The IEFSA is meeting monthly to develop CWPP preparation instructions for the Inland Empire, with specific contact persons at the various agencies you will need to work with.  If you would like to attend, send us an email via the "Contact Us" link and we'll send you the date, time, and location of our next meeting. 

Enhancing Community Fire Safety in the Inland Empire

Creating Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs)

CWPP Development History

•      National Fire Plan

•      Western Governor’s Association, 10-Year Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Wildland Fire Risks to Communities and the Environment

•      Healthy Forest Initiative, Healthy Forest Restoration Act → CWPPs

Healthy Forest Restoration Act
Minimum CWPP Requirements

Benefits to Creating a CWPP in Your Community

•      Community Identification of Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) on Federal Lands

–    Default HFRA: ½ to 1 ½ miles from community

–    CWPP: Where it makes sense to community members based on CWPP analysis, process, and recommendations

•      Minimum 50% of HFRA (Healthy Forest Restoration Act) Project Funds are to be Used in WUI

Benefits to Creating a CWPP in Your Community

•      Influence Where and How:

–   Federal Agencies  Implement Projects on Federally-Managed Lands

–   Additional Federal Funds May be Distributed for Projects on Non-Federal Lands

•      Increase Your Community’s Success in Funding Programs for Your Projecgts

Who Makes CWPPs Happen?
The Community!

•      Effective CWPPs are those embraced and implemented by all sectors of the community.

–    Private landowners, residents

–    Non-profit organizations, associations, schools, etc.

–    Firefighters: Districts, Departments, Volunteers

–    Local agencies

–    State and Federal land management and fire agencies

Resources to Guide you in Creating your CWPP

•      Preparing a Community Wildfire
Protection Plan, A Handbook for
Wildland-Urban Interface
Communities

–    www.safnet.org/policyandpress/cwpp.cfm 

•      Leaders Guide for developing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (DRAFT)

–    Same Organizations as Handbook, plus International Association of Fire Chiefs

–    Highlights role of fire chiefs

–    Eventually at www.iafc.org or www.saftnet.org

•      California Community Fire Plan Template

–    www.cafirealliance.org

Step One: Convene Decisionmakers

•      Local Government

–    County in unincorporated areas

–    Municipalities in incorporated areas

•      Local Fire

–    Departments, Districts, Volunteers, Chiefs Association

•      State Forestry

–    CDF

 → Steve Faris, CDF

Step Two: Involve Federal Agencies

•      US Forest Service

–   San Bernadino National Forest

 → Mike Dietrich, San Bernadino National Forest

•      Bureau of Land Management

–   Palm Springs

•      Natural Resources Conservation Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, etc.

Step Three: Engage Interested Parties

•      Landowners, Residents

•      Local Organizations, Associations

•      Schools

•      Real Estate, Insurance, Resource Management Industries

•      Local Agencies, Commissions, Boards

•      Community Meeting Process, Educational Opportunity

Step Four: Establish a Community Base Map

•      Fire Planning and Mapping Tools Website

–   http://wildfire.cr.usgs/fireplanning/

•      ESRI

–   www.esri.com

•      Include preliminary WUI Information

–   CDF FRAP

–   USFS

Step Five: Develop A Community Risk Assessment

   A.  Fuel Hazards

     –    CDF FRAP

•    Fuel Hazards

•    http://frap.cdf.ca.gov/data/frapgismaps/select.asp

•    CDF Unit Fire Plans

–    USFS

•    Forest Plans

–    Fire Safe Councils

–    Community Meetings

Condition Class

•   Departure from natural (historical) fire regime

•   Three Classes:

–   Within or near historical range.

–   Moderately altered from historical range.

–   Significantly altered from historical range.

B. Risk of Wildfire Occurrence

–   CDF FRAP: Fire Threat

–   USFS

–   Fire Safe Councils

–   Community Meetings

 Fire Threat

•      Developed by CDF

•      Combines fire frequency (the likelihood of a given area burning) and potential fire behavior (hazard).

•      Four Classes:

–    Moderate

–    High

–    Very High

–    Extremely High

        C. Homes, Businesses, and Essential Infrastructure at Risk

–   Local Government

–   Local Fire Protection Organizations

–   Fire Safe Councils

–   Community Meetings

D. Other Community Values at Risk

–   Local Government, Community Leaders

–   Fire Safe Councils

–   Community Meetings

•      Communities At Risk

–   www.cafirealliance.org

 E. Local Preparedness and Firefighting Capability

–   Local Fire Protection Organizations

–   CDF

–   Fire Safe Councils

•      Community Meetings: Local Knowledge Colored onto Maps

Step Six: Establish Community Hazard Reduction Priorities & Recommendations

to Reduce Structural Ignitability

•      Through CWPP Partners

–   Government, Fire, CDF, USFS, Landowners, Fire Safe Councils, etc.

•      Community Meeting
Process

–   Map coloring!

•      Identify Projects and Prioritize

•      Include existing projects of all partners: Agencies, FSCs, etc.

•      Establish WUI Designations for Federal Lands

•      AB 1216 (Vargas) Urban-Wildland Building Standards

Step Seven: Develop an Action Plan and Assessment Strategy

•      Roles and Responsibilities

–   Who will provide what and do what?

•   Agencies, Fire Safe Councils, Local Government, Fire Protection Organizations

–   Funding

•   Agency-funded projects

•   Fire Safe Council Clearinghouse Projects

•   In-kind Community Projects

•      Develop Realistic Timeline for Implementing Projects

Step Eight: Finalize the CWPP

•      Signature Approval from Conveners:

–   Local Government

–   Local Fire Protection

–   CDF

•      Send to California Fire Alliance

–   Will have web-based page to document and link to approved CWPPs.

•      Celebrate!

CWPP Resources

•      Preparing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan, A Handbook for Wildland-Urban Interface
Communities

–    www.safnet.org/policyandpress/cwpp.cfm 

•      Leaders Guide for developing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (DRAFT)

–    Eventually at www.iafc.org or www.saftnet.org

•      California Community Fire Plan Template

–    www.cafirealliance.org

•      State OES Hazard Mitigation Website:

–    www.oes.ca.gov

•      California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

–    http://www.fire.ca.gov/php/index.php

Going Beyond the Initial CWPP

•      Track Progress

•      Update CWPP Every 5-10 Years

–   Community Review

–   Appendix to Original Plan

•      County General Plan

–   CWPPs in Appendix?

•      Pre-Disaster Mitigation Planning

Inland Empire CWPP Timeline  

•      No Community Meetings, Agencies Only

–   3 Months

•      Small Communities, One – Two Public Meetings per Community to Identify Hazards, Risks, Assets, Projects, Priorities

–   6 - 9 Months

•      Large Communities, County, Region; Many Public Meetings

–   12 – 18 Months

IEFSA Next Steps for CWPP

•      Identify Communities to Prepare CWPP

•      Identify IEFSA CWPP Steering Committee

–   To foster CWPPs throughout the Inland Empire.

–   To be a resource for communities preparing CWPPs.

–   Identify Next Meeting Date (February 16, 2005)

•      Identify Working Session Date (to be determined)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT

Laura Dyberg at dyberg4fsc@earthlink.net

Ellen Pollema at ellenpollema@earthlink.net

CWPP Presentation Written by:

Tracy Katelman, ForEverGreen Forestry

P.O. Box 9068, Eureka, CA  95502

tracy@sohum.net