San Juan County releases 2025 wildfire protection plan draft and opens public comment

San Juan County received a public draft of the 2025 Community Wildfire Protection Plan on Monday and opened a month-long public comment period, county and conservation district staff said.

The draft CWPP, developed by a multi‑agency steering committee, maps wildfire exposure across the islands, rates vulnerability and lays out dozens of prioritized fuel‑reduction and preparedness projects, Paul, the plan presenter, told the council. The plan is intended to qualify the county for federal and state grant programs that require an adopted CWPP, he said.

Why it matters: A count of structures and transportation constraints shows much of the county sits where development meets flammable vegetation — the “wildland‑urban interface” — and the draft concludes that, while overall wildfire likelihood is generally low, individual events could be catastrophic because of exposed infrastructure, logistical challenges and limited evacuation options. The draft links near‑term priorities (home hardening, shaded fuel breaks and targeted thinning) to longer‑term needs including workforce, equipment and improved coordination among fire districts, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) crews and conservation partners.

Key points from the presentation: - The plan is a planning and grant‑eligibility document, not an incident response or evacuation plan, and must be approved to unlock some federal funding, the presenter said. - The steering committee drew from state and federal partners, local fire districts, tribes and nonprofit groups; community engagement included public meetings on several islands, online surveys and homeowner outreach. - The draft identifies 70+ project areas and reports more than 330 acres of implemented fuel‑reduction projects since 2021; partners have completed shaded fuel breaks, roadside clearing and removal of highly flammable noxious weeds. - Funding requests tied to the plan include a federal Community Wildfire Defense Grant (~$1.1M) and a $1.2M request to the Northwest Clean Air Agency; both had been submitted and were pending at the time of the presentation.

Council members asked how the plan would reach individual neighborhoods and landowners. The presenter said neighborhoods on the plan’s project maps were generally areas where landowners had already contacted the Conservation District or otherwise expressed interest; the county and partners will conduct homeowner outreach, do walk‑throughs, hold HOA briefings and pursue cost‑share funding for willing landowners.

The draft also recommends reviewing county land‑use tools — including tax programs and critical‑areas rules — that can unintentionally disincentivize active forest stewardship. County staff noted some of those revisions would require future code changes and additional staffing capacity.

What’s next: The public comment period for the draft CWPP runs through April; the draft and supporting maps are posted on the conservation district’s project page. The presenter urged residents to use the comment window, citing the plan’s role in qualifying projects for state and federal funding.

Ending: County staff told the council they will forward public comments to the steering committee and return to the council with updates on the grant outcomes and any recommended code or policy follow‑ups after the comment period closes.