San Jacinto County Completes Community
Wildfire Protection Plan
Feb. 7, 2017 — COLDSPRING,
Texas — San Jacinto County has developed a plan that will better prepare the
community for wildfires.
The Community Wildfire
Protection Plan is the 18th countywide CWPP in Texas. It was
developed by San Jacinto County officials, local volunteer fire departments,
emergency service districts personnel, representatives from the Sam Houston
National Forest and Texas A&M Forest Service.
San Jacinto
County applied for the Statewide Community Wildfire Protection Grant and upon
completion of the CWPP, was awarded $10,000. The grant, administered by Texas
A&M Forest Service, is federally funded to provide for writing and
producing a communitywide protection plan and mitigation projects for fuel
reduction.
The CWPP
promotes healthy ecosystems through wildfire risk assessments, addressing
structural ignitability, promoting wildfires awareness programs and identifying
strategically placed hazardous fuel reduction projects, with a goal of
improving safety of residents and emergency personnel and minimizing the number
of homes destroyed by wildfires.
In a statement
San Jacinto County Judge John Lovett said:
Our county is growing at a pace much greater than our historical average
and the rate of growth is accelerating. We must be proactive to meet our needs
and face the challenges that lie ahead. We are now on the border between
rural wildlands and urban expanse. My motivation to create our CWPP is to
avoid the catastrophic destruction caused by wildfire from happening here; like
that in Bastrop in 2011 and recently in Tennessee. The creation of this
plan will enable our VFD’s and emergency personnel to acquire the tools needed
to increase response times, thus lowering insurance rates throughout the
county. I cannot thank my Special Programs Coordinator, Sandra Lantz,
enough for her tireless efforts in creating our CWPP. The long-term
benefits of this plan will be immeasurable. This is just another way I am
trying to increase the efficiency of local government and improve the lives of
the residents of San Jacinto County.
The wildland
urban interface occurs where developed areas intermingle with undeveloped
areas. Often, this area is adjacent to property where actions can be taken to
prevent damage or loss from wildfire. Due to its location, the wildland urban
interface creates a challenging environment for wildfire suppression and
evacuations. San Jacinto County’s completion of the CWPP outlines potential
wildfire mitigation and prevention efforts.
“San Jacinto
County demonstrated initiative and leadership throughout the process,” said Texas
A&M Forest Service Wildland Urban Interface Specialist Stuart Coombs. “We
appreciate their proactive approach to complete the process and look forward to
assisting with implementation.”
A CWPP recognition
ceremony will be held during a regularly scheduled Commissioner’s Court meeting
at the San Jacinto County Courthouse Feb. 14 at 9 a.m.
To learn about Community
Wildfire Protection Plans, Firewise concepts and protecting your community visit
http://tfsweb.tamu.edu/ProtectYourCommunity/