Image: Participants in soil moisture training in Colorado Department of Agricultures Soil Health Program.
Colorado continues to make great strides towards implementation of the strategies identified across six priority areas since the 5-year update of the Colorado Resiliency Framework (CRF) in 2020. These priority areas include:
- Agriculture and Food Security
- Buildings and Infrastructure Sustainability
- Climate and Natural Hazards
- Community Capacity
- Future Ready Workforce and Economy
- Housing Attainability
In addition the the above six priority areas, the CRF also identifies two overarching priorities:
- Establish a statewide resilient and sustainable community/regional program
- Attract and leverage funding opportunities
In 2024, the Colorado Resiliency Working Group, an interagency collaborative working group charged with the stewardship of the CRF, made incredible progress toward achieving the goals outlined in this plan. This is outlined in the 2024 Annual Progress Report, which has a bit of a different look and feel this year! To better support accessibility goals and ease of navigating the content, this plan was published in web format this year versus a pdf document.
Additional Insight on the Report
This report is not intended to be a comprehensive update of all of the work being done at the State, but is instead focused on the work that relates to the strategies outlined in the Colorado Resiliency Framework. In addition to specific action and activities related to the strategies, this report also details the following:
- Spotlights, which highlight exciting and innovative programs or efforts that are resulting in resilient outcomes for their respective priority areas. These include the release of the first of its kind Heat Action Plan in 2024, or inspiring success stories that result from transformational homelessness response efforts, among many others.
- Legislative and funding updates from this year that helped provide additional fuel and/or capacity for implementation of resilience goals and efforts across the state.
- Highlights of collaborative efforts across State agencies or in partnership with local communities or organizations to make progress.
Learn More about the Colorado Resiliency Framework
The Colorado Resiliency Framework is the cross-agency strategic plan that guides action to reduce vulnerabilities to shocks and stresses that impact Colorado’s communities. The CRF’s approach utilizes four key themes:
- Adapting to our changing climate
- Understanding risks from natural and other hazards
- Addressing social inequities and unique community needs
- Pursuing economic diversity and vibrancy
The CRF is holistic in its approach, seeking strategies that have co-benefits across all community sectors. This plan is updated on a 5-year cycle, and the Colorado Resiliency Working Group will be rolling up their sleeves in 2025 and diving in to identify possible gaps, opportunities to take this plan to the next level, and above all else, keeping moving the needle forward on building a resilient future for our great state! We’ll keep you updated in the coming months on progress.
To learn more about the CRF, as well as the work of the Colorado Resiliency Office, please visit the CRO website.