North Logan officials say statewildfire mapping could bring property fees; city weighing local code adoption

Chief Thompson, North Loganfire chief, told the City Council on Sept. 17 that a forthcoming state wildland-urban-interface map and implementing law will affect Cache Valley and could lead to fee assessments for homes the state deems high risk.

"Cache Valley will no doubt be impacted. And what that will entail is if you live in the high risk WUI area, you will be assessed a fee, and it's classified 1 through 3," Thompson said, summarizing material he circulated to council members and mayors' groups.

Why it matters: the state is creating a high-risk WUI map that will trigger both property classifications and an assessment program. Thompson said the state has asked municipalities to adopt WUI code and map zones by the end of the year so cities are ready when the state begins assessments. He said moving quickly will help North Logan avoid surprise assessments for residents who did not know they were included on a state map.

What council heard: Thompson described multiple points the city must address if it adopts local code, including a WUI zone definition the council would adopt, a locally enforced checklist to meet NFPA/firewise standards, and an implementing ordinance adopting elements of the 2006 International Fire Code. He said city staff and the Fire and Forestry State Lands (FFSL) contact have told municipalities they may tailor local WUI boundaries to match landmarks such as roads and canals.

Council members pressed for timing and cost details. Thompson said the state has not finalized the map, that it is using new data layers (structure risk scores plus ember-carrying capability), and that the map-makers are currently looking at a "level 5" threshold to define the statehigh-risk map. He warned that matching local maps to the state map reduces the chance that residents will be unexpectedly assessed by the state.

On costs, Thompson said exact fee formulas are not finalized. He told the council he had heard estimates that households in the highest classification could face assessments "as high as 700 to 900" dollars annually and those in the lower classification could see "3 to 400" dollars annually. He said the state has not settled whether assessments will be based on house square footage or property area and that counties would administer the fees and keep a portion to run assessment programs.

Next steps and council direction: Thompson recommended the city prepare an ordinance and local WUI zone so North Logan could act quickly when the state releases its map. He said FFSL expects municipalities to adopt code by year's end and that the state's planned schedule would allow assessments to begin in January. Council members asked staff to workshop an ordinance and to hold public outreach so residents understand what the WUI designation would mean.

Context and limits: Thompson emphasized much remains unresolved in the state process and urged outreach to state legislators if the council objects to how the map or fees are implemented. He also said compliance with NFPA firewise landscaping and adopting the 2006 International Fire Code would place properties in a lower fee class under the draft system.

Ending: Council members asked staff to return with a proposed ordinance and recommended outreach materials and to track the state's map release so local action can be aligned with state deadlines.