Sen. Gardner: Glenwood Canyon Resiliency Project Will Unite Efforts to Keep Communities Safe and Withstand Long-Term Impacts of Wildfire

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3 -- Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colorado, issued the following news release:

Following U.S. Senator Cory Gardner's (R-CO) meetings with local and federal officials in Glenwood Springs regarding the ongoing Grizzly Creek Fire, Gardner announced he is working to increase coordination and collaboration among local, state, and federal recovery efforts through the Glenwood Canyon Resiliency Project. Gardner's project is designed to assist with immediate federal assistance and mitigate potential long-term impacts to the region's forests, infrastructure, economy, and watersheds following the wildfire.

"The local community came together to support the firefighters who are containing and confining the fire, and we must work together at all levels of government to support the community and surrounding area's long-term recovery and resiliency," said Senator Gardner. "The Glenwood Canyon Resiliency Project will unite our efforts to make sure the region is prepared to withstand the long-term impacts of the Grizzly Creek Fire. We have a lot of work to do ahead of us to restore the forests, ensure the community has safe drinking water, keep the highways and infrastructure safe, and get the region through the economic challenges from both the fire and the COVID-19 pandemic."

Gardner is working to unite government efforts to support the Glenwood Canyon region:

* Senators Gardner and Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO) urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to approve the City of Glenwood Springs' request for greater financial assistance with the recovery from the Grizzly Creek Fire under the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program.

* Gardner urged the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to coordinate with the State of Colorado and local governments to mitigate potential long-term impacts on Colorado's infrastructure stemming from ongoing wildfires across Colorado.

* Senators Gardner and Bennet and Reps. Joe Neguse (D-CO) and Scott Tipton (R-CO) urged USDA to quickly approve Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) funding to mitigate and recover from wildfire damage.

* Gardner and the entire Colorado congressional delegation sent a letter requesting that President Trump approve the request from Colorado Governor Jared Polis for additional support to combat wildfires burning across Colorado.

* Gardner launched a new webpage, Gardner.Senate.Gov/Wildfires, to provide the latest wildfire news, information, and resources for Coloradans and encouraged eligible Coloradans, including farmers and ranchers, who have been negatively impacted by the wildfires to apply for federal assistance programs.