SISTERS, OR -- Sisters is trying to take a proactive approach to wildfire preparation. It's one of eight communities in the country to be chosen to receive help from the Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW) program. It's a year-long program focusing on land use planning, forestry, research, and wildfire risk modeling.

CPAW Project Leader Molly Mowery says as communities grow, preparing for wildfire resilience becomes ever more important. "When we talk about planning, we're referring to land use planning. We're literally using land use planning tools that they might be better able to leverage and look at, 'Where is current development? Where would future development occur?' And what kind of ways can they really think about wildfire as part of that process."

She tells KBND News it's not about clear-cutting and building only with concrete, but about protection and preparation, "Can the community be more resilient to wildfire through more resistant structures or landscaping techniques? We're hoping to help support the community in thinking about ways that they can integrate wildfire better into the planning and process."

The program is funded through the U.S. Forest Service and private foundations, and their advice and support is free to the communities selected to participate. Bend was selected to take part in 2016. CPAW will host a kick-off presentation Tuesday, February 20, at 9:30 a.m., at the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire station. To learn more about the program, click .

Photo: The Milli Fire destroyed thousands of acres near Sisters in August 2017.