Wallowa County is in the process of developing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan in response to the risk posed here by wildfires, and invites the public to help formulate the plan at a series of public meetings.

The goal at the meetings will be to review fire risk hot spots, identify priorities for wildfire protection and discuss emergency services.

The first presentation is planned at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Wallowa Lake Homeowners annual meeting. The other meetings in the near future, all at 7 p.m., will be held on Sept. 7 at the Imnaha Christian Fellowship Church; Sept. 8 at the Joseph Community Center; and Sept. 9 at the Wallowa Senior Center. A meeting at Troy will be scheduled later in September.

Representatives from the Wallowa County Board of Commissioners, Wallowa Resources, Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) and United States Forest Service will provide information and lead the discussions.

The county is funding the protection plan with Title III funds from payments from the United States Department of Agriculture.

Additional funding and support is provided by ODF and USFS. The county board of commissioners has requested that the county’s Natural Resources Advisory Committee manage the planning effort.

The planning process includes an evaluation of wildfire risk in relation to community values, including private and commercial property, watersheds, wildlife habitat and recreational areas.

It will also evaluate and prioritize strategies to protect areas of high risk and to capture local economic benefit from related activities.

Wallowa County’s fire planning effort is part of a broader national initiative launched by the White House and the Western Governor’s Association following the extreme fire season of 2000.

National goals influencing the work plans of both the USFS and Bureau of Land Management are to improve fire prevention and suppression, reduce hazardous fuels, restore fire-adapted ecosystems and promote community assistance.

Any question about the county’s community wildfire plan and the development process underway is asked to call Nils Christofferson, Wildfire Protection Planning Committee chairman at 426-8053; or Angie Johnson, National Fire Plan Planning Coordinator, ODF-NE Oregon District, 963-3168.