Jefferson County Community Wildfire Protection Plan

SWCA developed the Jefferson County CWPP, a comprehensive plan designed to address the increasing risk of wildfires in the county, located within the Olympic Peninsula of northwestern Washington state. The plan emphasized collaboration among federal, state, and local agencies and community organizations to develop effective strategies to prepare for and mitigate wildfire risk. SWCA employed multiple approaches, including wildfire modeling, on-the-ground assessments, and community input, to assess hazard and risk and identify areas of concern. The recommendations outlined in the CWPP focused on three primary goals: restoring and maintaining landscapes, creating fire-adapted communities, and improving wildfire response.

While the CWPP did not mandate implementation, it served as a dynamic framework for ongoing collaboration, with regular updates to incorporate new information and respond to evolving wildfire risks. Ultimately, the Jefferson County CWPP aimed to protect communities by fostering a united effort to reduce the impact of wildfires through a combination of strategic planning, public awareness, and effective response measures.

SWCA helped to stand up a Wildfire Alliance for the County made up of diverse stakeholders representing land management, emergency management and wildfire response, and is currently working with that group to coordinate and implement recommendations from the CWPP focused on education and outreach, resilient landscapes, fire response and evacuation planning.