DJ&A worked with Musselshell County to update the 2007 version of their Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). The County is predominantly rural, containing substantial agricultural and forested lands. The updated CWPP provides a clear assessment of wildfire risk, prioritizes areas for risk reduction, recommends measures to reduce structural ignitability, delineates the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), enables access to federal wildfire mitigation funding, and streamlines federal projects within the WUI through Categorical Exclusions under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003.

During the CWPP update process, DJ&A facilitated nine core team meetings, led an open-house public meeting in Roundup, MT, attended a fire mitigation meeting involving federal, state, and local entities, reviewed and addressed public comments, and coordinated closely with the core team to reflect the community’s unique needs while ensuring compliance with federal and state requirements. We also developed a StoryMap using ArcGIS to keep the public informed during the update process; it continues to serve as a resource for wildfire hazard and risk information.

Wildfire risk evaluation was based on datasets from the 2020 Montana Wildfire Risk Assessment, developed by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and Pyrologix. Input from the core team and the public on highly valued resources, assets, and critical egress routes was incorporated into the assessment.

Key Services

• Facilitation of in-person and virtual public meetings
• Development of an online platform (ArcGIS StoryMap) to document the CWPP process and provide easy access for public engagement
• Wildfire risk assessment and delineation of the WUI
• Identification of Priority Areas for wildfire risk mitigation
• Development of a detailed Action Plan for future implementation

• Facilitation of public engagement efforts and comment analysis

Value Added

DJ&A’s experience working with state and federal agencies on CWPPs in Montana helped streamline the CWPP update process and result in a final product that meets all necessary requirements while taking the County’s unique situation and needs into account. Our expertise related to wildfire hazard and risk assessment and public engagement in rural communities also facilitated project success.