Community Wildfire Resiliency
Snohomish Conservation District is working to help keep residents and their properties safe from wildfires throughout Snohomish County and Camano Island. In 2024 we worked at the individual, community, and regional level to help prevent and prepare for potential wildfires.
Our Community Conservation, Habitat Restoration, and Forest Stewardship Teams combined forces to provide forest landowners with wildfire assessments of their homes and forests. Seven joint home/forest assessments were completed in Arlington, Everett, Darrington, and Index.
District staff work on chipping a wood pile in Darrington with Glacier Peak Institute.
The home assessments evaluated a wide array of property characteristics, including the accessibility of the driveway to emergency vehicles; the materials used for siding and fencing; and the proximity of shrubs, trees, and combustible materials. Each assessment included recommended improvements to the home and property that will reduce the chance of catastrophic fire damage.
The forest health assessments provided landowners with information on the current health of their trees, opportunities to improve wildlife habitat, and how to create a plan to reduce wildfire risk.
One commonly recommended action for young, dense forests included young-stand thinning, a practice where some trees are removed to improve the growth and health of the remaining trees by reducing competition for light, water, and nutrients. In 2024, our Community Conservation Team participated in chainsaw trainings and purchased new equipment that has allowed them to begin offering young-stand thinning as a service to landowners.
“A healthy and resilient forest is less likely to suffer severe damage during a wildfire and recovers better after,” explained Nolan Kitts, Forest Resource Planner. “The healthier trees that remain after young-stand thinning are also more resistant to pests and disease, further contributing to the long-term stability and ecological balance of the forest.”
While home and forest assessments target individual properties, these assessments also aim to open landowners' eyes to the role they have in large-scale wildfire resiliency.
“Wildfire preparedness work will positively impact neighboring properties as part of a community,” said Pete Slanina, Community Conservation Crew Lead. “The overarching goal is to build fire-adapted communities and reduce the vulnerability of the overall area.”
In addition to working with individual landowners, our District also participated in several community-wide wildfire preparedness events in 2024. We partnered with WSU Extension Forestry to facilitate a Homesteading with Trees workshop in Darrington focused on forest health and wildfire resiliency. Our Community Conservation Team hosted a wildfire risk reduction presentation on Hat Island as a part of their community’s Safety Day and we held five chipper days in partnership with Glacier Peak Institute in 2024 to reduce fuel loads by chipping approximately 29 cubic yards of woody debris.
A District staff member operates a mini excavator to move a pile of woody debris.
Our staff also contributed to regional wildfire preparedness. We attended a Wildfire Mitigation and Fuels Reduction Workshop in October to coordinate with fire districts, cities, Snohomish County, Department of Environmental Management, Department of Natural Resources, and others on a regional wildfire strategy. The group is currently working on a Community Wildfire Protection Plan for Snohomish County.
Our work in 2024 demonstrates the importance of collaboration when preparing ourselves, our homes, and our forests for wildfire risks. Whether it’s collaboration between agencies or neighbors, working together is the most effective way to protect our communities from wildfire.
The Forest Health and Community Wildfire Resiliency Program is supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act. The CCA puts cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at www.climate.wa.gov.