"Breaking Down Barriers to Create Barriers"

Reducing and removing hazardous fuels help to build a sustainable fire/fuel break around communities in Boise, Idaho.
Photo credit: Jerry McAdams

"We can plan and plan and plan; but without action, that is all it is, planning. The plan is only as good as the project that you can produce as an end state."

Leadership development does not have to be within our units. In today's From the Field for the Field Friday post, we share a success story from the Bureau of Land Management's Boise District as featured by Nick Yturri in "Breaking Down Barriers to Create Barriers" the January 2013 issue of Fire Chief. The Boise BLM worked with local agencies, politicians, and homeowners to show how unity of effort can move plans to action.

The Priority: Strengthen relationships with cooperators and find a common vision that all could work toward.

The Vision: Take homes and other values at risk out of the equation by creating sustainable fuel breaks around these areas.

What Was Done:

• Land management cooperators signed a Memorandum of Understanding to proactively mitigate the risks through a cooperative planning process.
• Increased public trust through education and technical guidance to implement projects designed to reduce wildfire risk.
• Plans became action.
• Buy-in was achieved from agencies and homeowners.
• Sense of personal responsibility was instilled in homeowners.

Read the full story at "Breaking Down Barriers to Create Barriers."