Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP):

CWPPs are part of the mandate of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) signed into law on December 3, 2003. The intent of a CWPP is to bring together all of the stakeholders in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)-community members, non-governmental entities, local, state and federal agencies-to collaboratively develop a plan which identifies wildfire issues and prioritizes mitigation strategies, such as fuels reduction, for those areas.

The HFRA emphasizes the need for federal state and local authorities to work collaboratively with communities in developing hazardous fuel reduction programs, and places priority on areas identified by communities themselves in a CWPP. This provides communities with a tremendous opportunity to influence where and how additional federal funds will be distributed on nonfederal lands.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR A CWPP:

• Collaboratively developed with input from non-governmental stakeholders, local, state and federal agencies.
• Must identify areas for hazardous fuel reduction treatments and recommend types and methods of treatment that, if completed, would reduce the risk to the community.
• Treatment of structural ignitability: Must recommend measures that homeowners and communities can take to reduce the ignitability of structures throughout the area addressed in the plan.

The CWPP process represents a great opportunity to address the challenges of the Wildland/Urban Interface (WUI) in a way that brings about comprehensive and locally supported solutions to wildfire risk problems. Ultimately the plan must be accepted and signed by local government, local fire departments and CAL FIRE.

BENEFITS:

• Opportunity to establish locally appropriate boundaries for WUI communities.
• Federal and State agencies to prioritize identified at-risk communities and watersheds for treatment. USDA Forest Service and BLM must spend not less than 50% of the funds allocated for hazardous fuel reduction projects in the WUI as identified by a CWPP.
• When allocating federal funds for fuel reduction projects on nonfederal lands, federal and state agencies should, to the maximum extent practicable, give priority to communities that have developed CWPPs.
• Provide a context for prioritizing fuels treatment projects in the cross-boundary, landscape-scale manner envisioned in the National Fire Plan and 10 Year Comprehensive Strategy.
• Establishes relationships between Federal/State/Local Agencies/State and National Fire Organizations and Community Groups
  • Assists with bringing together diverse community partners
  • Initiates planning dialog
  • Facilitates implementation of priority actions across ownership boundaries
  • Brings specialized natural resource and technical expertise into the planning process.

For more information about the CWPP project: www.firesafesonoma.org ; or www.cafirealliance.org .