In Colorado, when we look at our mountains, we don’t just see the beautiful landscape, we see the lifeblood of our state and the people who live here. These peaks store our water, support our economy, and shape our way of life. But this summer, like every summer, is a reminder of what’s at stake: smoky skies, communities on edge, families and businesses evacuated, and whole watersheds under threat. This year already, wildfires have burned more than 200,000 acres in Colorado, making 2025 the state’s worst fire year since 2020 when multiple historic blazes burned a record-setting 625,357 acres, according to data from the National Interagency Fire Center.

Wildfire risk across Colorado and the West has become constant, and now “normal” means living with an expectation of frequent and bigger blazes. Responding to this reality isn’t a one-and-done project — it’s a generational commitment.

That’s why bipartisan support in Congress for wildfire resilience and forest management has never mattered more.

Read more in The Daily Sentinel here.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.