National Wildfire Mitigation Award

2021 National Wildfire Mitigation Award

Basin Recreation is excited to have been awarded a 2021 Wildfire Mitigation Award. The award was established in 2014 by the National Association of State Foresters, National Fire Protection Association, USDA Forest Service, and the International Association of Fire Chiefs in an effort to recognize the wildfire mitigation programs and projects that are making a difference on the ground in the United States today.

Jessica Kirby, Basin Recreation’s Open Space Management Supervisor, is one of three recipients to be recognized for her innovation and leadership in wildfire mitigation. In 2020, Basin Recreation began a multi-year forest health and fuels reduction project in the Summit Park area. The primary objective of the project is to improve forest health and mitigate hazardous fuels by patch-cutting, selectively thinning, and removing ladder fuels and brush within the Summit Park and Toll Canyon open spaces. The project treated approximately 150-200 acres in 2020 and was funded in part by $150,000 in generous grant funds provided by the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative and the Utah Department of Water Quality.

Jessica and staff worked tirelessly with Summit County officials, local fire and sheriff agencies, and homeowners associations to improve existing wildfire emergency response plans, create Community Wildfire Protection Plans, and encourage Firewise program participation. Basin Recreation is thrilled to have been recognized and plans to continue its efforts to increase public awareness of the value of wildfire mitigation efforts and provide high quality examples that others can implement in their own communities.

To read the full press release, click HERE.