As wildfires haunt the American West, Ashland, Oregon, has emerged as a leader in forest management. The city’s bipartisan approach hinges on a cooperative ethos that mitigates both fire risk and ideological divides.

A municipal water tank built into the forested hills above Ashland offers postcard views of the mountain valley town on clear days. This warm September morning is not, alas, such a day. Wildfires burning elsewhere in Oregon and to the south in California have blurred the blue skies, turning the city into a soup bowl of ash-gray smoke....