N RANCHING
atural Resources
more imminent. From 1985 to 2000, the Texas Forest Service responded to only 1 wildfi re of 5,000 acres or more. However, between 2000 and 2015, the organi- zation has dealt with a fi re of that size at least once per year. In 2008, 27 fi res of that size, or larger, were battled by the Texas Forest Service, and in 2011, the number was 76. “Historically, looking back 20 years, no one looked
at Texas as a wildfi re state,” says Logan Scherschel, a Texas Forest Service urban wildfi re interface special- ist. “In the past 20 years, we’ve seen an explosion in growth in rural areas and an increase in fi res. We’ve had a lot of acres burn and lost a lot of homes, and that has put us on the map as a state that has a wild- fi re issue.” Scherschel also shares that 79 percent of wildfi res
occur within 2 miles of an established community. The leading cause? Humans. The most frequent igni- tion source is debris burning that gets out of control. For the many private landowners across the state,
not only are their homes at risk, but their livelihoods as well. As urban sprawl encroaches on Texas farms and ranches, a wildfi re has the potential to destroy a family business built by multiple generations. “Wildfi re mitigation can’t be just one person or one
group,” advises Kari Hines, an urban wildfi re interface specialist with the Texas Forest Service. “In a state with high private land ownership, it’s important to protect your land, your hay, your cattle and your neighbors. When we can get everyone together behind a plan, it can be very successful.” The need for CWPPs across the state is growing
and the Texas Forest Service urban wildfi re interface specialists like Hines and Scherschel help communities through the process of creating a plan that fi ts their needs. Often the creation of a CWPP starts with an urban wildfi re interface specialist contacting a fi re chief to inform him or her of the program and help the community begin the plan. However, the Texas Forest Service can’t make the plan or force a com- munity to start one, no matter how high the threat. The decision falls to community leadership and a proclamation must be made by city government to begin a CWPP. “I can’t tell people what to do with their land,” says
Hines. “However, taking action to prevent the threat of wildfi res on homes, communities, farms and ranches comes from a place of heart. We care about these com- munities and often live in them; a CWPP is just another form of protection.”
60 The Cattleman November 2016
An uphill battle Through community involvement, informed citi-
zens, prepared stakeholders and a CWPP, Bastrop is more prepared than ever to protect the community against wildfi re. Bastrop County continues to be plagued by wildfi re.
Their latest wildfi re (Hidden Pines) struck in October 2015. However, the planning has helped their com- munity fi ght back when threatened. The response to the 2015 fi re was very different
from the fi res in 2011. The Hidden Pines fi re was ex- tinguished with no lives lost and 64 homes burned. The fi re was still a disheartening disaster for the community, but due to experience and a CWPP, they were better prepared to respond. In a fi nal case study analysis of the Hidden Pines Fire, data show that 87 percent of the homes threatened by the fi re were saved by mitigation actions of fi re departments. This analysis also identifi ed mitigation actions that could be done to prevent future fi res and these were ad- dressed in the CWPP. As the threat of wildfi re continues to grow for other
communities around Texas, more communities are beginning to prepare for a similar disaster. Hines says that landowners in rural counties play
a crucial role in helping create and carry out CWPPs. Involvement can include participating in fuel mitiga- tion strategies such as prescribed burns, landscap- ing changes and fuel reduction. Hines also says that landowners are often the least likely stakeholder to participate in the creation and execution of a CWPP, but farmers and ranchers, especially those with land close to communities, have the most at stake and a huge opportunity to help protect their community. “The more rural the county, the more vital a land-
owner’s role will be in protecting their home and sometimes the community.”
Creating a plan The process of putting a plan together can be as
short as 6 months with the help of the Texas Forest Service along with key community leadership and pri- vate citizens, but the time stakeholders spend working together is truly valuable. “Creating a Community Wildfi re Protection Plan
brings the community and stakeholders together,” says Hines. “You don’t want the fi rst time you meet these people to be when you are trying to recover from something disastrous.” So what all does a CWPP entail? For the most part,
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