The Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (HFRA) encourages the development of Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) to help communities plan for, respond to, and recover from wildfire events. The 2024 Ravalli County CWPP builds upon the prior CWPP published in 2006, which has since become outdated and no longer serves the needs of Ravalli County.

The Ravalli County CWPP is a community-based plan focused on identifying and addressing the local threat of wildfire. This living document is updated as-needed to utilize the best available information to characterize current conditions, identify resources and assets susceptible to wildfire, and identify and interpret wildfire risk throughout Ravalli County. An online Ravalli County CWPP story map was created to function as a central location for all CWPP information, including subsequent updates and/or revisions.

The successful development of the 2024 CWPP is the result of collaborative effort by an interdisciplinary CWPP “Core Team”, the public, and other stakeholders who submitted feedback during public meetings, public engagement opportunities, and a formal public comment process. This feedback has resulted in a comprehensive CWPP that encompasses a wide variety of perspectives and experience.

Notable updates developed for the 2024 CWPP include: an updated definition of the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), revised WUI mapping, prioritized areas within the WUI, a detailed implementation plan and action table, and recommendations to reduce structural ignitability. These elements of the 2024 CWPP meet regulatory requirements and provide decision-makers and stakeholders with a useful and current tool to address the local risk of wildfire. Updated WUI mapping is also necessary to access grant funding for eligible projects that reduce wildfire risk, increase wildfire response capacity, or provide public education regarding wildfires and associated risk.

The 2024 CWPP also summarizes the regulatory environment surrounding the development of a CWPP along with a characterization of Ravalli County including demographics, government structure, land use, and the fire environment. An overview of the WUI featuring an updated conceptual definition and detailed description of the methodology for defining and mapping the WUI is included along with discussion regarding the integration of wildfire risk into the WUI.

The implementation plan developed for the 2024 CWPP consists of goals, objectives, strategies, and projects that align with federal, state, and local goals while also meeting the unique needs of Ravalli County. This implementation plan interfaces directly with a detailed action plan, consisting of individual projects collaboratively developed by the CWPP Core Team, the public, and stakeholders. The projects within the action plan are subject to prioritization processes that evaluate location, project type, wildfire risk, and other priority elements in order to assign a prioritization value and map priority areas within the WUI for future planning efforts.

The 2024 CWPP is a comprehensive resource that characterizes current conditions and available resources, identifies and interprets wildfire risk, and provides next steps intended to mitigate that risk and provide the public with recommendations to reduce structural ignitability. The updated elements developed throughout this process also facilitate access to a variety of funding opportunities to implement the goals, objectives, and strategies outlined within the 2024 CWPP.