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The national database of state and local wildfire hazard mitigation programs
serves as a clearinghouse of information about nonfederal policies and
programs that seek to reduce the risk of loss of life and property through
the reduction of hazardous fuels on private lands. If
you would like to submit a program to the national wildfire programs database,
please complete the following form (MS
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Title: |
Big Sky, MT -- Madison County Master Plan Regulations
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Type: |
Regulatory
Community Planning
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Jurisdiction: |
County
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State: |
Montana
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Program Description: |
Background
In the past 30 years, the Big Sky area of Montana has experienced a lot of residential growth. Because a significant area of the Big Sky region does not have structural fire protection, a group of concerned landowners and government officials created the Big Sky Fire Planning Committee in 1998. In February, 2000 that group issued a report called the Big Sky Fire Management Strategy. The study looked at agency and landowner roles and responsibilities in the event of wildfire, indigenous vegetation and fire history, and urbanization. The report makes recommendations in many areas, including vegetation management through fuel breaks and creation of defensible space around buildings, adoption of new subdivision regulations and covenants, creating fire-resistant homes, disaster preparedness, and public education.
Madison County
Madison County and Gallatin County comprise the Big Sky region, but they have different approaches to reducing fuel hazards around subdivisions. Both counties use the Fire Protection Guidelines for Wildland/Residential Interface Development and the Fire Risk Rating documents created by the Montana DNRC in 1993, but Madison County has not adopted the Guidelines into their Subdivision Regulations.
Master Plan Requirements
When Madison County reviews a "master Plan" for a new development in Big Sky, the Subdivision Regulations require that the master plan be accompanied by an environmental assessment. One of the County's review considerations is the effect of the overall project on public safety. Fire protection is a key consideration here, and with the new regulations, they have been requiring a fuel management plan as a condition of master plan approval. They look, development phase by development phase, to see if implementation of the fuel management plan is taking place.
Subdivision Regulations
Madison County Subdivision Regulations require that all proposed subdivisions be reviewed for fire risk. The fire prevention specialist, in conjunction with the fire district, calculates a fire risk rating. Proposed subdivisions which are ranked in the high or extreme fire risk category should be redesigned to reduce risk to the low level category. Inability to achieve a moderate fire risk rating is sufficient grounds for the County to deny a proposed subdivision. If the subdivision is located in a high fire hazard area, additional fire protection measures may be recommended by the fire district and fire prevention specialist. The fire prevention specialist works one-on-one with the developers to create acceptable subdivisions.
As part of the public education efforts, the fire district chief has a fire information sheet for people building a home in Madison County.
Contact Information
For more information contact Doris Fischer, via email, at [email protected].
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