Data Landscape and Interoperability Goals for Hazardous Fuels

Co-Written by: Cole von Glahn, and James Puerini (Climate and Wildfire Institute)

Planning, executing, and measuring the effectiveness of fuels treatments for wildfire risk mitigation requires solid data depicting on the ground conditions. These data are made exponentially more valuable if they follow common metadata, structural, and cleanliness standards enabling their use across multiple jurisdictions. Interviews with fuels data and wildfire modeling experts, engagement with agency technologists, and a landscape review of datasets and tools informed our report on the current state of play and existing challenges for fuels data collaboration on shared landscapes for Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Written in conjunction with the Climate and Wildfire Institute, the report tracks data practices and interoperability across local, state, and federal data stewardship levels. The states have made considerable strides in integrating data from diverse sources to support their decision-making. Further focus on objective alignment, data hygiene, dynamic assessment, and non-forest data and modeling investments can return even greater precision. From focused problem definition, to immediate term actions, to north star guidance, we provide a blueprint for rapid, practical improvements to the fuels data landscape to inform stronger mitigation practices ahead of the next fire season.