Derry’s town council unanimously approved a Community Wildfire Protection Plan on Oct. 20, adopting a set of recommendations intended to help the town and residents identify and reduce wildfire risks.
The plan was developed through cooperation among local, state and federal partners. It identifies conditions that may increase wildfire danger in Derry and outlines steps for improving awareness, preparing homes and making neighborhoods safer. The approval followed additional review by councilors, who had delayed a decision at an earlier meeting to spend more time examining the more than 100-page document.
Changes followed public concerns
Derry’s Conservation Commission introduced the wildfire planning program during a panel in March. That presentation included information about the town’s potential wildfire risk and measures that could be taken locally. A second presentation in September gave councilors a closer look at the proposed plan before the council returned to it in October.
Residents raised concerns during the review about property and landowner information included in the document. Beth Carver, the Conservation Commission’s land manager, told councilors that the plan had been revised in response to those concerns. Property-specific information, including addresses, was removed. The updated version also used larger charts and formatting to make the material easier to read.
“It’s a more useful tool for us,” Beth Carver said.
Carver said public comments and concerns were a priority in revising the plan. She also described the document as guidance rather than a local law, emphasizing that its recommendations do not create new legislation for Derry.
“This is merely recommendations for the town,” Carver said, adding that the information provides steps residents can take to make their homes and neighborhoods safer.
Recommendations can be updated
The plan is intended to serve as a working resource for wildfire awareness and preparedness. Carver said Derry could revise it in the future as additional information becomes available or conditions change.
- The council approved the plan unanimously on Oct. 20.
- The revised document removed property and address information that residents had questioned.
- The plan offers recommendations for the town and residents rather than creating legislation.
The approval followed a review process that included the Conservation Commission’s March panel, a September presentation to councilors and public concerns raised during earlier discussions. The final version was presented to the council after the privacy-related material was removed and the charts were reformatted.
