Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Awarded Nearly $9.7 Million Federal Grant to Reduce Wildfire Risk

Jefferson County, CO. – The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office has been awarded a $9,668,390 Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service - one of the largest wildfire mitigation grants awarded in Colorado during this funding cycle. The five-year grant will strengthen wildfire mitigation, preparedness and community resilience efforts throughout Jefferson County.

The funding will expand the Sheriff's Office Wildland Fire Management Program, which was supported by voter-approved Ballot Measure 1A. Grant dollars will be used to support wildfire mitigation staff, purchase specialized equipment and safety gear, complete roadside vegetation mitigation projects along priority evacuation corridors, provide homeowner incentives for defensible space and home hardening, expand wildfire education and outreach, invest in the Sustainable Lands and Safer Homes (SLASH) program, support training with local fire agencies, and monitor completed mitigation projects to ensure their long-term success.

The grant supports a countywide partnership that includes fire protection districts, federal, state, and local agencies, watershed collaboratives, Jefferson County Parks and Open Space, Denver Mountain Parks, and utility providers. Together, these organizations are working to reduce wildfire risk and better protect residents, homes, watersheds, critical infrastructure, and the county's forests.

"This investment will allow us to accelerate wildfire mitigation across Jefferson County while building a sustainable program for years to come," said Sheriff Reggie Marinelli. "Wildfire preparedness is a shared responsibility, and this funding strengthens our ability to work alongside our partners and our residents to make our communities more resilient before the next wildfire occurs."