Lessons Learned: The West Fork Complex Fire
The Takeaways
Secure grant funding first, then collaborate on how to spend it.
Rural communities need diverse economies, expand from tourism.
Collaboratives can help rural communities become more resilient by knowing who to call and who is able to help out during and after the disaster.
“I knew who I could call, who would be here, who would help us through this. The common goals of a region helped but also those networks and the partnership with emergency managers and response.”
The Case Study
In rural south-central Colorado sits the headwaters of the Rio Grande. Back in 2012, an exceptional drought persisted in the region for the majority of the year. On top of that, the region’s forests had been experiencing an outbreak of the spruce beetle that left 800,000 acres of standing dead trees. Then, in June 2013, lightning sparked three separate fires in the region that together were called the West Fork Complex fire. The West Fork Complex fire impacted 4 counties: Archuleta, Hinsdale, Mineral, and Rio Grande.
In the midst of the fire, Hinsdale, Mineral, and Rio Grande counties banded together and created the Rio Grande Watershed Emergency Action Coordination Team, or RWEACT. This collaborative was crucial in coordinating resources amongst the communities, securing funding from an executive order from Governor Hickenlooper, and lobbying to get more help from the state and federal governments. This funding was used to help with expanding community planning efforts, addressing fire-caused impacts, and improving emergency notification efforts. RWEACT also has participation from the CO Water Conservation Board, CO Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, CO Department of Local Affairs, and the Rio Grande National Forest. Having representatives from all levels of government helped expedite the response and recovery process.
After the fire was extinguished, the collaborative continued the work to create a more resilient Rio Grande Valley. In the immediate aftermath, Hinsdale, Mineral, and Rio Grande counties all completed sales tax analyses and found that the three counties shared similar economies. All relied heavily on tourism and public lands, and together the counties developed economic goals to help the region recover and build resiliency for the future. These goals are to:
Increase regional marketing efforts.
Increase heritage tourism opportunities.
Increase outdoor recreation opportunities.
Research biomass opportunities for commercial endeavors.
Support existing businesses.
Several plans were developed post-fire to help support existing businesses, and RWEACT now has five standing committees that help address post-fire impacts and improve emergency notification efforts. In the end, the West Fork Complex fire actually served as a catalyst for these communities to start working together to build resiliency in their own communities and in the broader region.
Want more information?
Read an interview with Kristie Borchers, Program Manager at RWEACT.