Fire Risk Reduction

Without question, forest fires are among the most destructive events that can take place in a landscape. Fire destroys essential wildlife habitat, can result in direct mortality in wildlife, adds ash and other pollutants to waterways, and can impact plant and animal biodiversity for years to come. Although fire can also regenerate the landscape by clearing the forest floor of accumulated fuel, the landscape can take many years to recover. The effects of fire would be immediately devastating to the already fragile Potomac River Watershed.

As a result, the Partnership has taken several steps to reduce the risk of fire in the watershed. For example, the Partnership has implemented a Firewise program for urban/wildland fire interface areas—that is, those residential areas where an uncontrolled fire would spill easily into forestlands. The Partnership has completed fire risk assessments for the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and provided funding for a rehabilitation project for fire roads in Maryland.