New Belgium contributes $100K to fire mitigation fund

FORT COLLINS — New Belgium Brewing Co. Inc. has contributed $100,000 to the NoCoFires Fund of the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado in an effort to create a funding resource to protect and restore the watershed damaged by the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires.

The massive fires — the largest in Colorado recorded history — burned more than 400,000 acres in the summer of 2020 in the Cache la Poudre and Big Thompson watersheds. The rivers and related streams provide drinking water to more than 1 million people in addition to being the basis for recreation, to helping sustain agriculture and to providing habitat for wildlife.

The Community Foundation — with support from Bohemian Foundation — launched the NoCoFires Fund, which will focus on mitigation, address flooding in the burn areas, and begin long-term recovery work with a coalition of partners representing both government and nonprofit sectors.

SPONSORED CONTENT

How dispatchable resources enable the clean energy transition

Platte River must prepare for the retirement of 431 megawatts (MW) of dispatchable, coal-fired generation by the end of the decade and address more frequent extreme weather events that can bring dark calms (periods when there is no sun or wind).

“Our goal is to raise $1 million, then further leverage this to secure three to four times that amount in state and federal assistance, bringing additional recovery dollars into Larimer County,” Ella Fahrlander, chief engagement officer for the foundation, said in a written statement  “We will begin providing funding this spring to help the ‘boots on the ground’ be responsive to evolving needs as additional government dollars arrive.”

Government and nonprofits have identified between 6,000 and 10,000 acres to target, which will cost $20 million to $35 million to restore and protect, the foundation said. To date, approximately $750,000 has been raised, and New Belgium is helping by leveraging the impact of its donations and encouraging others in the community to donate. 

“Water is not only the most important ingredient in beer, it’s the lifeblood of everything we love about Northern Colorado, from our world-class recreation to a nationally recognized economy,” said Katie Wallace, director of social and environmental impact at New Belgium Brewing. “The devastating impacts of fires can last for years as forests grow and the health of the landscape returns. The region faces a significant challenge to mitigate the long-term effects this fire will have on the watershed.”

To learn more and contribute to NoCoFires Fund, visit https://nocofoundation.org/fires/. 

© 2021 BizWest Media LLC