Carlton Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is launching a Firewise program with the goal of educating landowners on defensible space and forest management in Minnesota.
In September, the SWCD gathered with representatives from the Chub Lake Association, the first target area, offering outreach about the program and gauging interest in site evaluations and fire mitigation plan implementation.
“It’s all about the defensible space and things you can do to protect your home,” Carlton SWCD District Manager Brad Matlack said. “That’s where we’re going to take it a little further than handing a landowner a brochure. We will use a traditional conservation practice style plan to identify things from a Firewise perspective: what homeowners can do and how to mitigate those risks.”
Partnering with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Carlton County and Dovetail Partners, the SWCD received a $10,000 grant through AIM Co. to kick off the program this fall. Dovetail Partners will mentor SWCD staff to assist landowners with best practices on how to build resiliency on their property in case of wildfire. The SWCD also will help coordinate fuel mitigation activities following the plan that is provided to landowners of each assessed site.
The goal, Matlack said, is for Dovetail Partners to provide enough support that after a year, Carlton County could have a standalone Firewise program through the SWCD.
