The Ember Alliance

Author: Bridgette Windell

  • Red Feather Lakes Community Wildfire Protection Plan

    Red Feather Lakes Community Wildfire Protection Plan

    2024 Northern Colorado Crew Member Karo Hubbard implementing a fuels reduction treatment in Red Feather Lakes. Photo Credit: James Munn

    The Resilient Communities and Ecosystems team is excited to announce the start of a new Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) project in the Red Feather Lakes area! This project will serve the Red Feather Lakes Fire Protection District and was made possible through funding from a Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) award and partnership with the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS). The Ember Alliance has previously completed two other CWPPs in the area with the 2022 updates to both the Glacier View and Crystal Lakes CWPPs.

    What makes this project particularly significant is its integration with larger ongoing mitigation efforts, specifically the Red Feather Lakes Area Wildfire Defense Project. Also federally funded by a CWDG award, this project aims to connect and fund the priorities identified in the greater Red Feather Lakes area through the Glacier View, Crystal Lakes, Poudre Canyon, and Cherokee Meadows CWPPs.

    Map of the Red Feather Lakes Area Wildfire Defense Project scope. Map produced by Larimer OEM.

    Planning and implementation of the Red Feather Lakes Area Wildfire Defense Project goals will be consulted to see how the Red Feather Lakes CWPP priorities might tie into larger roadway and landscape scale treatments. By coordinating the Red Feather Lakes CWPP with this ongoing project, the Red Feather Lakes area can develop a more unified and effective approach to wildfire mitigation.  

    The Red Feather Lakes CWPP contract was signed in mid-January, and work started shortly thereafter. The CWPP process is broken up into 7 phases with The Ember Alliance consulting and collaborating with several key partners throughout. These partners include the Red Feather Lakes Fire Department, CSFS, the United States Forest Service (USFS), Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed (CPRW), Larimer County, and local community members to name a few. By leveraging funding, collaboration, and local expertise, the Red Feather Lakes CWPP will not only address immediate fire risks but will also contribute to long-term community and ecological resilience. 

  • The Ember Alliance completes 2025 CWPP Update for Asotin County, Washington

    The Ember Alliance completes 2025 CWPP Update for Asotin County, Washington

    Photo: Asotin County Conservation District

    The Ember Alliance (TEA) is excited to announce the completion of the updated Asotin County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) prepared for the Asotin County Conservation District. This CWPP will help Asotin County, Washington to prepare for wildfire by providing specific information and recommendations for their local area. CWPP’s help communities, like Asotin County, to assess local hazards, help communities to prepare for wildfire, and identify strategic investments to mitigate wildfire risk. Over fifteen years have passed since Asotin’s last Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) was developed. The Ember Alliance’s 2025 Asotin CWPP modernizes the 2008 plan by taking advantage of recent advances in fire science and addressing changes to fire risk, home construction, and other characteristics of the community. This document is a tool for Asotin County residents, communities, land managers, business owners, agency personnel, and hazard mitigation managers to prioritize projects that will build a safer and more resilient community in a wildfire-prone ecosystem. 

    This opportunity was particularly exciting for TEA in two key ways: first, it allowed us to expand our expertise into the Pacific Northwest region, and second, it enabled us to enhance our capabilities in grassland wildfire modeling. This project marked TEA’s first experience working extensively with grasslands and developing specialized modeling techniques to address their unique challenges. TEA has typically worked with dense forests found in Colorado, but the varied landscape of Eastern Washington— a mix of grasslands, shrublands, and forested areas—required us to adapt our assessment methods and refine our modeling approach. By gaining a deeper understanding of fire behavior in grassland ecosystems, TEA is now better equipped to provide comprehensive recommendations for Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) that address the specific needs of grassland environments. 

    Cary Gooding, Project Manager for the CWPP at the Asotin County Fair.

    TEA would like to extend a special thank you to partners and the core team who helped in developing content, providing data, feedback, and planning implementation projects for this CWPP. Thank you to Asotin County, Asotin County Conservation District, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Blue Mountain Fire District, Asotin County Fire District, Washington Resource Conservation and Development Council, and the U.S. Forest Service. 

    TEA is excited to continue to offer services in the Pacific Northwest Region for communities who are interested in preparing for wildfire. If your county, municipality, or otherwise are interested in a CWPP, contact: mary.macdonald@emberalliance.org to learn more.  

    Read the full Asotin CWPP here. 

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