Community Wildfire Protection Plan Washington County, Oregon

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Community Wildfire Protection PlanWashington
County, Oregon

• Northwest Management, Inc.
• Vaiden Bloch, M.S.
• bloch_at_consulting-foresters.com
• April 6-7 2007 Gales Creek Watershed Conference
  Washington County, Oregon

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What is a CWPP?

• A Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) is a
  hazard mitigation plan developed by a Community
  in an area at risk from Wildfire
• To be Valid, a CWPP must ..
• Be Developed collaboratively
• Identify and prioritize areas of hazardous fuels
  reduction
• Recommend measures to reduce ignitability of
  structures

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CWPPs can be developed at any level Subdivision
Level ? County Level CWPP can be developed in
many formats Basic ? Extensive
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CWPP Is a Committee Based Planning Effort

• Consultants Function
• Bring the Experts Together
• Maintain Focus and Meaningful Discussions
• Coordinate the Committee
• Involve the Public
• Provide Plan Format Options
• Acquire and Analyze Data
• Develop Maps and Map Products
• Develop and Write Plan Document
• GET THE JOB DONE

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CWPP Is a Committee Based Planning Effort

• Committee Functions
• Provide Local Knowledge - Address the Core
  Elements of Community Protection
• Shared Vision and Goals
• Provide Input in to Risk Assessment
• Provide Information on Community Resources and
  Capabilities
• Identify and Agree Upon the Community's Wildland
  Urban Interface (WUI)
• Establish and Prioritize Action Items

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Who is on the committee?

• Washington County - OCEM
• City and County Offices
• City and Rural Fire Departments
• Banks Fire District 13
• Cornelius Fire Department
• Forest Grove Fire and Rescue
• Gaston Rural Fire Protection
• Hillsboro Fire Department
• Washington County Fire District 2
• Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue
• Lake Oswego Fire and Rescue

• Oregon Dept of Forestry
• Washington County Fire Defense Board
• State Fire Marshals Office
• Metro Parks Greenspaces
• Tualatin Hills Parks Rec.
• NW Oregon Forest Protective Assoc.
• Representatives from other CWPP planning
  committees
• BLM

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Why do a CWPP?
1) Completion of a CWPP will make your community
more competitive for National Fire Plan and other
funding opportunities 2) CWPPs help establish
priorities for fuels reduction projects on
private lands and federal lands adjacent to
communities
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Why do a CWPP?
1) Completion of a CWPP will make your community
more competitive for National Fire Plan and other
funding opportunities 2) CWPPs help establish
priorities for fuels reduction projects on
private lands and federal lands adjacent to
communities Number 1 Reason Development of
a CWPP brings together local citizens, local
officials, local fire departments, State and
Federal entities to address the wildfire issues
in the community.
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Planning Committee Goals

• Identify and map Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)
  boundaries for communities adjacent to forest
  lands
• Reduce the area of WUI land burned and losses
  experienced because of wildfires
• Identify and evaluate hazardous fuel conditions
  with an emphasis near communities adjacent to
  forest lands, prioritize areas for hazardous fuel
  reduction treatments, and recommend the types and
  methods of treatment to protect the communities
• Recommend additional strategies for private,
  state, and federal lands to reduce hazardous fuel
  conditions and lessen the life safety and
  property damage risks from wildfires
• Educate communities about the unique challenges
  of wildfire in the wildland-urban interface
• Address structural ignitability and recommend
  measures that homeowners and communities can take
  to reduce the ignitability of structures
• Better inform Washington County residents and
  landowners of best practices to prepare
  themselves and their property for a wildfire
  situation
• Improve fire agency awareness of wildland fire
  threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigation
  opportunities and options
• Assist fire agencies in the targeting of high
  risk areas for enhanced wildfire incident
  response planning
• Provide opportunities for meaningful discussions
  among community members and local, state, and
  federal government representatives regarding
  their priorities for local fire protection and
  forest management
• Improve county and local fire agency eligibility
  for funding assistance (National Fire Plan,
  Healthy Forest Restoration Act, FEMA, and other
  sources) to reduce wildfire hazards, prepare
  residents for wildfire situations, and enhance
  fire agency response capabilities
• Meet or exceed the requirements of the National
  Fire Plan and FEMA for a County level Community
  Wildfire Protection Plan

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Fox Ridge
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Preparedness

• Emergency Services
• City and Rural Fire Protection
• Wildland Fire Protection
• Local Government
• Local Organizations

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How prepared are you (really)?

• How many escape routes do you have?
• Firefighter Access?

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How prepared are you (really)?

• Construction Materials?
• Landscaping Techniques?
• Access Issues?
• Power lines?

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Types of Projects

• Defensible Space
• Thinning, pruning, mowing, construction
  materials, types of landscaping, wood piles,
  propane tanks, awareness, etc.
• Roadside Fuels Treatments
• Access Issues
• Bridges, turnouts, road width, turnarounds,
  overhangs, etc.
• Emergency Response Needs
• Training, equipment, recruitment, PPEs, etc.
• Policy Issues
• Building codes, road restrictions, public
  education, etc.
• Pre-planning Efforts in High Risk Areas

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Public Involvement

• Press Releases about planning efforts
• Informational posters, booth displays.
• Public Mail Survey was sent to about 285
  households in the county 40 Response Rate
• 6 Public Meetings held in February 2007
• Public Review of the DRAFT Plan will be
  facilitated in May once all sections have been
  completed and reviewed by the committee.
• Public DRAFT review in May 2007

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Your Input

• Review map of treatment areas
• Review Draft Plan
• Let us know your ideas and concerns.
• Make this YOUR Plan!
• Thank you for attending and participating! Please
  visit our booth.

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Washington County, Oregon Community Wildfire
Protection Plan Vaiden Bloch,
M.S. bloch_at_consulting-foresters.com Northwest
Management, Inc.