Area Wildfire Plan ready for review

The draft Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for Adams, Clay,

Fillmore, Jefferson, Nuckolls, Saline, Thayer and Webster counties is ready for public review. Draft copies of the document have been mailed to county offices and are available to the public online at https://nfs.unl.edu/documents/CWPP/SCECWPP.pdf. Comments will be accepted until February 18.

This plan is intended to enhance collaboration and communication among the various agencies and organizations who manage fire in the south

central east region of Nebraska, and to help them effectively prepare for and respond to wildfire.

Landowners in counties that adopt the plan will be eligible to apply for federal and state cost-share funds for vegetative fuels reduction and other hazard mitigation efforts in at-risk areas within the CWPP boundary. The plan may also provide increased opportunities for counties, municipalities, and rural fire districts to seek grant funding for activities related to fire protection.

The plan, part of a statewide network of Community Wildfire Protection Plans, provides information useful to both local emergency responders

and those from outside the area who provide mutual aid. The CWPP consolidates and relays critical information needed for responders in unfamiliar terrain.

Comments will be accepted via email to [email protected] or they may be sent via US Postal Service to the Nebraska Forest Service, Attn: Sandy Benson, PO Box 830815, Lincoln, NE 68583-0815.