2025 Resilience & Sustainability Award
Land Use Planning for Wildfires in California Training Program
Community Wildfire Planning Center & California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)
Wildfires have become one of the most pressing challenges facing California communities. To better prepare for these disasters, the Land Use Planning for Wildfires in California Training Program equips planners and fire officials with the tools to reduce risk, strengthen collaboration, and improve long-term resilience.
Resilience & Sustainability Award
Land Use Planning for Wildfires in California Training Program
Community Wildfire Planning Center & California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)
California
Additional Partners: California Chapter of APA
Professional Collaboration
Developed through a partnership between the Community Wildfire Planning Center and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), the program delivers free, daylong trainings statewide. By integrating fire science into planning practices, participants learn to navigate state planning requirements, apply best practices, and coordinate across disciplines to address wildfire hazards in the wildland-urban interface.
Drawing on real-world case studies — from post-fire recovery planning in Butte County to master-planned communities with vegetation management requirements and setbacks in Orange County — the training provides transferable best practices for other communities.
Additionally, the training helps jurisdictions meet state wildfire planning requirements, such as updating general plan safety elements, enforcing fire safe regulations, and integrating hazard mitigation strategies. Breakout exercises remove silos and allow planners and fire officials to align local plans for more effective risk reduction.
Planning Outcomes
Sustained through California Climate Investments, the training program demonstrates how state funding can build long-term local capacity for wildfire risk reduction.
By empowering planners and fire officials to work together, California is leading the way in using land use planning as a tool to protect lives, homes, and communities from wildfire.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Since 2022, a total of 24 free daylong trainings have been held statewide, educating nearly 700 participants, including 323 land use planners, 294 fire officials, and 76 other professionals.
- CAL FIRE's land use planning staff has built stronger relationships with local planning departments, increasing visibility of state resources and technical support.
- The training program demonstrates how state funding can be leveraged for long-term capacity building in wildfire risk reduction.
- CWPC is launching a similar pilot training program in Washington with state and local partners.
Jury said: "The training program is bringing planners and wildfire officials together to develop more resilient communities. Its impacts are already evident in stronger collaboration, improved local planning, and communities better prepared to reduce wildfire risk."
Top image: Santa Barbara training photo courtesy of the Land Use Planning for Wildfires in California Training Program team.
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