Council hears HB 48 update on wildland-urban interface mapping and homeowner assessments

Rockville leaders heard an update on state legislation and mapping that will affect homes in high-risk wildland-urban interface (WUI) areas.

"I'll just update you really quick on HB 48 that went live January 1," Chief David Harmon told the council. Harmon said the states WUI polygon map is available online and identifies properties that may be assessed under HB 48. He said fee assessments tied to square footage will begin in 2026 and 2027 and that, starting in 2028, trained assessors will conduct property-level evaluations once the state training program and staffing are in place.

Harmon told the council that only a small part of Rockville falls inside the states red (high-risk) polygons and that roughly 60% of the mapped high-risk area for the region lies outside the municipal boundary in unincorporated county land. He encouraged council members to request outreach or an educational briefing for residents when assessor training becomes available.

Councilmembers asked how the map was built and what triggers a high-risk designation; Harmon said the state used geospatial data, structure density, fire-likelihood modeling and ember-load estimates. He noted homeowners can request an assessment through the Forestry, Fire and State Lands website now, but requests will be queued until qualified assessors are available.

No formal action was taken; Harmon offered to provide educational support for the town when state assessor training is rolled out.