Ecosystems Management
Managing Wildfire Impact with Nature-based Solutions
Wildfire Resilience and Water Wise Landscaping:
A City Council Agenda Brought to Life by the Boulder NbS Team
What is the Impact and What is Next?
NbS created a new landscape code to guide standards for public and private landscapes.
In 2025, City Council put Wildfire Resilience and Water Wise Landscaping at the top of its agenda, setting in motion the first full update to Boulder’s landscape code in twenty years. The Boulder NbS team helped create a manual and ordinance designed to embed nature-based solutions across the city’s public and private landscapes.
The revision also brought Boulder into compliance with new state turf laws. Much of the landscape code will now live in a manual governed by city manager rule, allowing standards to evolve as the city learns how climate change affects the land. A citywide Boulder Approved Tree and Plant List will guide the shift toward predominantly native and climate-adapted plantings.
The changes establish a framework for landscapes that endure and adapt, balancing function and stewardship. City Council voted in January 2026 to adopt the measures, marking a new chapter in how Boulder shapes and cares for its land.
Wildfire Resilient Landscape Guide
Planning, Fire, Parks, Utilities
Balancing our needs in a changing climate is the constant refrain of our work. This is felt most acutely when dealing with our most catastrophic risk - wildfire. Wildland urban interface laws and restrictions have typically been applied in Colorado in urban settings. In Boulder, this year, we made a change. We are now fully recognizing our risks and following through as a city with mitigating those risks within our city limits.
To do that effectively while supporting our urban tree canopy, which allows our city to be resilient to high heat, and improving the biodiversity of our landscapes, we needed to craft a unified approach to our landscapes. Not only does a unified approach allow us to achieve our goals, but it also allows us to communicate effectively with our community as we hope to bring wildfire resilience into the practical practice of everyone living and working in the city.
In the late spring and early summer, we did just that, working through the concerns and goals held by a diverse array of departments to craft guidelines for community members who are looking to create landscapes that are safe, healthy, life-sustaining, and beautiful.
NEED CITY COUNCIL IMAGE [IF AVAIL] + LINK TO THE MANUAL/ORDINANCE - AND -
LINK TO THE APPROVED TREE AND PLANT LIST