing overall growth and potential of wildfires. Visit Town of Superior: Wildfire Mitigation Story Map to see current and past mitigation activities.

Urban Prairie Project:

The Town forged a partnership with the Butterfly Pavilion focusing on restoring native plants in the open spaces in an effort called the Urban Prairie Project. The Project is a long-term ecological restoration initiative aimed at revitalizing native prairie ecosystems along Colorado's Front Range. One of its key focuses in 2024 was the Harney Lastoka Open Space, where goat grazing was used as a natural method of weed control and habitat restoration. This collaboration led to a collection of date on grazed and seeded land plots, training of dedicated volunteers, and increased community education and engagement. The project uses this data to refine best practices, ensuring that restoration is science- driven and community-supported over time. Superior plans to continue partnering this effort. 

To learn more about the ecological impact of goat grazing, read the 2024 Harney Lastoka Open Space Goat Impact Summary(PDF, 1MB) .

Superior is implementing mowing twice seasonally to combat the noxious weeds from overgrowing. This is help eliminate the potential wildfire risk with a maintenance schedule. Due to dry conditions in the fall and winter, it is advised one mow in the early summer and one mow in the fall can reduce the threat. This will greatly support resident concerns for control on weed overgrowth on Town property.

The ongoing efforts in Superior encompass two vital aspects to enhance wildfire resilience: Firstly, through meticulous mapping and targeted removal of invasive plant species in parks and open spaces, a proactive approach is taken to mitigate factors that can escalate wildfires. This measure aligns with the objective of minimizing potential fire fuel sources and safeguarding critical areas. Secondly, by systematically compiling data and creating comprehensive maps of high-risk wildfire zones within the community, an informed approach is adopted to identify vulnerable regions. Tracking and understanding the location of invasive plant species shows timelines of results of mitigation efforts and their degree of success, and helps to organize future programs and best practices. These initiatives collectively emphasize the commitment to safeguarding the community, fostering preparedness, and reducing the impact of potential wildfire events.

This is a recurring open space volunteer opportunity that focuses on a noxious weed crew. This is a pilot program with a crew of 8 to 12 and expected to expand in the following years. This crew's purpose is to remove designated noxious weed specie from open space lands each month from May to through September. If you have a general interest in getting out and helping maintain and rebuild our Open Spaces, please contact our Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces team.

Collaboration plays a pivotal role in Superior planning efforts, amplifying their effectiveness and impact in numerous ways. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, such as government agencies, local communities, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions, collaborative planning leverages a collective pool of expertise, resources, and perspectives. This multifaceted input enriches the planning process, leading to more comprehensive and well-informed strategies. Open space management information events and preparedness programs for the community with various partners such as Boulder County, Fireshed, Office of Disaster Management, City of Boulder, State Forest Service, and Wildfire Partners. One recent outcome is a storymap on Grassland Management in Boulder County

Boulder County Sheriff's Fire Management Team offers valuable resources: Open Burning Portal to view prescribed burn map and learn about burn permits and Open Burn Map for real-time updates on upcoming, active, and completed burns in unincorporated Boulder County. 

Are invasive species a concern after a fire?

Invasive species can spread more easily after a fire. The Open Space Advisory Committee (OSAC) supports a volunteer Weed Ambassador Program to empower volunteers to assist with removal of invasive species. To find out more, please visit the Town Volunteer Webpage.

What can we do to help with wildlife recovery?

The Open Space Advisory Committee (OSAC) has begun monitoring wildlife activity in the Town. Please consider volunteering your time to learn how to observe wildlife and submit reports as you observe wildlife. OSAC will work with the Town's wildlife ecologist to see if there are opportunities to enhance wildlife based on these observations. To find out more, please visit the Town Volunteer webpage.

What should I consider when landscaping my property after a fire?

Residents may want to consider a landscaping plan that is more fire resistant and provides defensible space around your home. Defensible space is the buffer you create between a building on your property and the grass, shrubs, or any wildland area that surround it. The use of fire-resistant material to "harden" your property is also something that homeowners may consider. For more information, visit Northern Water's Landscape Templates.

Home hardening addresses the most vulnerable components of your house with building materials and installation techniques that increase resistance to heat, flames, and embers that accompany most wildfires. Resources such as the Homeowner's Guide to Reducing Risk of Structure Ignition from Wildfire, The CSU Extension Front Range Tree List, Wildfire Partners Home Mitigation Checklist, and Northern Water Sustainable Templates.

To get involved in an Individual Home Assessment or Community Assessment, fill out an application on the Wildfire Partners website.

What measures is the Town conducting for wildfire mitigation?

The Town is working on a number of measures for wildfire mitigation. To stay updated for current wildfire mitigation projects, please read about our goat grazing, mowing, mapping and removal of fuels, Open Space Ambassador Program, and collaboration projects.

The Town is also promoting community outreach programs to help educate the community on wildfire mitigation tips. Check out Disaster Preparedness and Recovery website event calendar for upcoming programs. If there is not a program that is being offered, check our video library website for resources and past events that have been recorded if it pertains to what you might be looking for.

The Colorado Resiliency Office released the first Climate Preparedness Roadmap which focus on ways to better understand, prepare for, and adapt to the impacts of climate change, and outlines actions the administration can take to protect Colorado's future. Read more about the roadmap(PDF, 4MB).

The purpose of this Story map is to provide public information about grassland management in Boulder County. Click here to check out recent updates on best practices on grassland management. 

Wildfire Partners is offering a general rebate program for all Boulder County residents. Homeowners and renters alike may be eligible for financial assistance to support wildfire mitigation efforts. Take action today to protect your home and community.

Rebate Program 2025

Northern Water has offers two landscape templates that are designed to assist communities impacted by the Marshall Fire. For more information, visit Northern Water Landscape Templates.

The Boulder County camera pilot project with AlertWest began in 2022. The camera system uses AI to scan the video feed for signs of smoke. Upon detection, a "human intelligence" center where the data is reviewed by a person before an alert is pushed out to subscribing parties. This system is being evaluated and the County is hoping to install more cameras in the future. The cameras do not show live video, update with still images, and are susceptible to power outages.

Boulder County AlertWest Pilot Project Access