the rising frequency of catastrophic wildfire isn't just an environmental problem. for insurers in the western u.s., it's a loss ratio problem.
with pitkin county and other colorado jurisdictions moving to adopt the colorado wildfire resiliency code (CWRC) by 2026, the insurance industry has a new baseline for risk. but while the code provides a necessary floor for structure-level safety, it isn't enough to stabilize a volatile market on its own.
the signal in the smoke
the CWRC represents a standardized approach to structure hardening and defensible space. for the first time, colorado will have a uniform 'fire intensity' map that determines construction requirements. for insurers, this is a critical data signal for underwriting and portfolio management.
however, hardening a single house doesn't stop a landscape-scale fire. to truly protect assets, we need to move from parcel-level compliance to regional resilience.
the ensurance advantage: scaling the response
traditional insurance is reactive—it compensates for loss after the embers have cooled. ensurance is proactive. it funds landscape-scale resilience upfront, moving the focus from individual structures to the entire ecological corridor.
see what the CWRC means for landowners and property value →
why the CWRC needs regional resilience planning:
- landscape-scale mitigation: while the CWRC focuses on the parcel level, regional resilience planning allows us to fund fuel reduction across thousands of acres, creating true risk buffers for entire communities.
- MRV (measurement, reporting, and verification): ensurance protocols provide the continuous monitoring and data verification that insurers need to confidently price risk reduction outcomes.
- coordinated action: through regional collaboratives, we coordinate funding and action across fragmented ownerships—turning regional visions into funded realities that protect entire watersheds.
turning risk into resilience
insurers are no longer just 'transferring' risk; they are becoming active participants in risk reduction. by leveraging the CWRC as a regulatory baseline, insurers can use ensurance instruments to build a ceiling of landscape resilience.
how BASIN partners with insurers and regional groups:
- regional resilience planning: we design and implement landscape-scale strategies that exceed CWRC requirements, directly reducing expected loss ratios across entire portfolios.
- ensurance syndicates: we structure pooled investment vehicles that allow insurers, utilities, and governments to fund protection for shared WUI exposures.
- nature-based infrastructure: we work with regional collaboratives to integrate natural capital into long-term resilience planning, treating forests and watersheds as critical infrastructure.
taking action
the transition from unensured to ensured begins with a shift in perspective: from viewing nature as a source of risk to viewing nature as a critical infrastructure asset.
explore our regional resilience services
see solutions for regional collaboratives