Forest Health and Community Wildfire Resiliency (CWR)

Historically, conservation districts have been an important local provider of forest health and community wildfire resiliency information to landowners/homeowners, forest stewardship planning and fire risk assessment services, and incentives to implement recommended practices that improve forest stand conditions and reduce forest fuels.

Community Resiliency

Community wildfire resiliency support activities and actions such as the Firewise USA© program, Fire Adapted Communities resources, Wildfire Ready Neighbors, and Ready Set Go, are important for landowners and communities to be aware of to increase the wildfire resiliency of their private property and communities.

‍Background

Climate change and drought-associated increases in the frequency and severity of wildfires in Washington state, historical forest management practices, and increasing populations in rural and suburban areas make it vitally important that private landowners steward forest land for improved health and resilience and be prepared for wildfire.
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Improving forest health for climate and wildfire resiliency is critical at the same time as rural populations are growing and forest parcels are becoming smaller and more numerous.

Resources

Firewise USA:
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• NFPA - Firewise USA®
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WA Fire Adapted Communities (WAFAC):
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• Fire in the Shrub Steppe Webinar Series
• Resident Recovery Guide Template
• Wildfire Preparedness and Recovery Toolkits (apologies for the dead links on the page, they will be updated by the end of the month)
• WAFAC Vimeo Page
• Additional Resources (webpage will be updated soon!)
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WA Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW):
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• K-12 education from WDFW: Save Our Shrubsteppe lesson plan available for educators online.
• Middle school lesson plan "Wildlife and Wildfires"
• Explore Shrubsteppe brochure (available in Spanish)
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Boise State University:
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• Sense of Place in Sagebrush Landscapes
• Values Mapping for Sagebrush in Idaho
• Statewide Survey on Idaho's Sagebrush Landscapes and Rangelands
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Additional resources:
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• WiRē – Wildfire Research