Community wildfire protection planning: The importance of framing, scale, and building sustainable capacity

Abstract

Community wildfire protection planning has become an important tool for engaging wildland-urban interface residents and other stakeholders in efforts to address their mutual concerns about wildland fire management, prioritize hazardous fuel reduction projects, and improve forest health. Drawing from 13 case studies from across the United States, this article describes best management practices (BMP) that emerged from the data for facilitating the development of Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) and ensuring that planning leads to action on the ground. Three BMPs are emphasized: (1) paying attention to problem framing, (2) choosing a scale where participants can make things happen, and (3) taking steps to facilitate implementation and ensure long-term success. These BMPs were found to hold true despite considerable diversity across the cases.