Your community has recently annexed a 5,000 acre tract of land for development of a county park. Your community borders a state or national forest and the area around your community has not burned for decades or perhaps even a century. Many of the residents of your community have never seen a wildland fire and believe that these fires only occur in the western United States. Beautiful homes are situated along the border of your new county park.

As a member of a group of experts, discuss the implications of providing for healthy forest and protection of homeowners and their property. Develop a strategy to reduce the threat of wildland fire to your community. Learn from the mistakes of the massive 47,650 acre Cerro Grande wildland fire near Los Alamos in 2000 that destroyed numerous homes.

After you have learned about a forest in your state, developed a strategy and present your situation and strategy to the class. Allow time for a question and answer session.

If you live in Missouri, learn more about the Mark Twain National Forest.