Case Study: Paradise Recreation and Parks District reduces wildfire risk with ICF's recreation planning and wildfire buffer strategy

Paradise Recreation and Parks District plans a 2.33-acre wildfire buffer trailhead with ICF

The Paradise Recreation and Parks District (PRPD) faced a critical challenge after the devastating 2018 Camp Fire: rebuilding the town with enhanced wildfire resilience. Key obstacles included the need for better evacuation routes, firefighter access, and landscape-scale defensible space, compounded by land management issues from illegal off-highway vehicle (OHV) use. ICF was engaged to help address these interconnected problems.

ICF is working with PRPD on a Wildfire Buffer Project, using recreation master planning to reimagine land use. The solution involves conducting feasibility studies and designing multi-purpose recreation areas, such as an OHV trailhead park at Jordan Hill Road. These spaces are intended to reduce fire risk by creating buffers, provide legal recreation opportunities to curb illegal use, and serve as emergency evacuation routes and firefighter staging grounds, thereby strengthening the community's long-term resilience.

Paradise Recreation and Parks District