The Wildland Urban Interface and Fire Management Policies
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EmailThe wildland urban interface (WUI), refers to the area where forest, shrub, or grasslands meet housing or other developed areas (Radeloff et al., 2018). This rapidly expanding area is becoming riskier to develop and live in. Increasing human population and development paired with longer, more intense fire seasons necessitate more focused fire management planning to protect both the public and firefighting crews. This paper focuses on the efforts of four states—California, Colorado, Montana, and Washington—to reduce the risk of property damage and loss of human life through planning regulations and zoning policies. Each of these states have differing levels of jurisdictional intervention, as well as varying amounts of participation in risk reduction programs. This paper will explore how these states have employed different tools to encourage safer development and lower levels of fire risk in the WUI.
