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Sonoran Institute ~ Western Dispatch 
April 2010

Wildfire Photo

 
 
Smart Growth Strategies to Avoid
the Line of Fire


Friends,


Wildfires are a fact of life in western North America. They are part of the natural cycle of growth, destruction and renewal that is both natural and beneficial - unless you or your home happens to be caught in it. As more houses are built in areas prone to wildfires, the costs to protect these homes and the people who live in them have become enormous, both in terms of taxpayer dollars and human lives.
 
Ironically, in many parts of the West, expensive efforts to stamp out wildfires have literally added fuel for future fires by making forests denser, with more flammable groundcover. By interrupting the natural process of fires thinning out forest lands, wildfire management practices created a new cycle - fire suppression and fuel accumulation - that will make future fires more intense, damaging, and costly. At the same time, people are increasingly building homes in areas on the edge of these forests, in the so-called "wildland-urban interface," or WUI. If rapid development in the WUI continues, fire suppression expenditures could spiral out of control, and natural fire is unlikely to be restored to forests anytime soon. It is time we got smarter about how development takes place in these high risk areas. 

Here are some facts:

�   Between 1970 and 2000, developed areas within WUI grew by 52 percent
�   Since 2000, there have been at least 99 wildfire fatalities in the United States, and thousands of structures have been destroyed, with damages totaling more than $6.5 billion
�   Since 2000, U.S. Forest Service fire suppression costs have averaged over $1 billion annually, while the portion of the Forest Service budget dedicated to wildland fire management has grown from 13 percent in 1991 to 48 percent in 2009
�   When fighting large fires, between 50 and 95 percent of federal spending goes towards protecting private homes

Focusing on Prevention

To date, most efforts to reduce risks of fire in the WUI have focused on reducing "fuels" - removing small trees and brush, either mechanically or with prescribed burning. Local planning efforts generally consist of requiring new subdivisions to incorporate "firewise" characteristics such as fire-resistant building and landscaping materials, adequate water supplies for firefighting, and road access for emergency vehicles. While these measures can help reduce the risk of homes burning, they do little to keep people out of harm's way. A better solution is to focus on prevention; guiding development away from high risk areas. This approach would not only keep people and property out of harm's way, but it would also reduce the taxpayer burden of protecting homes built in the wrong place.
 
While much of the research on this issue has focused on the federal policy changes that are needed to reduce risks in the WUI, guiding development away from high risk areas is primarily a local responsibility. We agree that it is absolutely essential to reform federal policy driving wildfire management; however, the role and significant impact that counties, communities and local regulations can play in reducing the risks of wildfire is often overlooked or understated. Our latest report, In the Line of Fire, focuses primarily on how local action can reduce the catastrophic effects of wildfire. Download the report at www.sonoraninstitute.org.

Managing the Impacts of Wildfires - Locally

If western counties and communities promoted responsible development patterns in forested areas, it would save millions of taxpayer dollars needed for fire suppression, reduce risks to people and property, and restore forests to healthier conditions.
 
Most local governments across the country effectively regulate development in floodplains by categorizing the risk associated with development in these areas and shifting development out of the floodplain. Similar measures could be applied with wildfire risk to control growth in WUI areas:

�   First, clearly identify the riskiest locations. Create "fire-risk" maps to help local decision-makers encourage growth toward areas of low risk, and restrict growth in the areas of high risk.
�   Once fire-prone areas are effectively mapped, use zoning regulations to limit development accordingly. Establish "overlay" zoning districts superimposed on existing zoning districts that shifts development into low risk areas. Prohibit homes in the high risk areas, or require home setbacks from high risk areas.
�   Enact zoning policies that provide incentives for building in low risk areas. Zoning techniques such as "clustering" ordinances allow the developer to build more homes in low risk areas in exchange for not building in high risk areas.
�   Consider using a "density bonus" as an additional incentive to steer homes clear of high risk areas. For instance, instead of five lots located away from high risk areas, the developer might be allowed seven lots.
�   Continue to emphasize and enforce local regulations that require new subdivisions in the WUI to incorporate "firewise" characteristics.

Reform Needed at All Levels

Reform is also needed at the federal level: local jurisdictions have little motivation to reduce risks of wildfire when state and federal agencies - like the U.S. Forest Service - cover the majority of the costs for fire suppression in the WUI.

The insurance industry can also help discourage development in risky locations. As they do in floodplains, insurance companies should require higher premiums in areas of higher fire risk. When people do choose to live in the WUI, higher insurance premiums would oblige them - instead of other insured homeowners - to bear the costs of their decisions.

Zoning in the West can be a tough pill for local governments to swallow. But, with the stakes so high, there is every reason for local governments to use well-established, effective growth management tools to limit or prohibit development in the high risk areas for wildfire. Local planning can help save the lives of firefighters and residents and reduce the cost to taxpayers of protecting homes that were built in places where fire is inevitable.  

Sincerely,

Signed, Luther Propst

Luther Propst
Executive Director
2010 Green Choice Campaign


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GreatNonprofits and GuideStar have launched the 2010 Green Choice Campaign, in partnership with Global Exchange, EcoFlight, Sustainable Northwest, Conservation Lands Foundation and the Sonoran Institute to identify top-rated environmental nonprofits.

Tell us about YOUR experience; how are these organizations having an impact? Which ones are great? Your participation in this campaign helps identify environmental nonprofits that are making a difference.

Write a Sonoran Institute review today!

All organizations with 10 or more reviews in the campaign may have a chance to win one of 10 $500 prizes from GuideStar.

Campaign deadline: April 30, 2010


Write a review about how the Sonoran Institute is helping to shape the future of the West!

Thank you in advance for your support.

 
 
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New Report - Planning for Climate Change in the West


Western planners are emphasizing economic efficiency rather than climate change in their decisions to manage water supplies, reduce energy consumption and protect open space.

Read the reportissued jointly by the Sonoran Instituteand the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

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New Report - Growth and Sustainability in Las Vegas

This Sonoran Institute report identifies critical issues that Southern Nevadans have to address to assure a sustainable economy and quality of life for the future.

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Colorado River Water Rights

BBC reporter Lorne Matalon recently joined Sonoran Institute staff on a tour of our restoration initiatives in the Colorado River Delta.


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Bryan Morgan, of Boulder, Colorado, is so passionate about the work of the Institute, he now chairs our Board of Directors. Find out why.