A public fund-raising campaign is scheduled to continue through Sept. 30 for the Two Rivers Wildfire Coalition.

The Western Colorado Community Foundation will match donations up to $5,000. Funding also will enable the coalition to pursue larger grants. 

A collaborative effort of federal, state, local, nonprofit and private agencies, the coalition strives to protect Mesa County communities and natural resources through wildfire fuels reduction projects as well as response and recovery.

“Our next step is to bring in grant monies to support mitigation across land ownership in our high-risk communities,” said Pete Firmin, fund-raising and grants chairman of the Two Rivers Wildfire Coalition. “So many of these grants require a match or they reimburse costs, and we need this seed money to make that happen.”

Emily Orbanek, programs director for the Western Colorado Community Foundation, said the foundation was pleased to support the coalition. “The coalition’s work is urgent as Western Colorado grapples with more frequent wildfires.”

For more information about the coalition and its fund-raising campaign, visit www.TwoRiversWildfireCoalition.org.