Community Wildfire Protection Plan
The Bitter Root Resource Conservation and Development Area, Inc. received a grant from the USDA Forest Service - State & Private Forestry to facilitate the development of a Community-based Wildland Fire Risk Mitigation Plan, or "Community Wildfire Protection Plan."
Diverse groups of valley residents met repeatedly during the winter of 2002-2003 to brainstorm and prioritize potential actions to address the most pressing issues that affect the Valley's ability to reduce the risks associated with wildland fires. The strategy is a cooperative effort of volunteer fire chiefs, county officials, conservationists, community-based non-profit organizations, real estate professionals, tourism and timber industry leaders, federal and state land managers, business people and interested residents.
The purpose of this plan is to position fire protection agencies, county leaders, rural communities, valley residents, and forest owners and managers to be better prepared to protect the County's residents and its natural resources from the potentially devastating impacts of wildfire.
The resulting Community Wildfire Protection Plan reflects consensus among those who participated in its development and among those who, by signing, support the approaches outlined within. It is intended to be an adaptive document; one that will be updated annually or as needed, to reflect our accomplishments and the newly emerging needs and opportunities.
Issues and actions fit into one or more of four primary areas of emphasis:
- Fire Prevention & Suppression
- Hazardous Fuels Treatments
- Restoration of Fire-Adapted Ecosystems
- Community Assistance
Our plan is founded on, and will guide the implementation of, the National Fire Plan and the related 10 Year Comprehensive Strategy and Implementation Plan, in the Bitterroot Valley.
This plan will be revised annually. The Bitter Root RC&D and the Bitterroot National Forest will share responsibility for facilitation of annual updates.
The Community Wildfire Protection Plan has been partitioned into 2 parts. The first part is the Community Wildfire Protection Plan Main Document and the second part is Appendix D. Appendix D contains maps. The files are in an Acrobat file format and can be viewed/printed with Acrobat Reader. If you do not have Acrobat software, click on "Acrobat -- Free Download" and follow Acrobat's instructions for downloading a free version.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan
Bitterroot Valley and Vicinity Maps