Better Building Blocks
The state programs are a synthesis of the program elements, making the distinction of the relative effectiveness of any one element difficult to assess. An example of this is the high ranking of public education programs. Descriptions of pre-NFP programs were predominantly education programs, and the evaluation of their effectiveness was low. What has changed to make education programs so effective today? The states now have complex programs that include homeowner assistance, CWPPs, Firewise Communities, risk assessment and mapping, and fuel reduction projects in addition to public education. These programs have a synergistic effect, making each individual element of the wildfire mitigation program more effective.
Finally, the respondents were asked: "What kind of programs do you feel are needed to further reduce home losses to wildfire?" Of the 11, eight respondents called for regulations to reduce fuels around homes. The Georgia program manager suggested that our regulatory programs may continue to evolve over time. "We may need to evolve into outdoor fire safety programs that are parallel to the indoor fire programs," he said. "It took us 100 years to develop code for occupancy limits on meeting rooms and restaurants, proper number and location of exits, fire-resistant carpet and drapes, indoor sprinklers, etc. We will do the same for outdoor fire safety when the problem gets to the point necessary."
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Most managers were optimistic about the effectiveness of their current mitigation strategies. Respondents reported that wildfire mitigation efforts in their states have evolved from an initial focus on education and one or two other elements to today's multifaceted approaches that tackle wildfire risk on multiple fronts.
CWPPs provide goals and objectives to guide mitigation efforts over the long term. Risk assessments allow officials to focus efforts on areas of highest risk, while homeowner assistance through individual property assessments, defensible space creation and debris removal brings the concept of defensible space into homeowners' backyards. Firewise Communities/USA involves neighbors in reducing fuels around their homes and building community capacity. Regulations for fire-safe development create more defensible communities in high-risk areas.
Since the inception of the National Fire Plan, state-level wildfire mitigation programs have evolved into complex programs that appear to work synergistically to motivate homeowners to take action to protect their lives and their property. Is there a single most effective approach? Our research shows that the state managers agree that a multifaceted approach is the most effective method for reducing the risk of wildfire to homes.
Cheryl Renner, Terry Haines and Margaret Reams created the National Database of State and Local Wildfire Mitigation Programs at www.wildfireprograms.usda.gov. Renner is a planning consultant with Renner Associates in Tampa, Fla. Haines is a research forester with the U.S. Forest Service, Southern Research Station. Reams is an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at Louisiana State University.
The Community Guide to Preparing and Implementing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan is an essential planning tool for protecting communities from wildfire. It has compiled links to Web sites and organizations that offer information and support to help communities develop a CWPP and monitor its effectiveness.
The guide offers information on several topics:
- Collaboration: how to get and keep people involved.
- Reducing structural ignitability and strengthening community fire preparedness: methods of motivating homeowners to reduce fuels and replace combustible building materials. Includes tips on improving firefighting preparedness.
- Identifying and prioritizing fuels treatments and restoration projects: includes case studies of successful projects.
- Monitoring evaluation: identifies local and national monitoring considerations.
The guide is available for download at http://www.forestsandrangelands.gov/communities/documents/CWPP_Report_Aug2008.pdf. Hard copies of the Community Guide are available from the Society of American Foresters and the Western Governors' Association.
This research is supported by a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Forest Economics and Policy, and Louisiana State University.
The authors wish to thank the eleven state forestry and fire managers for the generous contribution of their time and expertise, and for their assistance in this project.
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