The second lecture for the Spring 2018 Lecture Series is Friday, February 23 in Room 208 Old Music Hall from 12:00pm-1:15pm. This lecture features one of our own faculty members, Faculty Associate, Travis Flohr, PLA. The title of the paper for his talk is Effectiveness of Colorado Community Wildfire Protection Plans: A Plan Quality Review. In the last several decades, wildfire have been increasing in severity and cost due to an increase in fuel-loading and ex-urban development in the wildland-urban interface. Flohr’s study evaluates the Community Wildfire Protection Plan effectiveness, which is critical to reducing risk. His talk will discuss the preliminary results of his study and evaluate the pre- and post-Community Wildfire Protection Plan implementation changes.
Wildfires have been increasing in severity and cost over the last several decades due to increasing fuel loading and ex-urban development in the wildland-urban interface (WUI). This study evaluates Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) effectiveness, which is critical to reducing risk. A quasi-experimental evaluation documents pre- and post-CWPP implementation changes in physical geographic variables while regressing against socio-economic predictors. Preliminary results show 1) disconnects between definitions of successful wildfire planning process and implemented firewise measures; 2) variability in localized social acceptance and mitigation incentives; and 3) fragmentation between legally binding policies and enforcement.