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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.

Notice: this database, with the exception of the Biomass Utilization section, is not actively administered and has not been updated since 1/1/2010.

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Title: Utah -- 5 Regional Wildfire Protection Plans (RWPP)
Type: Community planning and CWPP's
Jurisdiction: Multi-level
State: Utah
Program Description: Utah Regional Wildfire Protection Plans (RWPPs)

The State of Utah is creating CWPPs at the local - community and county - level. At the regional level Utah is doing Regional Wildfire Protection Plans. As of August 2007, Utah has completed over 100 CWPPs at the local level and has approved 4 out of 5 Regional Wildfire Protection Plans (RWPPs). The RWPPs are landscape scale fuels reduction plans. They differ from CWPPs in that they are larger in scale and do not contain a structural ignitability component. The 5 RWPPs are posted on the web at this address: http://www.utahfireinfo.gov/CWPP/index.htm.

The State of Utah and BLM initially set out to organize the five regional plans by Interagency Fire Center coverage area. However, this had to be adapted to work with county administrative boundaries. The regional plans divide the state into five regions, Northern, Central, Uintah, Southeastern, and Color Country. Each RWPP covers multiple counties and includes multiple Communities at Risk (CARs). For the purpose of the RWPP, the CAR definition is the narrowest definition from the Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA). That is, "an area extending 1 1/2 miles from the boundary of a community at risk". If the CAR chooses to do a local CWPP, then it has the opportunity to define the WUI boundary in that document. One of the benefits of a CWPP to a CAR is that it offers the opportunity to establish a localized definition and boundary for the WUI using elements such as fuel hazards, local topography, fire history, vegetation, community characteristics, watershed protection and fire-fighting preparedness.

Central Utah RWPP Process

All five RWPPs are similar in structure and content. This entry uses the Central Utah RWPP, finalized on May 11, 2007, as an example. Central Utah RWPP covers 6 counties--Juab, Millard, Piute, Sanpete, Sevier and Wayne.

The first step in the RWPP process was to convene the stakeholders to form a core team. Stakeholders on the Core Team included: State of Utah Forestry, Fires and State Lands, County Planning representatives, Six County Association of Governments, BLM , USFS, Utah Division of Wildllife Resource, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Panoramaland Resource, Conservation & Development, and Capitol Reef National Park. Meetings were held in each county seat to educate the public and gain their input.

Role of the RWPP

The RWPP discusses landscape factors by county. The RWPP is not meant to be a substitute for local CWPPs. The landscape scale of the RWPP does not include detailed information about each community. Communities are encouraged to develop detailed CWPPs to identify and address specific issues and provide opportunities for input from the local public to provide the necessary community and county-level decision-making. However, some communities may not choose to do a CWPP and in that case, the RWPPs cover them by considering fuels reduction needs surrounding the community.

Central Utah RWPP

The Central Utah RWPP contains an analysis of the predominant vegetation types including: mid-elevation sagebrush and grasses, desert shrub, pinyon -juniper, mountain shrub and oak, and mixed conifer/aspen. It analyzes topography and climate, vegetation and wildlife, and disturbance regimes. On a county by county basis it analyzes population, identifies communities at risk, community values at risk, fire history, and fire response capabilities.

The RWPP contains a Community Risk Assessment. Using GIS information on fuel hazards, distance from CARs and population centers, and fire history, a map of risk level was created.

Within the Central Utah Region there are 49 identified communities at risk. Each community was evaluated in a risk assessment and given an overall score ranging from 0-12 based on the sum of multiple risk factors including: fire history, local vegetation and firefighting capabilities. A score of 8 or above qualified to be called a community at risk.

Regional Recommendations and Priorities

The two primary goals of the RWPP are to:

  1. Provide general recommendations for the Central Utah region;


  2. Provide guidelines and direction for the preparation of county and

    3. local CWPPs.

The Core Team mapped 16 high priority project areas within the Central Utah region. These areas were selected based on: need for fuels reduction, risk levels in the Risk Assessment, community values at risk, the presence of CARs, firefighting and access concerns, and local community interest. Further analysis of the 16 priority areas was done to include:

  • a description of the area vegetation,


  • firefighting and access concerns,


  • community values at risk, such as: watershed, wildlife, cultural resources and recreation,


  • and project area goals.

Additional Regional Recommendations

Some additional recommendations for the entire region are:

  1. Local communities should create CWPPs;


  2. Communities should promote education and community outreach;


  3. Develop fuels reduction activities;


  4. Communities should develop plans to reduce structural ignitability to homes and community values at risk;


  5. Communities should improve fire response capabilities.

Local Recommendations

Local recommendations include:

  1. Consider fuels reduction treatments in the national forest lands east of Nephi;


  2. Give priority to the watershed for Nephi City and the viewscapes of Nephi;


  3. Fuels reduction treatments in specific areas of the region.


Implementation and Monitoring

Impletation and monitoring of the RWPP will be the responsibility of the local Interagency Fuels Committee. Plans will be updated annually or on an as needed basis to be determined by the Committee.A specific project implementation plan will be developed for each of the 16 priority areas.

Contact Information

For more information, contact:
Tyre G. Holfeltz,
State Wildland Urban Interface/Fuels Coordinator
Department of Natural Resources
Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands
1594 West North Temple Suite 3520
Salt Lake City, UT 84114
Office: 801-538-7487
Cell: 801-230-1052
EMAIL: [email protected]

Sponsored by the USDA Forest Service / Southern Research Station
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