Over the past several months, City of Boulder and Boulder Watershed Collective (BWC) staff have completed a neighborhood-scale wildfire risk assessment across the full Wonderland Hills project area. This marks an important step in our multi-year effort to reduce wildfire risk at both the neighborhood and landscape scale.

We are now moving from assessment into coordinated planning and early implementation.

Funding comes from the Boulder County Strategic Fuels Mitigation Grant (SFMG) and the City of Boulder Climate Mitigation Tax, as well as match from local landowners:

• SFMG: $201,619

• City of Boulder: $181,486

• Landowner match: $39,206

Project Press Release from City of Boulder

What’s Been Completed - updated 3/4/2026

• The City has finalized prescriptions for City-managed lands that interface with residential areas in Wonderland Hills. These prescriptions include juniper removal, mowing, grazing, and tree management. 

• With this assessment complete, we are moving into coordinated planning and early implementation.

• BWC and City staff are identifying areas where coordinated, cross-boundary work across multiple properties could significantly reduce wildfire risk at a neighborhood scale.

This project is designed to address wildfire risk at multiple scales from public lands to shared HOA spaces to individual homes.

What This Means for Residents

There are three primary components of the project:

1. City-Managed Lands

The City will implement mitigation work on surrounding public lands based on the completed assessment. Expect to begin seeing this work happening this spring. 

See the maps below for more information on where these prescriptions will take place.

2. Neighborhood-Scale Coordination

BWC and City staff are identifying situations where wildfire risk could be reduced more effectively if neighboring properties work together rather than acting individually. Examples include opportunities to reduce continuous combustible fencing that spans multiple parcels and to explore improvements to neighborhood egress and safety. Participation in any residential mitigation efforts will be entirely voluntary and developed in partnership with residents.

As these opportunities are further defined, we will reach out directly to neighbors in those areas to explore options and next steps collaboratively.

3. Individual Homes and HOA Common Areas

The City’s Wildfire Resilience Assistance Program (WRAP) — a citywide program expected to reopen later this spring — provides rebates and funding to help homeowners and HOAs within the City’s designated Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) complete wildfire mitigation work. While 2026 program details have not yet been released, past years have included:

• Rebates of up to $2,000 for eligible work on individual homes

• Larger funding opportunities for HOAs to complete mitigation on shared common areas

Most homes and HOAs within the Wonderland Hills project area are eligible to apply once the program reopens. Although WRAP is a citywide program, Wonderland Hills is in a unique position to leverage these funds as part of a coordinated, neighborhood-scale effort.

What You Can Do Now

If you haven’t already, schedule a free Detailed Home Assessment (DHA) through the City of Boulder. A DHA is required to access WRAP funding once it becomes available. By completing assessments and engaging early, residents help position Wonderland Hills to align individual home mitigation, HOA projects, and broader neighborhood-scale planning for the greatest collective impact. Boulder Watershed Collective is available to support residents and HOAs in:

• Navigating the WRAP application process

• Coordinating contractor selection and project implementation once projects are identified

• Organizing neighbors to align mitigation work across properties where appropriate

BWC is here to help residents and HOAs navigate this process and coordinate efforts where it makes sense. If you’re interested in exploring next steps, please reach out.

Residents in Unincorporated Boulder County

A portion of the Wonderland Hills project area lies outside City of Boulder limits. Residents in unincorporated Boulder County are not eligible for the City’s WRAP program or City assessments. Instead, they are eligible for home assessments and rebate opportunities through Boulder County’s Wildfire Partners program.

If you live in this portion of the project area, we encourage you to schedule a Wildfire Partners home assessment. BWC can also support residents in navigating the Wildfire Partners rebate program and coordinating mitigation efforts where appropriate.

Project area maps:

This is a three-year effort, and we will continue sharing updates via newsletter and on the project web page as planning progress and funding details develop. We’re grateful for the community’s engagement and look forward to working together to reduce wildfire risk in Wonderland Hills.

Interested in participating?

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project partners

Wonderland Hills HOA Collaborative
HOAs leading the charge on residential engagement for community wildfire mitigation

The Boulder Watershed Collective
General project development and management, coordination with residents, HOAs, contractors, and other partners

City of Boulder OSMP
Develop and oversee treatments on City land
Work with BWC on community-scale assessments for overall project development

City of Boulder Fire Rescue Community Risk Reduction
Perform DHAs for participating residents
Connect residents with City programs

Looking for more info? Reach out to Kirin Riddell, BWC’s Fire Adapted Coordinator
kirin@boulderwatershedcollective.org | 907-707-9196