Welcome to the Trout Lake Community Wildfire Protection Plan (TLCWPP) web site! Since 2004, the TLCWPP has been a proactive force in the Trout Lake community, promoting wildfire awareness and planning fuels reduction projects to safeguard homes, property, livestock and natural resources.

Past TLCWPP efforts have succeeded in ranking our project first place regionally for 2006 National Fire Plan grant awards. In addition, the project has already received Title III grant support from Klickitat County, and Western States funds from the WA DNR. Utilizing grassroots efforts, GIS data plus software, and hundreds of hours of combined wildfire expertise on the TLCWPP team, our project is on target to meet established firewise goals.

During the summer of 2009 a team of Trout Lake High School students and AmeriCorps volunteers through the Northwest Service Academy will form a Wildfire Protection Team and offer free labor to Trout Lake property owners to assist them to make their properties fire safe.

2009 Wildfire Protection Team Goals

1. Provide fuels reduction treatment throughout the Wildland/Urban Interface neighborhoods of Trout Lake
2. Provide for safer firefighter access to private properties.
3. Educate Trout Lake citizens on the merits of maintaining a "firewise" property.
4. Teach Trout Lake youth about firewise practices so they can share information with Trout Lake residents.
5. Provide local youth with opportunities to prevent wildfires from destroying property and to protect citizens, while earning a living stipend and education award.

2009 Project Outcomes

1. Provide fuels reduction treatment to as many homes as possible within Trout Lake neighborhoods. There will be 30-40 project work days during the summer. It is anticipated that home owners with fuels reduction issues will receive between ˝ to 2 days of work on their properties depending on size and severity.
2. Fuels reduction treatment will include removal of brush and trees close to structures; reduction and pruning of ladder fuels; and improving driveway access by pruning, thinning and constructing shaded fuel breaks.
3. Property owners will receive information to further their understanding of the threat of wildfire and how to protect their homes and property from potential damage.

If you are interested in having this free service provided for your home and property call the Trout Lake CWPP office at (509) 395-2579 and talk with Garry Hanley or Gina Casati. Garry or Gina will schedule a time to visit your property with you, assess the fuels reduction work needed, and schedule a day for the Wildfire Protection Team to work on your property.

Click here to view the complete Trout Lake Community Wildfire Protection Plan
PDF Download, Very Large File, 111 Pages, Please Be Patient.

Protecting your home and property from wildfire can be accomplished through some simple landscape planning and maintenance, especially in the area immediately around you home. Excellent sources of wildfire prevention information are available through the following links:

• Firewise Communities - web site
• Wildland Fire Prevention - web site
• Firewise Home Safety - PDF Download

  While some of this information was compiled in places far from Trout Lake, the techniques and methods they describe can be applied anywhere in the world. Wildfire does not adhere to political or property boundaries, nor should preventative information. By cooperating with our community members, firefighting organizations, and the rural landscape, we stand the greatest chance of averting a wildfire disaster.

There exist federal financial assistance programs for fuels-reduction projects that landowners may qualilfy for. The Forest Land Enchancement Program (FLEP) is geared toward assisting landowners in forest management projects. For more information, click on the following US Forest Service link:

• US Forest Service FLEP Program - web site

From all of us at the Trout Lake Community Wildfire Protection Plan, may you stay healthy, happy, safe, easily defensible and non-flammable this year!