About the Community Wildfire Protection Plan for Tuolumne County

What is a Community Wildfire Protection Plan?

The CWPP is a community-based plan focused on identifying and addressing local hazards and risks from wildfire. The CWPP determines what is at risk and provides actions for the community to address wildfire threat. In 2022, the Tuolumne Fire Safe Council received a grant award from the CAL FIRE Fire Prevention Grants Program to complete a county-wide CWPP update.

Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003 (HFRA)

A CWPP, as defined by the Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA), is a plan for a community at risk that:

  • Is developed collaboratively.
  • Identifies and prioritizes fuel reduction projects.
  • Recommends measures to reduce the ignitability of structures.

Minimum requirements per the HFRA and State of California:

  • Collaboration – Local/state officials, federal agencies, and nongovernmental stakeholders
  • Prioritized Fuel Reduction – Identify and prioritize areas for hazardous fuel reduction treatments on both federal and nonfederal lands and recommend types of treatment
  • Treatment of Structural Ignitability – Recommend measures that homeowners and communities can take to reduce the ignitability of structures in the plan area.

The HFRA requires that three entities must mutually agree to the final contents of a CWPP:

  • The applicable local government
  • The local fire department(s)
  • The state entity responsible for forest management.
Fire Adapted Community chart

CWPP Goals and Objectives (approved by the Steering Group, May 12, 2023)

Goals

  • To restore and maintain healthy and fire resilient landscapes.
  • To create healthy and productive fire adapted communities.
  • To enhance safety and preparedness forresponders and public.

(These goals are consistent with the goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy.)

Objectives

  • Restore and maintain healthy, resilient landscapes in all ecotypes.
  • Create Collaborative partnerships for all lands treatments (large scale).
  • Plan, prioritize and coordinate fuels reduction treatment projects and funding sources to ensure smart investments based on risk and potential effectiveness.
  • Identify and prioritize potential hazardous fuel reduction treatments, and types and methods of treatments (including maintenance and fire use).
  • Wildland urban interface (WUI) fuel reduction treatments are planned, funded & implemented. (Within the built environment-residential, commercial, public spaces)
  • Potential evacuation ingress/egress routes are identified and communicated to responders and residents.
  • Recognized Firewise Communities are supported, and actively engaged in reducing fire risk throughout their neighborhoods.
  • Identify measures that homeowners, businesses, and communities can take to reduce the ignitability of structures.
  • Reduce human caused ignitions.