Copper Center, Kluti-Kaah, Silver Springs

The Copper Center Community Wildfire Protection Planning Area covers from mile 99.5 to 108.3 of the Richardson Highway, paralleling the eastern bank of the Copper River to include the Klawasi River Dranage, Klutina Lake Road, including Hudson Lake. The communities of Copper Center, Native Village of Kluti-Kaah, and Silver Springs are all encompassed in this planning area. Land ownership in this area includes private, state, BLM, village and tribal corporation lands, native allotments, and lands managed by the University of Alaska. This area holds a rich history deeply embedded with cultural and historic significance to the Ahtna People.

A high influx of tourist’s journey to this area during the summer months to enjoy outdoor recreations such as salmon fishing on the local rivers. This planning area is continuously forested land of spruce and mixed hardwood, areas impacted by beetle kill from an outbreak in the 1990’s, and a 5,000 plus acre fire scar from the Copper Canyon Fire in 1958.

We are currently in the process of creating a CWPP for the Copper Center, Kluti-Kaah, and Silver Springs planning area. It will be available here once it’s published.

CWPP Planning Area Map

Community planning areas include the wildland urban interface (WUI), defined as the area where human development meets and intermingles with undeveloped wildland and vegetative fuels. Included are lands designated as “Critical” and “Full” fire management options. Fire management options are assigned by jurisdictional agencies (landowners/managers), while protection agencies provide fire suppression responsibilities and initial response to wildfires. Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection is the protection agency responsible for fire suppression in the Copper River Basin. See https://forestry.alaska.gov/fire/fireplans for more information on fire management options.

The goal of creating a community wildfire protection plan is to reduce the potential for disaster within the planning boundary by recognizing the hazards, prioritizing areas of protection, and developing a workable action plan with clear goals and objectives to mitigate the risks from wildfire, life, and property.

Explore the CWPP Planning Map App. with useful planning layers including CWPP areas, fire management options, land ownership, vegetation layers, and fire return interval models.

Click here to explore the Planning Map App