Historical image of Upper South Platte watershed
Historical image of Upper South Platte watershed. Image courtesy of Denver Water.

Vision

To safely and effectively extinguish fire when needed; use fire where allowable; manage our natural resources; and to live with wildland fire on the landscape.

Mission

To foster sustainable and resilient landscapes, healthy forests, and proactive fire-adapted communities within the Upper South Platte watershed through active forest management.

The Upper South Platte Partnership aligns resources and capacities of stakeholders through a collaborative structure and develop, maintain, and enhance the quality and sustainability of the landscape and watershed. The Partnership focuses on three priorities: forest and watershed resilience, fire-adapted communities, and safe and effective fire response. We utilize science-based forest management practices; outreach and engage landowners and communities; and provide effective and efficient fire response and management.

Founding Principles

The USPP is based on the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy  and aims to work collaboratively among stakeholders across the USPP landscape, using best science, to make meaningful progress towards three goals:

  1. Resilient Landscapes
  2. Fire Adapted Communities
  3. Safe and Effective Wildfire Response

Goals

USPP Goals are aligned with the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy:

    1. Actively manage vegetation and fuels for resilient landscapes
      • Forest ecosystem restoration
      • Water quality protection

2. Support fire-adapted communities by providing resources for protecting homes, communities, and other values at risk

      • Strategic fuel breaks
      • Structure assessments
      • Defensible space and home hardening

3. Strategically work toward safe and effective wildfire response

      • Science-based planning and prioritization
      • Collaboration of diverse land managers across boundaries to achieve goals

Values and Principles of Agreement

In fulfilling the Upper South Platte Partnership vision, mission and achieving our goals, we value fairness, tolerance, science-informed decisions, pragmatism, friendliness, respect, cooperation, and community in our deliberations and actions. In order to achieve better, more meaningful outcomes, we further embrace the following concepts to enhance and support our collaborative efforts:

    • Science-based analysis
    • A cross-boundary, large-scale approach
    • Strategic alignment of available resources on high priorities
    • An approach that integrates landscapes, communities, and wildfire response and management
    • The possibility of achieving resilient forests and resilient communities
    • Higher leverage and benefit through collaboration
    • Design, implement, and monitor projects in a way that facilitates learning and adaptation
    • Public outreach and education