Our mission is to connect science with context-specific, actionable solutions that reduce wildfire risk and build ecological resilience in Western forest landscapes.
WHY WE MATTER
By bringing together diverse perspectives and aligning research with practice, we reduce uncertainty, offer a science-based practical perspective to work through conflict, and streamline planning processes so more time and funding is spent on the ground. We help strengthen management decisions by rooting them in relevant scientific and operational knowledge. We also bring practitioner needs back into the research community, helping ensure science remains responsive to future challenges facing fire-adapted forested landscapes. We integrate students in our work to foster continual learning, growth, and improved outcomes for the next generation of forest and fire stewards.
OUR HISTORY
2005
2008
Community science collaborative forest reconstruction work as part of the Uncompahgre Plateau Public Lands Partnership created CFRI model of actionable knowledge.
2010
Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program funded for Front Range and Uncompahgre Plateau. CFRI joins the partnership and engages with broader forestry and federal stakeholder groups.
2013
Colorado Department of Natural Resources Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant Program begins and CFRI engages with non-federal land managers around the state.
2015
Building on the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy framework, CFRI began expanding in staff and engagement across fire adapted communities and fire response actionable strategies, as well as enhancing our strength of bridging the science and management of resilient forest landscapes. Integrating across all three legs of the Cohesive Strategy opened exciting new opportunities for CFRI and our partners.
2020
The historic 2020 fire year delivered extreme fire activity in Colorado, including the largest fire on record. This increased the need for the CFRI post-fire monitoring work and expanded the scope of our research.
2022
SWERI began working on a national project to increase data transparency and boost capacity for cross-boundary forest and wildfire data management and application to help managers apply more effective hazardous fuels reduction, forest restoration, and wildfire management across US forests.
2024
For over 20 years, SWERI has translated science into practice and supported implementation across diverse landscapes to foster fire resilient forests and communities throughout the western USA.
2026
The Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes expanded with the addition of a new institute in Nevada, further enhancing regional collaboration and ecological restoration efforts.
OUR VALUES
CFRI strives to promote a culture that values, respects, and celebrates different perspectives. We actively contribute to a society where our staff and the communities we work with embrace vulnerability in order to learn and grow in ways that hold each other accountable to facts and reasoned discussion. We approach our work with curiosity and science rigor to foster trust, understanding, and mutual respect within the forest and fire community.
MEET THE ADDITIONAL SWERI
