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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
Word).
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Title: |
California Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Simplified Template
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Type: |
Community planning and CWPP's
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Jurisdiction: |
State
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State: |
California
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Program Description: |
California Fire Alliance -- CWPP Simplified Template
To assist communities in preparing an acceptable Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), the California Fire Alliance has a developed a CWPP Simplified Template that incorporates all the requirements outlined in "Preparing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan: A Handbook for Wildland Urban Interface Communities", the guidance document prepared by the National Association of State Foresters, and National Association of Counties (2004).
The CWPP Simplified Template is available online from a link on the California Fire Alliance website, www.cafirealliance.org. The template provides a "fill in the blanks" format that exactly follows the seven step process set out in the NASF Handbook. The template enables a community to see in a straightforward way the information and groups they need to gather together to create their CWPP.
California Fire Alliance created the CWPP Template as a tool to be used by communities that may have already created a plan along the lines of a CWPP, but perhaps not in the prescribed format. The CWPP Template contains forms and matrices that meet all the basic requirements of the CWPP. These forms can be combined with other information specific to the wildfire risk situation of the community to create a unique plan. Or if a community has not begun the planning process, the CWPP Simplified Template provides a format in which to organize the necessary information. The CWPP Simplified Template provides a format which meets the minimum requirements of an acceptable CWPP. Communities are free to add more information and customize the CWPP to meet their needs.
Important Forms
While all the steps of the CWPP are important, such as convening federal, state and local fire officials and landowners for meaningful cooperation, producing a base map, assessing wildfire risk, and prioritizing projects, two forms within the CWPP Template are most important. They are: the Plan Certification and Signature Sheet which has places for the three required signatures - the administrator of the local government(s), the local fire chief(s), and the Unit Chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDFFP); and the Updated Project List page, which can be used annually to add new projects to an existing CWPP. Even communities that do not use the CWPP Simplified Template in any other way can benefit by using these two pages.
California now has more than 70 communities which have created, or are in the process of creating a CWPP. These CWPP's will be listed on the California Fire Alliance website.
Guidance Information
The Fire Alliance website also has links to several other guidance documents to assist communities preparing CWPPs. The Briefing Paper Community Wildfire Protection Plans by the NASF, describes the importance of the CWPP and what the participants in the planning process bring to that process. The Lessons Learned Guidance Document was prepared by the California Fire Alliance after reviewing several CWPP's. It offers suggestion on improving the planning process and the applicability of the final Plan. Some of the suggestions include:
- Use the Wildfire Plan Certification and Signature Sheet for clarity of support by the participants;
- Designate a generous Wildland Urban Interface -- it is possible to define the WUI as larger than 1/2 to 1 1/2 miles from the community. In most cases federal lands and projects cannot be considered in the community's CWPP unless the WUI boundary extends further than 1 1/2 miles, so that those lands are included.
- Include federal projects in the CWPP. A major goal of the CWPP is to allow the communities an opportunity to participate in the planning of nearby federal forestry projects. Where a federal project is in the WUI of a community, the NEPA process is streamlined for projects to protect the community from wildfire. If the community does not include the federal lands within their WUI, this advantage is lost.
Contact Information
For more information, contact Nick Konovaloff by email at [email protected]
or,
Regional Council of Rural Counties
801 12th Street,
Suite 600,
Sacramento, CA 95814
TEL (916) 447-4806
FAX (916) 448-3154
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