The Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council presented its first draft of the Routt County Recovery Playbook to local and state stakeholders at the 2025 Wildfire Mitigation Conference on Wednesday, introducing a supplement to the county’s Hazard Mitigation and Disaster Recovery Plans.

The Recovery Playbook, which was completed by the Wildfire Mitigation Council earlier this year, details plans for wildfire recovery and calls for a long-term recovery group to lead the charge in the recovery process following a wildfire, according to the Recovery Playbook draft.

“It’s much easier to have a plan before an event than to try to figure things out in the wake of one,” said Wildfire Mitigation Council Executive Director Josh Hankes.

The Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council is comprised of local, state and federal officials, organizations, homeowners associations and local businesses and works to create resilient, fire-adapted communities to minimize the potential impacts of wildfires.

Spearheaded by Halie Cunningham, the program manager and mitigation specialist for the Wildfire Mitigation Council, the Recovery Playbook focuses on cooperation among federal, state and local officials, local organizations and community members in a justice-centered recovery plan.

According to Cunningham, who has experienced the effects of wildfires in Colorado and other natural disasters, local recovery plans and aid prove to be more effective than federal aid in times of need.

“No one is coming to save us,” said Cunningham on Wednesday during her presentation of the Recovery Playbook at the Wildfire Mitigation Conference. “Mutual aid networks that are locally built are more agile and responsive than the larger national networks.”

The long-term recovery group called for in the Recovery Playbook would be comprised of leaders of local agencies and organizations — including emergency management staff, community organization leaders, healthcare liaisons, government officials and community members — to encompass recovery on all fronts.

Although the Recovery Playbook is in its first draft stage and the long-term recovery group has not yet been formed, the Wildfire Mitigation Council hopes to get the eyes of local and state stakeholders on the playbook to collaboratively improve the draft and push the plan forward.

During Wednesday’s presentation, which Cunningham noted only covered a small portion of the entire first draft, the playbook was broken down into five key sections: social recovery, economic recovery, built environment recovery, natural and cultural resources recovery and public engagement.

Each section focused on the primary needs of the community when dealing with the aftermath of a wildfire and listed a few of the appropriate local and state agencies and organizations that would assist in specific areas of recovery.

However, at its core, the Recovery Playbook prioritizes justice and equality following a wildfire, emphasizing the importance of community member involvement.

The playbook notes that recovery is about “building back better” rather than simple reconstruction, and recovery should be an inclusive process that centers equal access.

“If we want people in the working class to stay here after a fire, we need a redevelopment plan …,” said Cunningham during her presentation. “At the end of the day, it’s the citizens who rebuild a community.”

Before the Recovery Playbook takes its next steps, the Wildfire Mitigation Council is inviting community members and stakeholders to review the playbook and submit comments online.

According to Hankes, the playbook will eventually be presented to the Routt County Board of Commissioners and the Steamboat Springs City Council to bring more attention to the plan and the need for a long-term recovery group.

“This is our gift to the community,” said Hankes. “It’s up to the community, elected officials and other leadership to decide what they want to do with it.”

Hankes added that the Recovery Playbook has gained traction in the state, receiving attention from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and the Town of Superior. Officials from both government entities attended the Wildfire Mitigation Conference.

Members of the Wildfire Mitigation Council said they hope the playbook will set a standard for making plans before a wildfire happens, smoothing out the recovery process for communities across the state.

“Our community is all and everything we have,” said Cunningham, concluding her presentation. “We are enough.”

To learn more about the Recovery Playbook, visit RouttWildfire.org/Recovery-Playbook.

To view the full playbook, visit TinyUrl.com/3krz8buf.

To leave feedback on the playbook, visit TinyUrl.com/pchatdmj.