Performative planning creates a values mismatch between wildfire plans and community needs.

Area of Science:

• Environmental planning
• Natural resource management
• Public policy analysis

Background:

• Communities nationwide are developing collaborative wildfire risk mitigation plans.
• These plans identify goals, strategies, and values to protect or enhance.
• Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) are local plans developed by diverse stakeholders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the values articulated in 2268 CWPPs across the United States.
• To evaluate factors shaping these values, including local risk, policy, and cultural trends.
• To advance values as a metric for assessing management plan quality.

Main Methods:

• Manual coding and computational text analysis of 2268 CWPPs.
• Characterization of protected values within these plans.
• Evaluation of influences on value articulation.

Main Results:

• Mapping of local wildfire values at a national scale.
• Identification of tensions in environmental governance within a federalist system.
• Demonstration of values as a key metric for plan evaluation.

Conclusions:

• CWPP values reflect a complex interplay of local conditions, national policies, and broader societal influences.
• Understanding these values is crucial for effective wildfire risk mitigation and environmental governance.
• Values serve as an important indicator for the quality and relevance of community wildfire plans.