Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire

Kimiko Barrett, Ph.D. | Headwaters EconomicsMolly Mowery, AICP | Wildfire Planning International

IAFC Wildland Urban Interface Conference

March 22, 2017

Reno, NV

Outline:

• Introduction: Kimiko Barrett

• CPAW Overview: Molly Mowery

• Communities at a Glance:Ø Doug Green – City of Bend, ORØ Mike O’Herron – Missoula County, MTØ Mike Burnett – Chelan County, WA

• Panel Discussion

• Questions from the Audience

Wildfires Are Getting Bigger & Lasting Longer

# of acres burned has more than doubled, from 4.5 million acres in 1960, to 10.2 million acres in 2015

Since the 1970s, the # of annual large fires (1,000+ acres) has quadrupled.

The active fire season has increased by 78 days.

More Homes Are BurningSince 1990s, average number of homes burned per year has more than tripled.

209

4,500

932

2,970

670405

# O

f Hom

es B

urne

d

More Firefighter DeathsNearly a 50% increase in the average # of firefighter deaths per year

from the 1960s to 2000s.

-

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

# O

f Fire

fight

er F

atal

ities

The Costs Are Soaring

Wildfire suppression costs consume more than half of the U.S. Forest Service budget ($1.7 billion).

In Response…

The National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (2009) identified three main goals:

• Resilient Landscapes• Fire-Adapted Communities• Wildfire Response

The Community Planning Assistance For Wildfire (CPAW) Program Focuses On:

• Resilient Landscapes• Fire-Adapted Communities• Wildfire Response

Creating “Fire-Adapted Communities” Includes Land Use Planning Tools

CPAW Program Fills a FAC Gap

Fire Adapted CommunitiesFirewise

Communities

Fuel reduction

Forest Management

Internal Safety Zones

watersheds

Ready Set Go!

ResponseCodes, plans &

ordinances

Fuel breaks

Prevention Education

WUI Research

Local capacity

Community Wildfire

Protection PlanPost-fire recovery

Cooperative fire

agreements

Unique Partnership, Multidisciplinary Teams

Land Use

PlanningForestry

Wildfire Risk

Community (planning,

fire, others)

Research and

Science

Funded through USDA Forest Service and private foundations.

CPAW Communities (To Date)

CPAW Program + Planning Process

Photo credits: CPAW, USFS (map image)

CPAW Recommendations

• FAC-oriented

• Many values at risk

• All scales

• Science, best practices

• Implementation

What Have We Been Learning?

Common community challenges: junipers, junipers, junipers…

...and access, water supply, wood roofs, combustible attachments, trees

What Have We Been Learning?

• No one-size-fits-all approach

• Planning requires accurate information

• Process matters

• All communities can improve local coordination and planning

• It takes time

Communities At A Glance

Doug GreenFire Inspector

Fire & Rescue Department

Bend, Oregon

OverviewGeographic Context:

• Population: 87,014 people

• 33 square miles

• East side of the Cascades

• 12” of precipitation

• Population Growth 2010-2015: 13.5%

• Ranked #1 place to live… anywhere

Wildfire History• 1990: The Awbrey Hall Fire

• 3,500 acres• Jumped 3 major roadways and

the Deschutes River• Destroyed 22 homes.

• 1996: The Skeleton Fire • Burned 18,000 acres • Destroyed 30 structures –

FireFree was born.

• 2014: Two Bulls Fire • Burned 7,000 acres

• 2015: Shevlin Fire • Burned 10 acres

CPAW Assistance:

Land Use Planning Recommendation #1:

Develop an implementation framework for Bend in the Greater Bend CWPP

CPAW Assistance:

Land Use Planning Recommendation #2:

Define WUI and develop a WUI risk assessment that delineates risk levels

CPAW Assistance:

Land Use Planning Recommendation #3:

Develop and adopt WUI regulations

Contact:

Doug Green,City of Bend Fire & Rescue, Fire Inspector

Email: dgreen@bendoregon.govPhone: 541-322-6383

Communities At A Glance

Mike O’Herron,Montana DNRC, Area Manager,

Southwestern Land Office

Missoula County, Montana

OverviewGeographic Context:

• Population: 111,807 people

• 2,600 square miles• Population Growth

1970-2014: 93%

Wildfire History:• A wildfire-prone landscape• Scores of ignitions each year• 6 large wildfires since 2007

CPAW Assistance:

• Science-based tool generated by Missoula’s Fire Science Lab (Rocky Mountain Research Station).

• Used to inform multiagency partnerships around the WUI.

Risk Mapping

• Public and private collaboration.

• Using risk map to identify areas of high to low concern.

• Providing an outreach opportunity to increase homeowner/ landowner awareness.

Revising County CWPP

CPAW Assistance:

Next Steps:Focus on Prevention & Education

• Building off CWPP process and existing efforts.

• Handouts, PSA’s, electronic bulletins, websites, multimedia platforms (ex: GIS Storymap)

Contact:

Mike O’Herron,MT Dept. of Natural Resources, Manager

Email: moherron@mt.govPhone: 406-542-4261

Communities At A Glance

Mike BurnettFire Chief

Chelan County Fire District #1, City of Wenatchee

City of Wenatchee, Washington

OverviewGeographic Context:

• 3,000 square miles• Agriculture, recreation

and tourism• Over 80% Public Lands

Population:• Chelan County – 75,000• Fire District 1 – 45,000• Wenatchee – 33,000

OverviewWildfire History:• 25 fires in the last 20

years, burning more than 728,000 acres

• 2015: 77 homes, 5 warehouses lost

• 2014-15: Regionally ~600 homes lost, over 1.5 million acres burned, & 4 fatalities

CPAW Recommendation:Update the City of Wenatchee Comprehensive Plan to include wildfire information, goals and policies.

Added “Goal 8” to the Comprehensive Plan with 7 new policies from CPAW recommendations.

“WILDFIRES, GOAL 8: Acknowledge the impacts that wildfires have on the Wenatchee Valley. Seek to develop and implement approaches to adapt to the risks of wildfires making the City of Wenatchee a more fire adaptive community.”

In Response:

CPAW Recommendation:Develop a citywide Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)

• Current efforts to update the countywide CWPP.

• Highly collaborative process between multiple partnerships (agency, private, and homeowners).

In Response:

Next Steps:Further define the WUI risk

Complements other wildfire efforts underway

Public education & awareness raising

Leverage outcomes for funding opportunities

Contact:

Mike Burnett,Fire Chief, Chelan County, Fire District #1Email: mburnett@chelancountyfire.com

Phone: 509-662-4734

Contact:

Kimiko Barrett, PhDResearch & Policy Analyst

kimi@headwaterseconomics.orgPhone: 406-224-1837

Molly Mowery, AICPPresident

molly@wildfireplanning.comPhone: 303-358-9589