THANKS TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS
CASPER, Wyo. — The Casper City Council will aim to bolster wildfire protection efforts on Casper Mountain by applying for a grant for a new wildfire response plan.
The council agreed at its Tuesday work session to partner with Lark Environmental Inc. to apply for the Climate Smart Communities Initiative grant, and will officially vote on the matter at a future meeting.
If the grant is awarded, Lark Environmental will take the lead on the application, administrative reporting and eventual development of a Wildfire Resilience and Response Readiness Plan, which Casper Parks, Recreation and Public Facilities Director Zulima Lopez said would come at no cost to the city.
Lopez said the city and Lark considered several environmental issues to tackle with the grant funds, including stormwater runoff and improvements to the city’s parks. Ultimately, the decision was made in large part due to the relatively dry winter and outlook for the coming months.
The initiative focuses specifically on city-owned lands and assets within the high-risk wildland–urban interface of Casper Mountain, including the Hogadon Basin Ski Area and various recreational facilities.
According to Lopez, this new plan would be designed to complement rather than duplicate an ongoing update to the Natrona County Community Wildfire Protection Plan. By focusing on gaps outside the county’s scope, Lopez said, the city intends to create a practical framework for forest management and emergency access tailored to its specific properties.
One primary focus of the upcoming plan involves evaluating fire suppression water supply constraints. The project will inventory existing water sources and identify strategic options to improve reliability for fire response, such as new storage concepts or operational strategies. These recommendations are intended to inform future capital planning and engineering studies. Lopez said this is crucial, as water sources on the mountain are in short supply.
Beyond technical assessments, the project would establish a funding roadmap to help the city secure future state, federal and other grants for mitigation work. As a requirement of the grant, the city and Lark Environmental will also need to partner with a community-based organization to ensure local stakeholders and nonprofit groups are involved in the planning process.
The final application for the funding is due by March 12.
