Council will hear plans for wildfire protection

The impact of wildfire on forest communities has been on grim display in recent years. Last month, a fire almost entirely destroyed the city of Paradise, California.

For the past year, a team of wildfire experts and planners has been working to develop strategies for Sisters to address the challenges of a community surrounded by forest and vulnerable to fire. On Wednesday, December 12, the Sisters City Council will hear the final recommendations from the Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW) team.

The team worked with local agencies, organizations, and experts in planning, fire, emergency management, and land management to develop customized planning recommendations for Sisters - delivered at no cost to the community. The CPAW program is funded by grants from the U.S. Forest Service, the LOR Foundation, and other private foundations.

The recommendations include landscaping regulations, fire-resistant building materials requirements for new construction and retrofits, land-use and development codes and watershed and forest-management projects. A digital copy of the recommendations can be found at https://www.ci.sisters.or.us/community-development/page/community-planning-assistance-wildfire-cpaw.

City Community Development Director Patrick Davenport said, "City staff and the Fire Marshall from the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Protection District will work closely with WPI (Wildfire Planning International) staff to coordinate the program delivery. Outputs may come in the form of recommended revisions to the City's Development Code and/or Municipal Code requirements, which requires Planning Commission and City Council action with public input."

The council will review the recommendations in a workshop at City Hall at 5 p.m., followed by a decision on endorsing the recommendations during the regular meeting, which starts at 5:30 p.m.

Sisters City Hall is locate at 520 E. Cascade Ave.