Fire and Funding: A Temporal Analysis of the Evolution of Community Wildfire Protection Plans

The Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 produced a new paradigm of forest management, including the creation of community wildfire protection plans (CWPPs). Communities across the country continue to adopt and update these plans as tools for locally managing wildfire mitigation and adaptation. Little research has been done to understand the financial motivations and consequences for communities to adopt a CWPP. This thesis aims to answer the question of how communities have leveraged CWPPs across time to access state or federal government resources. This thesis rests on evidence gathered in a literature review and interviews of local leaders affiliated with signatory agencies of CWPPs in two distinct communities in the Sierra Nevada Foothills of California. Respondents discussed themes of state assistance with CWPPs, engagement across agencies, and overall changes in wildfire planning at the state level. While community officials disagreed over the effect of CWPPs in influencing the allocation of state or federal funds, many respondents noted that CWPPs are necessary to apply for some grants. Respondents indicated that CWPPs and the associated planning process assisted communities in seeking funding sources for projects. Further research should be conducted to understand the changing landscape of wildfire planning and funding.