|
West |
Arizona |
California |
Colorado |
Idaho |
Montana |
New Mexico |
Nevada |
Oregon |
Utah |
Washington |
Wyoming
Colorado Summary
Below you will find county-by-county maps and tables that illustrate the data in this study.
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| Click on chart for a larger version below. |
Our research found that:
- Of the 11 western states, Colorado has the sixth largest area of undeveloped, forested private land bordering fire-prone public lands, and ranks fourth among western states in the amount of forested land where homes have already been built next to public lands.
- Colorado has nearly 2,000 square miles of forested private land that borders public wildlands, of which 79 percent has not yet been developed.
- Housing in Colorado's wildland urban interface consumes a hefty 4.9 acres per person, compared to the 0.5 acres per person average on other western private lands.
- Colorado has 94,739 residences in its wildland urban interface, of which 38 percent are seasonal homes or cabins.
- Colorado ranks fourth among western states in the number of homes built in forested areas next to public wildlands, and second (behind Wyoming) in the percentage of those homes that are only seasonally occupied.
In Colorado, existing risk of wildfire (number of square miles of the wildland urban interface with homes now) and potential future risk (number of square miles of wildland interface that remains undeveloped) are both highest in the central and western parts of the state. Most front-range counties in northern Colorado, from Larimer County south to Teller County, have more than 20 square miles of currently developed forested land adjacent to public wildlands. Boulder County, where 5,409 homes are spread across 57 square miles of wildland urban interface, ranks tenth in the West in terms of existing wildfire risk. Two counties, Garfield and Gunnison, have exceptionally high potential risk, with more than 100 square miles of undeveloped, forested private land where homes could be built adjacent to fire-prone wildlands.
Existing Risk Map - Click to Zoom
Yellow areas on the map illustrate existing development in fire-prone areas (forested areas adjacent public lands that have been developed); all other development is shown in red; public lands are shown in green.
Colorado Summary Statistics |
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 |
 |
 |
 |
| West-Wide |
3,290.0 |
20,350.1 |
14.0% |
915,071 |
21.0% |
| Colorado |
407.7 |
1,570.4 |
20.6% |
94,739 |
38.0% |
Top 10 Counties in Colorado Ranked by Existing Risk
Counties are ranked by the number of square miles of developed land in the wildland interface |
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|
|
|
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| Boulder County |
Colorado |
57.1 |
37.8 |
60.0% |
5,409 |
25.0% |
| Larimer County |
Colorado |
39.5 |
96.0 |
29.0% |
5,564 |
50.0% |
| La Plata County |
Colorado |
33.6 |
28.5 |
54.0% |
5,548 |
30.0% |
| Clear Creek County |
Colorado |
22.6 |
36.6 |
38.0% |
3,529 |
19.0% |
| Summit County |
Colorado |
21.4 |
21.5 |
50.0% |
19,411 |
60.0% |
| Teller County |
Colorado |
21.3 |
42.5 |
33.0% |
4,854 |
17.0% |
| Park County |
Colorado |
21.1 |
32.7 |
39.0% |
3,257 |
39.0% |
| Gilpin County |
Colorado |
20.0 |
20.4 |
50.0% |
2,268 |
25.0% |
| Eagle County |
Colorado |
18.6 |
36.0 |
34.0% |
9,883 |
35.0% |
| Pitkin County |
Colorado |
14.7 |
29.8 |
33.0% |
4,700 |
34.0% |
Top 10 Counties in Colorado Ranked by Potential Risk
Counties are ranked by the number of square miles of undeveloped land in the wildland interface. |
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| Garfield County |
Colorado |
8.2 |
121.2 |
6.0% |
2,512 |
5.0% |
| Gunnison County |
Colorado |
8.8 |
111.9 |
7.0% |
1,810 |
70.0% |
| Larimer County |
Colorado |
39.5 |
96.0 |
29.0% |
5,564 |
50.0% |
| Routt County |
Colorado |
3.2 |
75.2 |
4.0% |
1,101 |
36.0% |
| Grand County |
Colorado |
11.2 |
73.2 |
13.0% |
3,731 |
63.0% |
| Mesa County |
Colorado |
2.3 |
69.9 |
3.0% |
722 |
6.0% |
| Archuleta County |
Colorado |
7.4 |
67.4 |
10.0% |
1,111 |
32.0% |
| Rio Blanco County |
Colorado |
0.7 |
64.3 |
1.0% |
52 |
21.0% |
| Fremont County |
Colorado |
3.6 |
60.8 |
6.0% |
507 |
31.0% |
| Huerfano County |
Colorado |
2.2 |
46.4 |
5.0% |
339 |
84.0% |
Click on column headers to see all data in the West sorted by that column.
West |
Arizona |
California |
Colorado |
Idaho |
Montana |
New Mexico |
Nevada |
Oregon |
Utah |
Washington |
Wyoming
Headwaters Economics
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Ray Rasker Ph.D. 406.570.7044 | Ben
Alexander 406.599.7423 | Patty Gude 406.599.7425 | Chris Mehl 406.570.8937
Mark Haggerty 406.570.5626 | Julia Haggerty Ph.D. 406.600.1766 | Josh McCord 406.570.2914
Banner photo is by Ray Rasker.
© 2007 Headwaters Economics Inc. all rights reserved. No part of this work may be copied or reproduced without prior consent.
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