FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 23, 2024
Brown County adopts Community Wildfire Protection Plan
COLLEGE STATION, Texas —
Brown County implemented a Community Wildfire Protection Plan today, becoming
the latest county to adopt the plan which aids in reducing and mitigating
wildfire risk.
A Community Wildfire
Protection Plan provides strategies and directed guidance for addressing
structural ignitability and prioritizing fuels reduction efforts. The Brown
County plan serves as the initial step to enhancing the resilience and safety
of communities against wildfire threats.
“This plan will give
Brown County residents an opportunity to be a part of reducing the risk of devastating
wildfires throughout the county,” said Darrell Johnston, Brown County Emergency
Management Coordinator. “The plan also opens the door to grant opportunities to
help fund the reduction of wildfire risks threatening the populated areas.”
This is the 26th
countywide Community Wildfire Protection Plan to be completed in the state, and
was developed in collaboration with county officials, local fire department
representatives, the Pecan Bayou Soil and Water Conservation District and Texas
A&M Forest Service.
“Writing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan
was an important first step, and I want to express my gratitude to all of the
stakeholders that contributed to this plan,” said Cy Tongate, Pecan Bayou Soil
and Water Conservation District Project Coordinator. “We are now aiming to get funding and implement the priority projects we
outlined.”
Over
the past five years, 540 wildfires have burned within Brown County, including
the 3,456-acre Ramsey Fire that ignited on March 20, 2022, and threatened 100
homes near the town of Blanket, Texas. While no homes were destroyed as
a result of the Ramsey Fire, the wildfire
activity in Brown County highlights the need for effective fire management strategies
and community preparedness.
“The impact of these
wildfires displayed to the county and its emergency responders just how
critical it is to be proactive in wildfire preparedness and risk reduction,” said Jared Karns, Texas A&M Forest
Service Interim Fire Chief. “The Brown County plan is a crucial step toward creating
a more resilient community, reducing both the likelihood and impact of
wildfires.”
The Brown County
Community Wildfire Protection Plan has been approved and accepted by the Brown
County Commissioners Court, local city officials and fire chiefs, Pecan Bayou
Soil and Water Conservation District and Texas A&M Forest Service. The plan
was signed into effect on Sept. 23, 2024.
To learn more about
Community Wildfire Protection Plans, visit https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/ProtectYourCommunity/.
###
Photos:Click here
for photos from the CWPP signing on Sept. 23, in Brown County.
Presentation:Click here
for the presentation to Brown County Commissioners Court.
Texas A&M
Forest Service Contacts:
Austin Ludolph,
Program Coordinator, 936-273-2261, austin.ludolph@tfs.tamu.edu
Information
Officer, 979-255-0591, information@tfs.tamu.edu
Communications
Office, 979-458-6606, newsmedia@tfs.tamu.edu