Arizona DOI Forms Council to Address Availability and Affordability in Wildland

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Arizona Department of Insurance Director Barbara D. Richardson has created a Resiliency and Mitigation Council that plans to examine the availability and affordability of homeowners insurance in forested and wildland-urban interface (WUI) areas of Arizona.

Based on the work of the council, the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions aims to produce a report by the end of 2025 to offer insights for policymakers to address issues of availability and affordability in these areas.

The focus will be on reducing the risk of losses in forested and WUI areas. According to an announcement by the department, lowering the overall risk shared among all policyholders may help homeowners insurance premiums for all homeowners in the state begin to stabilize.

The council will include representatives from local governments, firefighting agencies, the insurance industry and federally recognized tribal nations in Arizona.

The members include Richardson, as well as the following:

Thomas A. Torres, Director of the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management
Tom Savage, League of Arizona Cities and Towns
Terri Edwards, Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Arizona
Chief Jake Rhoades, Arizona Fire Chiefs Association
Chief Randy Chevalier, Arizona Fire District Association
Carmine DeBonis, Jr., Pima County
Jacob Emnett, County Supervisors Association of Arizona
Laura Curtis, American Property and Casualty Insurance Association
Michael Newman, Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Vacant, Inter Tribal Council of Arizona
Vacant, Navajo Nation

The council’s first meeting is scheduled for Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. with both in-person and virtual attendance options. More information about the council and meeting is available on .

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