Community Wildfire Protection Plan

Community Wildfire Protection Plan

Community Wildfire Protection Plans are authorized and defined in Title I of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) passed by Congress on November 21, 2003, and signed into law by President Bush on December 3, 2003.

The Healthy Forests Restoration Act places renewed emphasis on community planning by extending a variety of benefits to communities with a wildfire protection plan in place. Critical among these benefits:

• The option of establishing a localized definition and boundary for the wildland-urban interface (WUI)

• The opportunity to help shape fuels treatment priorities for surrounding federal and non-federal lands.

A CWPP brings together diverse local interests to discuss their mutual concerns for public safety, community sustainability and natural resources. It offers a positive, solution-oriented environment in which to address challenges such as:

• Local firefighting capability

• The need for defensible space around homes and subdivisions

• Where and how to prioritize land management on both federal and non-federal land.

Key Components of a CWPP in Colorado

• The CWPP process must include local government, the local fire authority, local CSFS representatives and representatives of relevant federal land management agencies, as well as other relevant non-governmental partners.

• Partners should assess community risks and values, identify protection priorities and establish fuels treatment plans.

Currently, the Eagle County Wildfire Collaborative is working on building a CWPP that is both user friendly and modernized, allowing for updates as time progresses. This CWPP is slated for completion by the end of 2023.