WRRQ - A new tool for certified arborists

Background Information About WRRQ

The Wildland-Urban Interface is a place where the natural environment and human communities meet. More and more people want to live among nature, without much thought that it is also a wildfire environment.

Research tells us that the majority of homes ignite during a wildfire as a result of embers or small flames. There are steps that homeowners can take to reduce the risk, with the most important efforts occurring on and immediately around the home.​ 

Homes can be made more fire resistant by maintaining and modifying vegetation in the landscape, and by addressing vulnerabilities of a home’s construction. These practices can be applied on an individual’s property or on a larger scale to protect a subdivision or community.

The ISA Southern Chapter will begin offering this credential through courses in our region. The material and concept were developed by the Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS) and has been offered by the Texas Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISAT). Southern Chapter has begun to develop trainers that will offer this credential as a tool for arborists to provide additional expertise and knowledge to their clients.

Those certified arborists successfully completing the two-day course and exam will earn the Wildfire Risk Reduction Qualified (WRRQ) credential from the Chapter and a list of WRRQ qualified arborists will be included on the Chapter website.

The Wildfire Risk Reduction Qualification (WRRQ) signifies that the individual arborist was an ISA Certified Arborist when they took the course and has received special training on the reduction of wildfire risk to homes, property, and natural areas.

Stay tuned for upcoming class dates and more information.