Funding Strategies for Working Lands, Watersheds & Wildfire Resilience

Presented by Julie Shapiro, Keystone Policy Center, Chris Yuan-Farrell, Great Outdoors Colorado, Suzanne Stephens, Aspen Valley Land Trust, Everitt Merritt, Colorado State Forest Service, Allegra Waterman-Snow, Eagle Valley Conservation District, and Kathleen Voight, Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust. Catastrophic wildfire threatens Colorado’s economy, public safety, working lands, watersheds, infrastructure, and communities. Proactive investment is essential to reduce wildfire risk, strengthen watershed resilience, safeguard working lands, and avoid the far greater costs of disaster response and recovery. This interactive panel and facilitated discussion will spotlight practical examples and proven strategies for aligning fire, water, and conservation priorities through collaboration, data-driven planning, and coordinated funding. Participants will explore compelling storytelling, shared metrics, and public–private partnerships that unlock investment in resilient landscapes. The panel will also explore challenges, lessons learned, key questions, and conditions for success. Facilitated by the Wildfire and Watershed Initiative for Resilient Colorado. Link: https://www.wwirc-wildfire.org/ Recorded at Keep It Colorado's Spring Summit on May 29, 2026