On May 24, 2018, the Missoula Board of County Commissioners approved an updated version of the 2005 Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). The update was a collaborative effort of Missoula County Office of Emergency Management, Frenchtown Rural Fire District, Montana DNRC, US Forest Service, BLM, Missoula County Community & Planning Services, Missoula County Fire Protection Association (of which Seeley Lake Rural Fire District is a member), The Nature Conservancy, City of Missoula Development Services, Missoula City Fire Department, Missoula Rural Fire Department, Clearwater Resource Council, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, other participating agencies, and community members.
The plan begins with a look back at the 2017 wildfire season, which, per the plan, ‘underscored the importance of planning, collaboration and action to address future incidents.’ The 2018 updates build on the strengths of the 2005 collaborative plan, to include a ‘refined definition of Wildland Urban Interface, an updated risk and hazard assessment, new action items and maintenance plan, and refinement of content to align with national policies and strategies.’ Perhaps the most critical alignment is to the National Cohesive Strategy for Wildland Fire Management: restoration and maintenance of resilient landscapes, promoting fire adapted communities and increasing the capacity to respond collaboratively to wildfires.
CWPPs are meant to stimulate collaboration between federal, tribal, state, local agencies and the public. They identify and prioritize fuel treatments to reduce hazardous fuel areas and recommend strategies to reduce the ignitability of structures. The Missoula County CWPP recognizes the effectiveness of local CWPPs, such as the Seeley-Swan Fire Plan that addresses wildfire risk in the Seeley Lake and Condon communities. These local plans provide additional detail and engage local folks in ways that support county-wide efforts and engage locals into action. At the core, fire adapted communities rely on individual property owners’ efforts. We’re all in this together.
The contributing agencies listed above all have a stake in the strategies employed in furtherance of the National Cohesive Strategy. Missoula County seeks to leverage those interagency efforts, with public input at local levels, through coordination of effort. The county is in the final stages of hiring a County Wildfire Preparedness Coordinator which will be responsible for implementation of fire adapted community programs including prevention and education, promotion of local CWPPs, evacuation safety preparedness, homeowner guides to the home ignition zone, hazardous fuels reduction and public awareness and preparedness. In short, the position will seek to coordinate interagency efforts to leverage all of the good work being done in our communities by independent agencies and private groups and maximize the effective use of scarce resources to get the job done.
The member agencies of the Missoula County Fire Protection Association: federal, tribal, state and local government agencies with wildland fire responsibility, stand shoulder to shoulder in support of the Missoula County CWPP and the Wildfire Preparedness Coordinator. We all know that collaboration is key and we never forget that we serve the needs of the public and act in stewardship of public lands. The action plan for the updated CWPP is already engaged and interagency collaboration is well under way. Folks can read the updated CWPP online @ https://www.missoulacounty.us/government/public-safety/office-of-emergency-management/community-wildfire-protection-plan
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