Key stake holders gathered to plan for potential wild fires. We were there to see how the Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire program is being implemented in the area.

Last fall Bemidji was selected through a competitive process to be part of the CPAW program. CPAW, which stands for Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire, is a program that offers technical planning assistance to communities facing a growing wild fire risk.

The two day meeting brought many community entities together, and in the end recommendations will focus on strengthening connections between key planning, development and fire codes and improving risk reduction strategies through policies and ordinances.

One of the keys emphasized during the session was the importance of planning, especially when it concerns a growing and sprawling population.

Besides planning, another area of opportunity is communication and finding effective ways to communicate when there is a possible danger or when there is an actual emergency.

Key partnerships formed are a direct result of the CPAW program, and the teamwork will help in the implementation of its findings.

This is not the only time the CPAW team will make a visit to the Bemidji area. Three more visits are planned for later this year.

By — Josh Peterson

News Reporter in Bemidji | jpeterson@lptv.org