Shenandoah Valley Wildfire Prevention and Education Team

Shenandoah Valley Wildfire Prevention and Education Team,
Woodstock, Virginia

The Challenge

As suburban communities edge ever closer to forested areas, protecting residents from the threat of wildfire becomes increasingly important. With fire danger extremely high in Virginia and West Virginia, the Virginia Department of Forestry developed the Shenandoah Valley Fire Prevention Team to address the watershed’s fire prevention needs.

The PWP Solution

Smokey Bear gives school kids pointers for preventing wildfires.

The USDA Forest Service, the Virginia Department of Forestry and the National Park Service have a common goal to protect lives and property from the threat of wildfire. Specific goals of the Fire Prevention Team include: reducing the number of human-caused fires on federal, state and private lands; enlisting residents’ help in reporting arson and suspicious activities; educating children and adults about the causes of forest fires; and teaching residents about woodland home forest fire protection strategies.

The team employs a wide range of informational tactics to educate residents in a seven-county area about fire prevention, including: the “Wildfire Prevention…It’s My Job Too” campaign; public outreach such as press releases, electronic media, newsletters, door-to-door contacts, posters, tri-lingual flyers (Russian, Spanish, and English), Smokey Bear appearances and hand-outs, parades, displays at fairs and events, children’s programs, and coloring contests; hunter contacts; and arson education. The team has also been involved in training workshops and plans to continue working throughout the watershed to prevent forest fires. Since the creation of the team, the state of Virginia has had fewer fire starts than other adjoining states with similar fire danger.

The team was so successful that it recently won the USDA Forest Service’s annual Robert E. Browning, Jr., award, which recognizes excellence in fire prevention programs. The interagency team includes staff from the Virginia Department of Forestry, George Washington-Jefferson National Forests, and the National Park Service. The team also consists of seven Department of Forestry members funded by a National Fire Plan Mitigation Grant.

Looking Ahead

Smokey Bear standing next to Woodstock fire engine.

Although the team saw a drop in human-caused fires, the Shenandoah Valley continues to develop at a rapid pace, meaning that new communities will need to be educated about the threat of wildfire. In addition to developing and disseminating educational programs to the public, the Partnership’s forest stewardship activities will include prescribed burning and fire mitigation, where necessary.