For nearly a year, local, state and federal officials have worked on a plan that involved looking at areas in McKean and Elk counties most susceptible to wildfire.
Later this month, the public will get a turn to provide input on the community wildfire protection plan.
The plan reviews existing conditions in each county, such as vegetation, emergency management, fire response capacity, population, land use and other factors. Also considered is wildfire environment, such as the combustibility of forests and the frequency and size, said project manager Victoria Amato with SWCA Environmental Consultants.
“The plan includes a risk assessment and community assessments, outlining the major wildfire hazards,” Amato said. “Finally, the plan includes recommendations for treating hazardous fuels (dense combustible vegetation), reducing the structural ignitability of homes and structures, improving emergency preparedness through education and outreach activities and improving the capacity and capability of local fire responders to protect homes during a wildfire.”
McKean County Planning Director Jeremy Morey said the plan will also bring more funding resources to area volunteer fire departments for equipment.
“This plan will give them an advantage when competing against other departments for the limited funds out there for our volunteer services,” he said. “This plan will also provide some implementation plans that municipalities, VFDs and residents can use to mitigate the threat of wildfire.”
Since November, a team of key stakeholders developed the plans, including county planning representatives, county and local fire department representatives, the U.S. Forest Service, Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry and other land-management agencies.
“Using calculations from past fire data, as well as the type of topography in (McKean) county and the type of vegetation cover, our consultant, SWCA out of Pittsburgh, was able to generate a threat map as well as a wildland urban interface,” Morey said. “With this data, different treatments have been recommended, such as mowing and trimming of lawns, keeping a 30-foot buffer zone from the wood line and buildings, as well as areas where prescribed burns would be beneficial.”
The documents will be available for review Sept. 19 to Oct. 3 at http://www.co.elk.pa.us/ and http://www.mckeancountypa.org/ Comments must be received by Oct. 3 at 5 p.m.
Written comments can also be submitted to Elk County Planning Department, Jodi Foster, planning director, Elk County Courthouse Annex, 300 Center Street, P.O. Box 448, Ridgway, Pa., 15853, and McKean County Planning Department, Jeremy Morey, planning director, McKean County Planning Commission, 17137 Route 6, Smethport, Pa., 16749.
Comments on the documents should be submitted to Amato at vamato@swca.com.
“We are hoping to adopt the plan in October and look forward to seeing some of the recommendations implemented across the county, to help ensure that the residents of McKean County stay safe during fire season,” Morey said.
