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National Fire Plan Success Story

USDA Forest Service Northeastern Area
Communities at Risk from Wildland Fire and Community Wildfire Protection Plans
National Fire Plan - Community Assistance
2011

Every year, wildland fires threaten or destroy hundreds of homes and other structures throughout the rural and suburban forests and grasslands of the Northeastern Area. The challenge of protecting communities in the wildland urban interface (WUI) is growing for both wildland and structural firefighting services. Meeting that challenge requires effective coordination at all levels, from the community to local, state, and federal firefighting agencies.

Guided by the National Fire Plan and the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA), state wildland firefighting agencies and their federal and local partners are responsible for identifying communities at risk from wildland fires. Since 2003, communities have been identified and prioritized in each state using guidance provided by the National Association of State Foresters. States, local governments and fire departments have worked together with federal and local partners to develop Community Wildfire Protection Plans. The purpose of these plans is to reduce the threat to communities from wildland fires today, and to maintain a reduced risk level in the future. CWPPs are locally-supported solutions to WUI challenges which are structured to meet local fire management needs. At a minimum they must: map the location of the wildland urban interface, address structural ignitability, identify and prioritize hazard reduction projects, and result from a collaborative effort among local, state, and federal partners.

Significant progress has been made by the Northeastern Area states:

  • All NA States are making progress in identifying and prioritizing Communities at Risk and developing and implementing CWPPs.
  • Eighteen states are actively working with at-risk communities to develop Community Wildfire Protection Plans. In all, Northeastern Area States have completed about 255 plans.
  • Six hundred and eleven communities at risk are now covered by CWPP plans.

The Northeastern Area supports these efforts by updating the states on CWPP activities in the Northeastern Area and nationally, providing technical guidance in the development and implementation of CWPPs, and providing technical support to state programs.