County approves wildfire protection plan

Emergency Management Director Valerie Marasco and Firewise Coordinator Todd Armbruster brought the updated 2017 Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) to the Cook County Board for approval. The last CWPP was completed in 2009, but will now be updated every five years. Some of the key points of the CWPP are to identify and prioritize wildland and urban interface areas (including federal and nonfederal lands) for hazardous fuels reduction treatments.

Other key items are to identify which areas of the county are at the greatest risk for wildfire, what types of forest fuels can be found, as well as a comprehensive inventory of firefighting resources in each fire district. The plan also strives to outline measures for reducing fire danger to structures throughout Cook County at-risk communities.

To view the final approved CWPP, visit the Emergency Management section of www.co.cook.mn.us.

WTIP's Joe Friedrichs spoke with Emergency Management Director Valerie Marasco about the wildfire protection plan.