Wildfire Wednesdays #40: CWPPs - Before, During, and After Wildfire - Wildfire Preparedness for those in Need

Hi FACNM Members,  

Wildfire preparedness is year-round. This process involves taking actions to better prepare for, respond to, and recover from wildfire. As we head into spring, it is a great time to take actions to prepare for wildfire.  

This week’s Wildfire Wednesdays includes: 

  • Information about Community Wildfire Protection Planning (CWPP) 

  • A facilitation guide for Before, During, and After Wildfire from Washington Fire Adapted Communities 

  • A partnership between Habitat for Humanity and FACNM to provide wildfire preparedness assistance to those in need.

Best,  

Gabe 

Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) 

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A Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) is a written plan describing wildfire hazards and mitigation measures for a community. In New Mexico, many CWPPs focus at the county scale, but there sometimes individual community CWPPs within the county plan. These plans are authorized and defined in Title 1 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act and are an important pre-requisite for numerous wildfire risk reduction funding programs.  

The purpose of a CWPP is to “reduce wildfire risk to communities, municipal water supplies, and other at-risk land through a collaborative process of planning, prioritizing, and implementing hazardous fuels reduction projects.” The CWPP process is ongoing and core teams that write these plans continually work together to update them and to achieve the tasks outlined in the plan.  

Key Points about CWPPs 

  • All community members concerned about wildfire threat are encouraged to participate in the CWPP process.  

  • There is no prescribed format to which a CWPP must conform, and plans vary depending on the objectives and desires of the community.  

  • CWPPs should effectively address local forest and range conditions, values-at-risk, and priorities for actions 

Benefits of a CWPP 

  • Increasing community capacity by working collaboratively and strengthening relationships 

  • Helps establish and define boundaries for the wildland-urban interface, used to identify areas where federal funds may be applied.  

  • Fuel-reduction projects that are identified in a CWPP are to receive priority for funding and implementation by federal agencies 

Does your community or county have a CWPP? What type of plan does your area have, and how long has it been since it was updated? Check New Mexico State Forestry’s listings to find out: http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SFD/FireMgt/cwpps.html 

 

Before, During, and After the Wildfire  

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Fire adapted communities understand their risk and are taking action to better prepare for, respond to, and recover from wildfire.  

This facilitation guide, created by the Washington Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network, is a helpful tool to walk yourself and others in your community identify areas where you may improve your wildfire preparedness. Although it is a difficult time to meet in-person, this facilitation guide may be a conversation starter with your neighbors about how you can work together on wildfire preparedness in the warmer months.  

To view the facilitation guide, click here.  

 

FACNM and Habitat for Humanity Provide Wildfire Preparedness Assistance to those in Need 

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Fire Adapted Communities New Mexico (FACNM) learning network is partnering with Habitat for Humanity (H4H) of Los Alamos and Espanola Valley to provide wildfire preparedness assistance to those in need. FACNM will assist H4H volunteers and program coordinators by providing a Home Ignition Zone training and printed materials to be shared through H4H’s A Brush with Kindness program.  

The A Brush with Kindness program is an exterior home preservation service that offers painting, landscaping, and exterior minor repair services for home owners in need. This partnership will add to this program’s existing services by providing information and resources for reducing the risk of ember ignitions to participating homes.  

If you would like to learn more about this partnership or support this partnership through volunteer capacity, please contact gabe@forestguild.org.