Joseph Anderson, a state Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands official, told Cache County officials that a recently passed Wildland‑Urban Interface (WUI) law will create a state high‑risk map and assess a small fee on properties inside that map to fund certified home risk assessments and homeowner education.

The state will provide counties with the map and lists of parcels that fall inside the high‑risk WUI boundary, Anderson said, and counties will collect the fee on property tax bills and remit the proceeds to the state under an agreement that can return a portion to the county to cover local collection costs. "We give you the information of what those fees are, and then you have the property information" to list on bills, Anderson said.

County officials pressed for details on how the map and fees are determined. State staff described two distinct maps: a statewide "high‑risk" map used to trigger the fee and a broader local WUI map that counties use to enforce building and development codes. The state's high‑risk designation includes a density criterion — the presenters described it as requiring roughly two structures within about 250 meters to qualify — so isolated cabins on large parcels may be excluded from the state fee map even if vegetation risk exists. The state will update the high‑risk map annually to reflect new development and post‑fire changes.

On rates and timing, state staff said the program will begin with low, flat‑rate assessments for the first two years while actual implementation costs are determined. Anderson described a typical initial range of about $20 to $100 per structure and said planners estimate an average of about $50 per parcel to cover the software and assessment work. The fee will be placed on tax bills and collection systems are being worked out; staff said counties should expect an 18‑to‑24‑month window to align systems ahead of 2026 collection.

The program is intended to be primarily educational and to provide a path for homeowners to lower their classification. State staff said certified assessors will recommend mitigation measures (vegetation clearance in defined zones, roofing and construction‑material improvements, removal of ladder fuels) and homeowners will be able to submit evidence of completed mitigation for reclassification. "If you have done the action, you can roll yourself out of the fee assessment area," Casey Snyder, a state representative who joined online, said, describing the long‑term incentive to reduce fees by completing mitigation.

County officials raised multiple logistical concerns: accurately estimating square footage on remote private cabins, how assessors will access private property, how assessments intersect with federal land fuels, and whether local permit records will align with the state's parcel list. State staff acknowledged those challenges and said the state is building a software platform to standardize assessments, allow homeowner self‑certification via photos, and reduce follow‑up visits. They also said assessments are primarily a state responsibility under statute but counties may perform assessments and count that work toward existing Cooperative Wildfire System (CWS) match obligations.

The staff said they had worked to improve the data insurers used to classify properties, reducing the number of structures labeled high‑risk in prior mapping products from the hundreds of thousands to roughly 70,000 in the updated statewide WUI map used for fee and insurance purposes. That standardization is intended to limit unfair classification and to create a clear pathway for homeowners who mitigate risk to receive updated information for insurers.

Officials agreed to share the state's final high‑risk map once ready, to overlay it with county GIS and permit data, and to present a short update to the county commission once parcel identifications are confirmed. The meeting closed after a brief discussion of other agenda items and a motion to adjourn.