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Sevier County partners with cities, Smokies national park to develop wildfire protection plan

SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — Sevier County has begun putting together a community wildfire protection plan (CWPP) to have a better idea of how the area will respond to these natural disasters, should they strike. The county is partnering with the cities of Sevierville, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, the Forestry Division of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to develop this plan, which will hopefully create a guide as to what to do to mitigate damage from wildfires. The plan will focus on three key priorities: restoring and maintaining fire-resilient landscapes, creating fire-adapted communities and improving wildfire response. Multi-year rehabilitation of Bullhead Trail to cause weekday closures through November 'By fostering collaboration among community members, elected officials, land managers, emergency responders, local businesses, and utility providers, the CWPP will serve as a living document that evolves to meet the region's changing wildfire risks,' reads a release from Sevier County. The effort to create CWPP began in January 2024 with a grant from the Tennessee Division of Forestry to create a wildfire plan for all cities, towns, and fire protection districts in Sevier County. A committee with members from each area and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will steer the direction of the plan to ensure the community can work together. DNA technology could help identify remains found in Knoxville after nearly 40 years The key goals of the CWPP can be seen below: Comprehensive wildfire protection planning across all jurisdictions Wildfire risk assessments for every city, town, and fire protection district Development of mitigation action plans tailored to each community Increased collaboration between local, state, and federal fire management agencies Prioritization of resources and funding to support wildfire risk reduction efforts Public accessibility through a CWPP hub and GIS platform County-wide fire prevention and preparedness strategies According to the release, the plan will be completed in early 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.