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About this Conservation Program
Historically, conservation districts have been an important local provider of forest health and community wildfire resiliency information to landowners/homeowners, forest stewardship planning and fire risk assessment services, and incentives to implement recommended practices that improve forest stand conditions and reduce forest fuels.
Community Resiliency
Community wildfire resiliency support activities and actions such as the Firewise USA© program, Fire Adapted Communities resources, Wildfire Ready Neighbors, and Ready Set Go, are important for landowners and communities to be aware of to increase the wildfire resiliency of their private property and communities.
Background
Climate change and drought-associated increases in the frequency and severity of wildfires in Washington state, historical forest management practices, and increasing populations in rural and suburban areas make it vitally important that private landowners steward forest land for improved health and resilience and be prepared for wildfire.
Improving forest health for climate and wildfire resiliency is critical at the same time as rural populations are growing and forest parcels are becoming smaller and more numerous.
Resources
Firewise USA:
WA Fire Adapted Communities (WAFAC):
- Fire in the Shrub Steppe Webinar Series
- Resident Recovery Guide Template
- Wildfire Preparedness and Recovery Toolkits (apologies for the dead links on the page, they will be updated by the end of the month)
- WAFAC Vimeo Page
- Additional Resources (webpage will be updated soon!)
WA Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW):
- K-12 education from WDFW: Save Our Shrubsteppe lesson plan available for educators online.
- Middle school lesson plan "Wildlife and Wildfires"
- Explore Shrubsteppe brochure (available in Spanish)
Boise State University:
- Sense of Place in Sagebrush Landscapes
- Values Mapping for Sagebrush in Idaho
- Statewide Survey on Idaho's Sagebrush Landscapes and Rangelands
Additional resources:
Program News
Staff & Contact
Files & Publications
Want more information? Check out the following files that are related to the Forest Health and Community Wildfire Resiliency Program.
Th e Washington State Conservation Commission — in consultation with the DNR — administered funds for conservation districts to implement local Firewise activities. Individual landowners and entire communities were engaged in activities that help prepare and manage property in a way that reduces risk of wildfire damage.
Using funding received during the 2016 Legislative Session, the Washington State Conservation Commission (SCC) launched a grant program for conservation districts to implement local Firewise program activities.
The Fire Recovery Program was created by the state Legislature and administered by the Washington State Conservation Commission (SCC) to help landowners and cooperators recover losses to natural resources and agriculture that occurred during the 2014-16 wildfires.
You can find the programmatic guidelines here for the Forest Health and Community Wildfire Resiliency program.
Funding
Applications are open!
The first round of applications will be reviewed on August 22, 2023 and approximately each month thereafter while funds are available.