|
Home |
Search the Database |
Display Index |
Contact Us |
Database Login
|
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
Word).
Return to your search results or Perform a new search
|
Title: |
Missoula County CWPP
|
|
Type: |
Homeowner assistance
Designation of high risk areas
Community Planning
|
|
Jurisdiction: |
County
|
|
State: |
Montana
|
|
Program Description: |
Missoula County Wildfire Plan
Background
Missoula County is located in western Montana. It is a mountainous region with five valleys, two major rivers, and the the county seat. The city of Missoula has approximately 63,000 residents, while the county as a whole has 98,600 residents. The Missoula County Community Wildfire Protection plan covers the majority of Missoula County, but the northern portion of the county is covered by the Seeley/Swan Fire Plan. Of the county�s 1,660,740 acres, only 45% is owned by private land owners, with more than half of that acreage owned by Plum Creek Timberlands. The majority of the land is federal or state forestland with wildland fire protection responsibility held by USDA Forest Service (USFS), Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT).
The Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) was spearheaded by the Missoula County Office of Emergency Services and the Missoula County Fire Protection Association (MCPFA). MCPFA members include rural and municipal fire districts, the state DNRC, the USFS , and various county offices. The complete document can be found through a link on the Office of Emergency Services website: Missoula CWPP.
The project area is divided into fire districts for planning purposes. The plan identifies key values, assesses wildfire risk, and identifies high-priority projects by fire district jurisdiction.
The CWPP assessed risk using five criteria: vegetative fuels, insect and disease mortality, slope, population density and lack of critical egress. Since almost the entire county could be defined as Wildland Urban Interface, the planners refined the definition to a smaller area. Missoula County�s WUI is defined as �a 1.5 mile zone around areas of population density.� The risk elements were weighted as follows: vegetative fuels � 35%; insect and disease mortality � 10%; slope � 10%; population density � 25%; and critical egress � 20%. Other considerations included the responses of the fire chiefs to a survey on high-risk areas within their jurisdictions, local fire response capability, and any other assessment data of note.
The areas were mapped and risk factors totaled to identify areas of High, Moderate and Low risk. The fire Plan identified more than 22,000 acres as High Priority for � Fuel Reduction and over 300,000 acres as Moderate Priority.
Education, Outreach and Homeowner Assistance
The CWPP planners organized a series of public meetings for education and feedback. At these meetings, they discuss land fuels-management strategies and, at the same time, educate homeowners about protecting their homes from wildfire. Missoula County public officials have attended Firewise workshops. They recommend that residents refer to the www.firewise.org website for information on Firewise landscaping and construction materials.
The Missoula County Fire Protection Association (MCFPA) offers information on wildfire mitigation on their website, MCFPA, and assistance to homeowners, which can range from free home-risk assessments and prescriptions for fuel reduction work to cost-share assistance for treatment. Funds are available to assist homeowners through several grants, including the Missoula County Fuels Mitigation Program, and the National Fire Plan�s Western States Fire Managers Wildland Urban Interface Grant Program, and Community Protection Grant Program. All of these grants provide monetary assistance to homeowners who remove and reduce fuels on their land.
Some local fire districts assist by creating Fire District Mitigation Crews, which operate seasonally. These crews, composed of firefighters, are devoted to fuel reduction on private land within their jurisdictions. With this program, most homeowners are charged a fee of $100-$200 per day OR PER PROJECT for work within the home ignition zone. Those funds are used to sustain the project by supplementing grant funds or paying project costs.
The Montana DNRC contracts with Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D;) districts to implement the two NFP grants that it administers. This allows the DNRC to expand its staffing capabilities. This partnership is administered through the Bitter Root RC&D.; The district�s Community Forester is responsible for coordinating homeowner-agency partnerships in priority areas, inspecting properties and making fuel reduction recommendations. Cost match for this program is 50/50 or 75/25 with a maximum homeowner cost of $500.
Contact Information
For more information contact Bob Reid at Missoula County�s Office of Disaster and Emergency Services(406)258-4758 or by e-mail: [email protected].
|
|
