The Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) helps communities refine thier priorities for the protection of life, property, and shared assets-at-risk from wildfires. Developing a CWPP encourages community members and leaders to have valuable discussions about wildfire preparedness, evacuation planning, and local fire district capabilities. The CWPP increases grant funding opportunities by prioritizing fuel reduction projects around and within the community. CWPPs can address wildfire planning at the HOA, subdivision, county, or regional level. Choosing the scope and scale of your community’s CWPP depends on your community goals. CWPPs written to address a specific HOA or community will be more mindful of the local community’s culture, identity, and plans.
Updating or writing your CWPP seems like a daunting task, but the process only has three requirements as outlined in the Healthy Forest Restoration Act.
1.
Collaboration:
A CWPP must be collaboratively developed by local and state government agencies, in consultation with federal agencies and interested parties. The local county, local fire district and NDF must sign off on the final CWPP document.
2.
Prioritized Fuel Reduction
: The CWPP must identify and prioritize areas for hazardous fuel reduction treatments and recommend the methods of treatment that will protect at-risk communities and structures. A map of the priority fuel reduction projects is not required but is highly recommended.
3.
Treatment of Structure Ignitability:
A CWPP must also recommend measures that homeowners can take to reduce the ignitability of structures throughout the area addressed by the plan.
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension has great resources on their Living With Fire website to help your community complete a CWPP. These resources can be found at:
http://www.livingwithfire.info/cwpp
In addition, as a member of the Network your community will be provided with assistance when updating or writing your CWPP. The Network has had some recent success in starting the CWPP planning process in Douglas County and would like to see more progress throughout Nevada. The Network can provide your community with trainings or publications about writing or updating a CWPP. If you or your community is interested in assistance with a CWPP please email the Network Coordinator at
MBeaudoin@Forestry.NV.Gov
or call him at 775-684-2519.