Fire Adapted Methow harnesses resources and energizes people to build communities and landscapes adapted to fire.
photo: Steve Mitchell, mitchellimage.com
The Methow Valley is Fire Country!
The Methow Valley is an expansive, rugged landscape that is both fire-prone and fire-dependent. In the past, wildfires helped create healthy forests through clearing out excess fuels. These have increased over the past 100 years through our suppression of wildfires. Forests are also less healthy due to droughts and extreme weather events. These conditions, coupled with the significant increase in homes built in fire-prone landscapes has led to catastrophic wildfires.
Fire Adapted Methow (FAM) is dedicated to helping create healthy forests and working with people and communities to prepare and adapt to wildfires. By working with you, we can accelerate the pace and scale of treatments, accomplishing more together than we can alone.
FAM’s strong relationships with natural resource agencies and conservation nonprofits have led to financial and educational support for our community-based programs.
Recently, the Washington State DNR awarded significant funding to FAM for our Neighborhood Ambassador Program. Its goals are to identify and work with neighborhood leaders who can engage and motivate people to prepare for wildfires. (Read the press release here.)
Dr. Paul Hessburg is a renowned U.S. Forest Service research ecologist. In this video, he explains why we’re living in “an era of megafires,” and how we can return to conditions that enable lower-intensity wildfires.
How can we live safely in fire country where the dominant force is nature itself?
Our homes and towns cover less than 10% of the Methow Valley landscape. Living here safely and responsibly requires adapting — understanding the risks and taking action to better prepare for, respond to and recover from wildfire. There are many things you can do to prepare and to help protect what you love in this valley.
Everyone has a role to play before, during and after a wildfire to help make the Methow Valley community and environs wildfire resilient.
Who’s Involved in Community Wildfire Adaptation?
See what we and our partners are doing to help and support Methow Valley community members to thrive in an era of megafires.
Find the information, resources, organizations and people that are best suited to help with your wildfire related questions and needs.