The new Guide to Fire Adapted Communities is not just for residents and fire departments. The issues of fuels management and forest health bring forest & land managers into the fold for a successful Fire Adapted Community as well.
Chapter 3 in the guide focuses on the surrounding environment and shares a case study out of Texas about a neighbor- helping-neighbor cooperative providing guidance that property owners need to use prescribed fire on a sustained basis. Another case study in that chapter looks at collaborative forest restoration efforts in Arizona.
Nick Goulette, Executive Director for the Watershed Research & Training Center, shared with me that, “Wildfires can threaten a wide range of community values. While life and property can and should garner the greatest focus, natural features such as municipal watersheds, green spaces, and viewsheds are also key community assets. Forest thinning, controlled burning, and reducing hazardous fuels within and adjacent to communities increases resilience to wildfire by moderating fire behavior and reducing negative fire effects.”
Nick went onto share, “That’s why building a fire adapted community requires active engagement from land managers including private property owners, foresters, and fire management professionals alike. We can’t have fire adapted communities without landscapes that are resilient to wildfire.”
Check out the new guide to learn more about considerations in the surrounding environment and become better prepared and more well-adapted for inevitable wildfire.