Development permits – An emerging policy instrument for local governments to manage interface fire risk in a changing climate

2018 – Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction

This report by the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) examines the use of development permits as planning tools for local government to manage development, protect the environment, and address local health and safety issues. Many communities in British Columbia and Alberta have begun to use development permits to control the extent, nature, and location of new residential development in the wildland-urban interface, establishing this as an emerging policy instrument for local governments to address the risk of loss from wildland fire and ensure that communities are safe places to live, work, and play. Local planning decisions provide an important contribution within comprehensive community wildland-urban interface fire management strategy. This paper discusses suggestions for developing permits and land use planning in general as a tool for what local governments can do to reduce this risk of fire damage.

Keywords: British ColumbiaCanadaFire

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