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U.S. Forest Service
Caring for the land and serving people
Caring for the land and serving people
United States Department of Agriculture
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County and municipal ordinances to protect wildland-urban interface communities
Author(s): Terry Haines; Cheryl Renner; Margaret Reams
Date: 2008
Source: In: Forestry in a Climate of Change National Convention. November 5-9, 2008. Society of American Foresters: Reno-Tahoe, Nevada.
Publication Series: Other
PDF: Download Publication (217.97 KB)Description
The growth of residential communities within and adjacent to high-fire risk forests in the past several decades, has increased the danger to life, property and natural assets from wildfire. Under the police powers granted by the Constitution, state and local governments have the power to pass laws to protect the health, safety and welfare of their citizens. As this relates to land use, the states have delegated this power to cities and counties. Consequently, most laws for reducing wildfire vulnerability have been enacted by local governments.
Research of local wildfire mitigation efforts found that many high-fire risk communities have adopted regulations in zoning, subdivision, fire, and building codes as part of a broader portfolio of wildfire mitigation efforts that include public outreach and homeowner assistance. Ordinances most often address subdivision design, defensible space, and fire-resistant structural safeguards. The poster will present examples of regulatory requirements and implementation mechanisms for several local governments across the U.S.Publication Notes
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Citation
Haines, Terry; Renner, Cheryl ; Reams, Margaret. 2008. County and municipal ordinances to protect wildland-urban interface communities. In: Forestry in a Climate of Change National Convention. November 5-9, 2008. Society of American Foresters: Reno-Tahoe, Nevada.Related Search
- Mitigating Wildfire Risk in the Wildland Urban Interface: The Role of Regulations
- The national database of wildfire mitigation programs: state, county and local efforts reduce wildfire risk
- Goals, obstacles and effective strategies of wildfire mitigation programs in the Wildland-Urban Interface
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https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/36287