Here in Northwest Colorado, we all know how much our lives are tied to the land and water around us. Healthy forests and watersheds don’t just provide stunning views—they protect our homes from wildfire, feed our rivers and reservoirs, and support ranchers, wildlife, and recreation.

That’s why the Headwaters of the Colorado (HOC) Initiative is working hard to keep our landscapes resilient in the face of drought, wildfire, and a changing climate.

The Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) is proud to be at the table as part of this effort. Our staff live and work in these communities, and we’re committed to helping landowners and local partners put good forest management practices on the ground—whether that’s thinning dense stands of trees to reduce fire risk or restoring riparian forests to support fish and wildlife.

The HOC Initiative spans almost 2 million acres across Colorado and Wyoming, including the Elk, Elkhead, and Little Snake River watersheds. It’s a big, collaborative partnership that brings together private landowners, counties, conservation districts, tribes, nonprofits, and state and federal agencies across state boundaries.

Everyone has a stake in keeping our forests and watersheds healthy—and by working together, we can address these urgent issues at scale. 

The goals are simple but ambitious:

• Keep our water clean, plentiful, and consistent
• Lower the risk of catastrophic wildfires
• Improve wildlife habitat
• Support agriculture and the rural economy

Right now, partners are building a Watershed Resiliency and Action Plan (WRAP) with support from the Colorado Water Conservation Board. Think of it as a roadmap for restoring and protecting our watersheds—so we can prioritize the right projects in the right places.

And here’s some exciting news: the U.S. Department of Agriculture just announced that the HOC Initiative has been awarded Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership funding.

This is a big deal—only five new projects across the entire country were chosen. The program brings together the Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to fund restoration work across both public and private lands.

That means we’ll be able to treat forestland on the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest and also help private landowners right next door. Fire, after all, doesn’t stop at a fence line—so neither should our efforts to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest resiliency.

Here in Colorado, the CSFS will help guide projects, support landowners, and make sure local voices shape the work being done. Whether it’s planning fuels treatments, restoring riparian health, or growing the new forest, our role is to connect resources and people on the ground to make real change happen.

The headwaters of the Colorado River aren’t just important to us locally—they provide water to millions of people downstream. By taking care of our forests and watersheds now, we’re protecting clean water, wildlife habitat, and the way of life we all value here in Northwest Colorado.

The CSFS is excited to be part of this work and looks forward to keeping the community engaged. Together, we can protect the forests, water, and open spaces that make this corner of Colorado so very special.

This week’s Community Agriculture Alliance Column was submitted by the Colorado State Forest Service. The agency provides technical forestry assistance, wildfire mitigation expertise and outreach and education to help landowners and communities achieve their forest management goals. The Steamboat Springs office can be contacted at 970.879.0475