The Bureau of Land Management and San Juan County are developing a county-level wildland fire risk assessment. County agencies and organizations have started a risk assessment planning committee as the first step in the ultimate development of a San Juan County Wildfire Protection Plan. The committee includes representatives from local fire districts, San Juan County, Washington Department of Natural Resources, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, private landowners, and others.

Northwest Management, Inc. will facilitate meetings, conduct field inspections and interviews, develop vulnerability assessments, and collaborate with the committee to delineate mitigation projects.

The plan will be part of the National Fire Plan and Healthy Forests Restoration Act.

The assessment will include risk analyses with predictive models indicating where fires are likely to ignite and how they may impact communities and the environment.

The project aims to prevent wildfire ignitions, create a more fire-resistant county and provide public wildfire education.

The planning committee meetings to discuss preliminary findings and to seek public involvement – dates and locations will be posted in local news outlets.  For more info, contact Tera King at 208-883-4488 ext 133 or Richard Parrish at 509-536-1226.