National Forest Foundation and Xcel Energy Launch Partnership to Reduce Wildfire Risk in Colorado
DENVER, Colo., May 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Forest Foundation (NFF) and Xcel Energy today announced a new partnership to support proactive wildfire mitigation and forest restoration projects across Colorado. The collaboration will focus on targeted fuels reduction efforts designed to protect communities, watersheds, and critical energy infrastructure from increasingly severe wildfires. As wildfire frequency and intensity continue to rise across the West, fuels reduction and active forest management have become essential tools for protecting both people and infrastructure. Through this partnership, NFF and Xcel Energy will identify and treat high-risk forest landscapes near communities, transmission corridors, and critical water resources. “The National Forest Foundation is honored to partner with Xcel Energy on proactive wildfire mitigation efforts across Colorado,” said Dieter Fenkart-Froeschl, President and CEO of the National Forest Foundation. “As the state faces more frequent and intense wildfire seasons, investing in healthy forests and strategic fuel reduction is essential to protecting communities, watersheds, infrastructure, and the landscapes Coloradans depend on every day. Investing in active management is one of the greatest gifts we can give current and future generations. It means safer forests, healthier landscapes, and stronger resilience to wildfire.” “We have served customers and communities in Colorado for generations and fully understand the destructive power of wildfire,” said Hollie Velasquez Horvath, Vice President of Xcel Energy Colorado. “Our partnership with the National Forest Foundation to conduct fuel reduction and forest health projects in higher-risk regions will help protect the communities we serve, along with the infrastructure that reliably delivers power to them.” Together, the National Forest Foundation and Xcel Energy are advancing a long-term commitment to healthier forests, safer communities, and greater wildfire resilience across Colorado. The partnership's initial investments will support two priority projects in south-central Colorado: the Rampart Range Road Fuel Break Project and the Clear Creek Reservoir Hazardous Fuels Project. Near Woodland Park and Colorado Springs, the Rampart Range Road Fuel Break Project will establish a strategic fuel break along a heavily used recreation corridor within one of the most wildfire-prone areas of Colorado's Front Range. The project area includes Xcel Energy transmission infrastructure and forests heavily impacted by mountain pine beetle infestation and hazardous fuel accumulation. In Chaffee County, the Clear Creek Reservoir Hazardous Fuels Project will treat 235 acres near a critical water storage facility feeding the Upper Arkansas River. The project will help protect downstream water supplies, campground infrastructure, and nearby communities through selective tree removal and fuels reduction treatments. Additional project partners include Pueblo Water, Aurora Water, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Colorado State Forest Service. About the National Forest Foundation The National Forest Foundation (NFF) believes in a world where caring for forests is second nature. As the official nonprofit partner of the U.S. Forest Service, the NFF works to reduce wildfire risk, restore land and watersheds, and improve recreation access across America's 193 million acres of National Forests and Grasslands. The NFF's work is national in scope, local in practice, and generational in impact. About Xcel Energy Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) is a leading energy provider, dedicated to serving millions of customers with excellence. We make energy work better for customers, helping them thrive every day. That means always raising the bar — delivering better service and providing more reliable, resilient and sustainable energy. Media Contact Catherine Cody National Forest Foundation214.676.9063 [email protected]
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