 Notes from the CRO Director:
The CRO enjoyed representing Colorado at ResCon in New Orleans last week, exchanging resiliency best practices and lessons learned with colleagues from across the country.
Marguerite Harden, the CRO Local Resiliency Manager, was a panelist for the opening energy resilience plenary, highlighting resilient grid strategies and the Colorado Microgrids for Community Resilience Program. I closed out the resiliency conference with the annual Chief Resilience Officer plenary with colleagues from Louisiana, New Jersey, and South Carolina. We returned inspired and energized to take our work to the next level!
Fun fact: The Colorado Resiliency Office is now one of 12 states with resilience offices. You can learn more about the evolving practice of resilience work in state government by checking out the recently released State Chief Resilience Officers: Establishment, Authority & Governance by the Georgetown Climate Center.
On another note, this spring we will be sending out the Resilience Planning in Colorado’s Local Government Survey to municipal and county managers, so stay tuned. This is a follow-up to a 2019 survey and will help inform the 2025 Colorado Resiliency Framework Update.
Be well,
Anne Miller and the CRO team
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What's New at the CRO?
Wildfire Resiliency Code Board (WRCB) to Hold Public Hearings in May
As part of the state rulemaking process, the WRCB (in which the CRO participates as a nonvoting member) will hold formal public hearings throughout the state in May 2025 to receive comments on the draft code and associated rules. Public hearings will be held in person (with a virtual option). Please visit the Wildfire Resiliency Code Board website for dates and details.
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March Resilience Conversation - Guidance for Local Climate Adaptation
 We are excited to share with you something we have been cooking up to support local governments in taking effective climate adaptation action! In this month’s resiliency conversation, we are talking about our recently launched Guidance for Local Climate Adaptation.
Reminder - Bookmark our New Websites!
The CRO website and the Planning for Hazards websites have new locations. While little has changed in the way of content, look, and feel, this move has allowed us to improve digital accessibility for both sites.
There is still a redirect for the CRO website, but it's only in place for a short amount of time. Please update your bookmarks to ensure we're right there when you need us!
New CRO Website URL: coresiliency.colorado.gov
New Planning for Hazards URL: planningforhazards.colorado.gov
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Resiliency News
Navigating Federal Funding Challenges
The State of Colorado recognizes the challenges local governments are facing, and the frustration felt, when it comes to uncertainty around Federal funding. To provide some support here are some resources for local governments:
Ute Mountain Ute Tribe Releases Climate Action Plan
This new Climate Action Plan summarizes incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge into climate adaptation planning. Findings will be shared with the Ute Mountain Ute (UMU) community through an art installation and accompanying illustrated booklet developed by a UMU artist and science communicator.
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Opportunities to Get Involved
Course Alert: Community Planning for Disaster Recovery
Last year, the CRO co-hosted the newly FEMA certified Mitigating Hazards with Land-Use Planning (MGT-474) Course with the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center (NDPTC). Building on the principles taught in this course, the CRO wanted to share other free training opportunities offered by the NDPTC within their course catalog.
This includes Community Planning for Disaster Recovery (AWR-356), an eight-hour awareness-level course that provides facilitated discussions on key concepts for disaster recovery planning.
This course will be held virtually on September 17-18, 2025 (four hours each day), and has open slots. Learn more about Community Planning for Disaster Recovery (AWR-356) and register on NDPTC’s website.
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Registration for the Watershed Summit Opens March 21
Each June, interest groups gather for the Watershed Summit to discuss current and future water challenges and opportunities facing the state. This event will be held June 20, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. at the Denver Botanic Gardens.
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2025 Climate and Water Workshops
The CRO will be presenting on the 2025 Colorado Resiliency Framework update and the new Guidance for Local Climate Adaptation Tool at the CWCB Climate & Water Workshops. These workshops serve as a touch point between State and local partners on water and climate adaptation issues in Colorado.
The workshops will feature presentations from multiple state agencies about their climate and water-related resources and funding opportunities, as well as an interactive table top exercise that will help reveal potential gaps in planning for climate and water resilience. Discussions will inform the forthcoming Climate Impacts Report, which will expand on the Climate Change in Colorado Report.
Workshops will be held in Pueblo, CO on April 3, 2025, and Clifton, CO on April 23, 2025.
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2025 Regional Food Summit Convenings
The Colorado Food Summit brings together experts and invested groups to share knowledge and collaborate on strategies to improve Colorado’s food and agriculture system.
Community organizations across Colorado are hosting regional events through April 2025 that will serve as the building blocks for the 2025 Colorado Food Summit to be held in December.
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Funding Highlights
Energy/Mineral Impact Assistance Fund (EIAF) Funding Cycle Open Through April 1, 2025
The EIAF program funds planning and infrastructure projects that promote sustainable community development, and increase livability and resilience of communities through strategic investments in asset-building activities. This cycle has Tier I applications at up to $200,000 and Tier II applications from $200,001 to $1,000,000. A total of $15,000,000 is available and please work with your regional manager to submit an application.
Housing Planning Grant Program
The Division of Local Government’s new Housing Planning Grant Program offers grants to local governments and certain regional entities to help them better understand their housing needs and to develop actionable housing needs assessments (HNAs), housing action plans (HAPs), and comprehensive plans that meet the requirements of the new law. The first grant cycle is now open, and closes on April 11, 2025. Interested parties may complete this 1-minute survey or email Ashley Basham for more information.
Colorado State Forest Service Rural Grant Navigator Program
The Colorado State Forest Service is now accepting applications for the new Rural Grant Navigator grant program. Non-governmental organizations that provide assistance to rural Colorado communities applying for federal or state grants related to wildfire mitigation and preparedness are eligible to apply. Applications will be accepted through May 2, 2025, and $237,000 is available in the funding pool for this round of grants.
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