ID Number 2007-40 Fuels Treatment Projects Application NATIONAL FIRE PLAN COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE AND WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE PROJECTS Applicant Applicant/Organization: State of Oregon Department of Forestry, COD, John Day Type of Applicant: A (State) Email: msmith@odf.state.or.us/dgustaveson@odf.state.or.us Phone: 503-945-7341 FAX: 503-945-7416 Please Call Ahead for FAX: Off Address (Street or P. O. Box, City, State, Zip): 2600 State St Salem, OR 97310 Project Coordinator Project Coordinator (Name and Title): Ms. MaryHelen Smith, Grant Coord/Dustin Gustaveson Field Coord Organization/Jurisdiction: Oregon Department of Forestry, COD, John Day Email: msmith@odf.state.or.us/ dgustaveson@odf.state.or.us Phone: 503-945-7341 FAX: 503-945-7416 Please Call Ahead for FAX: Off Project Information Project Title: Canyon City Fuels Reduction Project Location: Grant County, Oregon County: Grant Congressional District: 2 Latitude: 44.3922 Longitude: 118.9484 State the desired outcome in relation to NFP Goals and the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). Project Objectives: As identified in the CWPP, the Canyon City community has a hazard rating of high as at risk to wildfires. The desired outcome of this project is to modify stand conditions to lower the risk of a stand replacement fire. The resulting stand will be tolerant of a low intensity fire, will be a healthy and fire resistant forest, and provide protection to the infrastructure of the community. This project will also help create fuel conditions which can be maintained through the introduction of prescibed fire throughout the future. This project will treat 385 acres of forestland in the community which will tie together to create a community fuel break for the 250+ homes in the area. There is a strong landowner interest in the area to participate in such a project. Adjacent Federal Projects: Little Canyon Mountain Fuels Reduction, Canyon Creek WUI(surrounds project area), Pine Ck Hazard Fuels Reduction. Name of CWPP: Grant County CWPP Name of Communit(y/ies) at Risk: Canyon City Proposed Project Start Date: 06/30/2007 Proposed Project End Date: 12/31/2009 Federal Funding Request: $200,000.00 Total Project Cost: $340,376.00 Are you submitting multiple projects? Yes If YES indicate the relationship of the projects to one another: If YES, please list the titles of projects by priority and briefly explain their relationship. The Oregon Department of Forestry is submitting multiple applications. Name of Federal, State or Tribal contact with whom you coordinated this proposal: Organization/Jurisdiction: 1) Laura Mayer Malheur National Forest Phone 541-575-3000 Email lmayer@fs.fed.us 2) Linda Brown Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Phone Email jdborestoration@ortelco.net 3) Kevin Donham BLM Prairie Division Chief Phone 541-416-6421 Email kdonham@fs.fed.us A (Stand Alone) Project Planning Information Name of Local Coordinating Group: Grant County CWPP coordination group For this project, explain the level of cooperation, coordination or strategic planning, through a "Local Coordination Group." If you have not worked with a local coordination group, why not? This project was identified, rated,and prioritized as part of the coordination of the CWPP List federal lands that are adjacent to the project and proximity. Malhuer NF and BLM Prineville District A) Is there a current hazardous fuels treatment or one that is planned in the next three years on federal land that is adjacent to this project? Yes B) Specifically is this project adjacent to a current prescribed burn project or one that is planned in the next three years on Forest Service lands? Yes Please indicate planned treatments and associated acres: Treatment Thinning Acres 250 Treatment Broadcast Burn Acres 150 Treatment Machine Pile Acres 250 Treatment Mastication/Mowing Acres 50 Treatment Acres 0 If you have a treatment type other than standard types above: Treatment Acres 0 Project Evaluation Criteria Applications for funding must include narrative responses that address the following criteria. Be sure you address every one briefly, yet thoroughly. 1. Reducing Hazardous Fuels (40 points) A. Describe the community infrastructure that will be protected. This should include how this project implements all or part of the CWPP strategy. (15 points) Response: Canyon City (250+ homes)is the most populated community in Grant County and includes numerous private land parcels in and adjacent to NF and BLM lands with homes, outbuildings, businesses, and other personal property on these parcels. Other affected infrastructure includes the forest watershed, power lines, phone lines, and one of the state's main north/south transportation corridors(US Hwy 395). This community has a high hazard rating in the Grant Co. CWPP and through this project, the strategy of fuels reduction/defensible space for this community will be addressed. B. Explain how the proposal reduces fire behavior in high hazard areas by describing the fuels to be disposed or removed, the techniques and timing of the treatments, and the treatment location relative to the values to be protected. (15 points) Response: This project will provide incentives on private lands for the reduction of fuel loading and crown density. Overstocked mixed conifer, Ponderosa Pine, Western Juniper,and natural vegetation will be thinned adjacent to structures and the surrounding forest to create defensible space along with a community fuel break which will reduce the intensity of a wildfire. A healthier forest will also be attained which will more easily survive a reduced intensity fire. The precomm. thinning and pruning will occur during the spring and summer while the slash abatement will occurr during the winter. C. Explain how the project is designed to reduce smoke production impacts that affect public health. (10 points) Response: Much of the fuels that are removed through this project will be utilized as fuel wood for local residents. Locally, there are some operators which have chippers to create hog fuel to be used at a Co-gen plant. Also, the use of slash busters in the area has increased which reconfigure the fuel loading (small, scattered chunks)into more easily biodegradable pieces for onsite nutrient recycling while reducing the risk of fire. We strongly encourage utilization of the material generated on these projects. A participant receives a higher cost-share % if the material is utilized and not burned. 2. Increasing Local Capacity (20 points) A. How would the implementation of the proposed project improve or lead to the improvement of the local economy in terms of jobs and sustainable economic activity assuming that these grant funds would be used as "seed monies" for future projects. i.e. How many community supported jobs would be created and for how long would they expect to last? (10 points) Response: The local economy has been suppressed for years with the reduction of timber harvests on Fed land. This project would help sustain marginally employed forest workers along with service jobs to these workers (mechanics, saw shops, equipment rentals). This project would heighten the awareness of fuels reduction which would create a demand for these services after the seed money is gone. Participants recieve higher % cost-share if local labor is used on their project. B. Will biomass that is produced by the project be utilized; if so, in what manner and how much? (10 points) Response: Within the community of Prairie City (15 miles to the east) there is a Co-gen plant where we expect 50% of the material by weight to be delivered. The surrounding communities are actively developing markets for fuel wood and small diam. wood products where we expect 30% of the material to be utilized. The remainder of the material will be either modified for on-site recycling or burned. 3. Demonstrating Community and Intergovernmental Collaboration (20 Points) A. Describe how this project has been collaborated and coordinated with adjacent landowners, local/state/Tribal/federal agencies, and community groups such as neighborhood associations. (10 points) Response: Through the development of the CWPP, coordination and collaboration has taken place to identify and prioritize the communities at risk and projects to be completed. Collaboration continues to be with the private landowners, rurals & fire defense board for accomplishing work on private lands. Coordination has & continues to be with the Malheur National Forest, Blue Mountain Ranger District & Prineville District, BLM to coordinate activities on federal lands adjoining the Canyon City B. Describe the communities/partners contributions to this project such as: cash or in-kind contributions, cost share agreements, equipment, or labor (including volunteer work). (10 points) Response: ODF's and other supporting agencies time to plan and implement this project will be in-kind. Cost-share agreements with participating private landowners will be developed to assure that they have a cash or in-kind contribution to this project. In and around the project area ODF is implementing, forest health protection projects are funded by the USFS (see Partner 2 $100,000 on budget page). These projects will compliment and connect fuel treatment projects. 4. Managing Cost Efficiency (20 points) Discuss the process you used to arrive at your cost structure for the main Project Budget areas such as personnel, equipment, supplies and other (i.e. overhead). In your response please justify: cost per acre, purchase of equipment, percent of overhead, percent of partner or matching funds, and portion of administration cost. (20 points) Response: The Oregon Department of Forestry has a long history of implementing federally funded cost-share programs on private land. We have pre-established cost-share rates for different work (thinning, slash treatment, slash buster) updated annually that are based upon actual costs from past projects within this area of the state. We use these per acre rates to determine the total eligible cost-share amount per project. The per acre rates are also tiered based upon the difficulty (terrain, stems/acre, fuel type) to perform such activities. From our vast amount of past projects in similar conditions, the average cost to adequately reduce fuel loading on forestland is $500 per acre which accounts for both pre-commercial thinning and slash treatment. As part of our cost-share programs, we pay between 80-95% of the actual costs incurred on a project based upon utilization of material, use of local contractors,work being performed adjacent to a structure, etc. At the completion of the project, the participant submits documentation of the costs to perform such project and we calculate the approved % of the cost which the landowner is eligible for payment on. The other costs associated with this project are for the personnel (NRS2 forester for 6 months @ $3955/ month) to plan and provide technical assistance to implement the project, other personnel expenses (benefits 50% of wage)for the forester, and travel costs to and from the individual project sites. Project Work Form Tasks Time Frame Responsible Party Contact landowners in project area, determine eligiblity, process applications, write project specifications 6-1-07 to 10-1-09 Oregon Department of Forestry Foresters Complete projects 6-1-07 to 10-31-09 Landowners, contractors, consultants Inspect projects for adherence to specifications, document costs, determine cost share amount, process for payments 7-1-07 to 12-31-09 Oregon Department of Forestry Foresters Update CWPP, continue coordination ongoing ODF foresters Project Budget Cost Category Description Federal Agency Applicant Landowners USFS Partner 1 Partner 2 Partner 3 Total Personnel ODF Forester- NRS2 Subtotal $11,865.00 $11,865.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $23,730.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $11,865.00 $11,865.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $23,730.00 $5,933.00 $5,933.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $11,866.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $5,933.00 $5,933.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $11,866.00 $0.00 $3,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $3,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $3,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $3,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $176,202.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $176,202.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $100,000.00 $0.00 $100,000.00 $176,202.00 $0.00 $0.00 $100,000.00 $0.00 $276,202.00 $6,000.00 $0.00 $19,578.00 $0.00 $0.00 $25,578.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $6,000.00 $0.00 $19,578.00 $0.00 $0.00 $25,578.00 $200,000.00 $20,798.00 $19,578.00 $100,000.00 $0.00 $340,376.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Fringe Benefits Benefits Subtotal Travel .50 x 6000 Subtotal Equipment Subtotal Supplies Subtotal Contractual Landowner payments Forest Health treatments Subtotal Other Salem Admin (3%) Subtotal Total Costs Project (Program) Income 1 (using deductive alternative) 1 Program income is the gross revenue generated by a grant or cooperative agreement supported activity during the life of the grant. Program income can be made by recipients from fees charged for conference or workshop attendance, from rental fees earned from renting out real property or equipment acquired with grant or cooperative agreement funds, or from the sale of commodities or items developed under the grant or cooperative agreement. The use of Program Income during the project period may require prior approval by the granting agency.