Land use planning approaches in the wildland-urban interface: an analysis of four western states

This report focuses on a critical aspect of working towards community fire adaptation: analyzing effective land use policy and regulatory solutions in the wildland-urban interface (WUI). The WUI is any area where the built and natural environments create a set of conditions that allow for the ignition and continued spread of wildfire. The severity of how wildfire impacts the WUI is influenced by a number of factors, such as where and how homes, businesses, and infrastructure are developed, weather conditions, and the amount, type, and arrangement of vegetation.Land use planning plays a role in these development decisions, and therefore can be an effective means for reducing damage and losses in the WUI. State and local governments approach WUI planning through a variety of policy and regulatory frameworks. This report explores four western states—California, Colorado, Montana, and Washington—to better understand each state’s approach to wildfire policy and regulation, and to identify potential opportunities for reducing wildfire risk to communities in the future.