Alison Lerch serves as the Wildfire Mitigation Program Administrator for the Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program (COSWAP) which was formed in 2021, under Climate, Forest Health and Energy for the Department of Natural Resources. The Wildfire Mitigation Program Administrator position at the Department manages and administers COSWAP and acts as a liaison between the Colorado State Forest Service and Department of Public Safety and Fire Control. This position collaborates with organizations across the state who hold stake in reducing wildfire risk to communities and creating fire adapted resilient communities in Colorado, ultimately protecting life, property and the environment.

Alison has diverse experience in state and local government, Tribal, and nonprofit sectors as a wildfire mitigation specialist.  At Ashland Fire & Rescue, Alison was instrumental in facilitating and adopting a wildland urban interface code and creating an accurate parcel level risk assessment for Ashland city limits. Alison fostered many collaborations throughout her career including Smokewise Ashland, a state recognized regional group of stakeholders working together to create a resilient community that lives with wildfire. Most recently, Alison managed a national grant program for increasing the pace and scale of reducing wildfire risk and mentored over 30 organizations across the country. Alison has a bachelor’s degree in Forestry from University of Missouri-Columbia with an emphasis in forest ecology and rural sociology.