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State official urges Perry to complete local wildfire plan to join voluntary mitigation program
Summary
Tracy Swenson of the Utah Division of Forestry outlined a voluntary Cooperative Wildfire Program that requires a community wildfire protection plan and a participation commitment (cash or actions). The city can start its CWPP now but the formal agreement awaits final legislative action.
Tracy Swenson, area manager for the Bear River area with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, briefed the Perry City Council on a voluntary Cooperative Wildfire Program that she said can reduce local fire risk and limit how costs are recovered after a large incident.
Swenson said the program, created by state legislation enacted in 2016–17, creates a partnership between the state and local jurisdictions. “This is voluntary,” she said. “The history of it was started in 2016 and '17… So once again, this is voluntary. The mayor signs it within your community… and then we can get started into the program.”
The state requires a locally produced Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) as the basis for participation. Swenson said mitigation, preparedness and prevention actions listed in a CWPP are how a city meets its participation commitment. She said the participation monetary amount is recalculated based on recent fire history and hazard; she cited a current example figure of about $5,044 as the cash participation amount.
Why it matters: Swenson said being in the partnership can reduce the likelihood that the state will seek cost recovery from local governments after a delegated fire incident, and that local mitigation investment is the most effective risk-reduction strategy she recommends. She also noted a pending bill in the state legislature that could change how the wildland-urban interface is rated and could alter program details, so the state is waiting for the legislative session to conclude before circulating the final agreement.
Council members and staff asked whether the CWPP can be started before the formal state agreement and about timing and fiscal-year differences. Swenson said the CWPP work can begin now and that participation was moved to a calendar-year basis to resolve previously conflicting fiscal-year rules between municipalities and counties. She said other ways to meet the participation commitment include providing equipment, volunteer hours, training for initial attack, and fuels-reduction work.
No formal action was taken by the council at the meeting. Swenson said Perry’s next step, if it wishes to participate, is to develop a CWPP and submit it for state approval; once approved, the city and the state would finalize the participation agreement.
Swenson offered to work with city staff and said the state’s fire personnel can advise on which mitigation measures provide the best risk reduction for a particular area.
