Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP)

Recent catastrophic wildfires in the United States have highlighted the increasing threat of wildfires to urban and rural communities. Since the establishment of the National Fire Plan in 2001, and the passage of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act in 2003, hundreds of communities across the United States have developed community fire plans, engaged in Firewise activities, and taken action at a community level to reduce their risk to wildfire. There are, however, thousands more communities across the country that remain at risk to wildfire. This page is dedicated to highlighting the resources, publications, and examples of strategies for developing, implementing, and monitoring Community Wildfire Protection Plans and for fostering collaborative activities aimed at reducing wildfire risk and restoration of forests and landscapes. Highlights include strategies for engaging vulnerable populations, as well as integrating landscape restoration within fire planning activities.

New Resources for CWPPs and Collaboration

Community Guide to Preparing and Implementing CWPPs (August 2008)

This guide builds on the original How-to-Guide for CWPPs and contains technical assistance on developing CWPPs, information on forest restoration and wildland fire use, and information about successful land use codes and state ordinances addressing wildfire risk in the wildland urban interface.

Guide to Engaging Socially Vulnerable Populations in CWPPs (August 2008)

Developed by Resource Innovations, Forest Guild in New Mexico, and Watershed Research and Training Center in California, this publication addresses the wildfire protection needs of low-income and under-served communities. 

Deer Creek Fire Meeting
(September 2005)
Photo by: Neil Benson

CWPP Evaluation Guide  (August 2008)

This hands-on guide helps communities monitor and evaluate their CWPPs to strengthen future implementation. The guide encourages collaboration among local government, land management and state agencies as well as community members in monitoring, evaluating, and updating CWPPs. Resource Innovations  at the University of Oregon developed this guide to assist communities in conducting CWPP evaluations.

Stewardship Contracting and CWPPs (August 2008)

This white paper, developed by Resource Innovations at the University of Oregon, presents a framework for how stewardship contracting can be used to implement high priority fuels reduction projects on public lands, and provides best practices for using CWPPs to accomplish broader goals for restoration. 

Stewardship Contracting and Collaboration: Best Practices Guidebook (pdf) (December 2007)

This guide is intended to provide information to Forest Service and non-agency representatives anticipating involvement in, or already participating in, stewardship contracting collaborative groups. It includes information on opportunities for collaboration throughout the stewardship contracting process, offers suggestions of best practices for each step, and includes links to a wealth of additional resources. Download a PDF copy from the Sustainable Northwest or the Partnership Resource Center web sites.

Additional Fire Planning Resources

Josephine County Integrated Fire Plan
Woody Vegetation Disposal Day
(June 2006)
Photos by: Kathy Lynn

A Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP): How-to-Guide (March 2004)

This Guide was the initial resource established under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) to assist communities develop CWPPs. This handbook was developed and is sponsored by Communities Committee, Society of American Foresters, National Association of Counties, National Association of State Foresters, and Western Governors' Association.

International Association of Fire Chief's CWPP Leaders Guide (May 2005)

This Leaders Guide Supplement is offered as a companion document to the Handbook and guidance for those who are considering implementing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). It explains comprehensively how to implement each of the steps needed to create an effective CWPP.

Firewise

Firewise programs, created by a consortium of wildland fire agencies, teach people how to reduce the risk of fire in wildland-urban interface communities. Information includes creating defensible space around the home, reducing wildland fire hazards, publications, workshops, materials for educators, and recognition programs.

The Fire Safe Council

The Fire Safe Council provides resources for establishing and maintaining local Fire Safe Councils, such as the FSC Handbook, nonprofit and funding information.

Joint Fire Science Project: Enhancing Collaboration and Building Community Capacity for CWPPS

CWPPs are one of the more important means of reducing risk to communities and ecosystems of catastrophic wildfires. This site describes an applied research project that seeks to analyze the lessons learned about collaborative processes among approximately ten CWPP development processes in the United States.