Project Summary Form
Id Number 2006-012
NATIONAL FIRE PLAN COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE AND WILDLAND URBAN-INTERFACE PROJECTS
Application for Fuels Treatment Projects
Applicant
Applicant/Organization:
State of Oregon Department of Forestry/COD/John Day Unit
Phone: (111 111-1111 x 1111)
Type of Applicant: (enter appropriate letter in box)
A
503-945-7341
FAX: (111 111-1111 x 1111)
A. State
B. County
C. Municipal
D. Township
E. Interstate
503-945-7416
Please Call Ahead For FAX
H. Independent School District
I. State-Controlled Institution of Higher Learning
J. Private University
K. Indian Tribe
L. Nonprofit Organization
Address (Street or P. O. Box, City, State, Zip):
2600 State Street Salem, OR 97310
Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator (Name and Title):
Mary Helen Smith Grant Coordinator
Organization/Jurisdiction:
State of Oregon Dept of Forestry, COD, John Day Unit
Phone: (111 111-1111 x 1111)
503-945-7341
FAX: (111 111-1111 x 1111)
503-945-7416
Call Ahead For FAX
Email:
msmith@odf.state.or.us
Project Information
Project Title:
Community Vegetation Management John Day North
Proposed Project Start Date:
05/01/2006
Federal Funding Request:
$ 299,495
Proposed Project End Date:
12/31/2008
Total Project Funding:
$
652,230
Are you submitting multiple projects? If so, please explain and prioritize:
Brief Project Summary: Who, What, Where, Desired Outcomes in relation to NFP Goals and Community Risk Assessment and
Mitigation Plans (This should summarize page 2).
Oregon Department of Forestry will cost share with private landowners to accomplish fuels reduction projects in and surrounding the Communities at
Risk that are listed in the Federal Register. Priority will be given to working directly around community infrastructure and those areas immediately
adjoining as identified in the Grant County Community Risk Assessment and Mitigation Plan. Many of the high risk areas are rural in nature and
these grants have assisted landowners to reduce fire hazard and increase forest health. A primary emphasis will be to connect existing projects on
private and federal lands. A secondary goal is to provide employment by creating jobs in the community thereby boosting economic development.
Recently these projects have provided much needed employment in Grant,Wheeler,Morrow and Gilliam counties. Cost incentives are given for
utilizing local contractors and for utilization of materials.
Project Location:
Latitude: 44.8205
Longitude: 119.422
County:
Grant/Wheeler/Morrow
Name of Federal, State or Tribal contact with whom you coordinated this proposal:
Laura Mayer, Malheur National Forest
Federal Congressional District:
2
Telephone number of Contact:
541-575-3103 Ext.
Ext.
Ext.
Project Narrative Description
Applications for funding must include a narrative response that describes the proposal. Please do not submit responses
longer than one page, single space, 12-pitch font.
Describe project including, but not limited to:
x project relationship to the community risk assessment and
x project location (e.g., Watershed,
Address
mitigation plan
neighboring community)
these items
as applicable: x anticipated outcomes
x amount or extent of actions (acres, number of homes, etc.)
x project timeline and matching or contributed funds
x community partners and their
role(s)
x proponent’s ability to complete project
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 implements the strategies listed in the Grant County Community Wildfire Protection Plan
Is this project adjacent to a current prescribed burn project on federal lands or to one that is planned within the next
three years? (Yes/No) No
Please indicate planned treatments and associated acres:
* Treatment Thinning
Acres 750
Treatment Hand Pile Burning
Acres 100
Treatment Hand Piling
Acres 100
Treatment
Acres 0
If you have a treatment type other than standard types above:
Chipping
Other 1 Machine Pile & burn
Acres 500
Other 2
Acres 200
Project location;
Private lands in and surrounding identified Communities at Risk in northern Grant County, southern Morrow County, southern Gilliam County,and
northern Wheeler County.
Outcomes;
Reduction of fire hazard and improvement of forest and watershed health by a combination of thinning, biomass removal, and burning. This will be
done by the private landowners through a cost share agreement with the Department of Forestry. Priority of projects will be made in conjunction
with the Community Risk Assessment Plan, federal agencies projects, Soil Water Conservation Districts, and Watershed Councils. These projects
will be closely tied to projects completed in past grants, other federal cost share programs and work done previously by the landowners. The private
land assessment on the John Day Unit three years ago estimated over 500,000 acres of overstocked timber stands. The effect of the work under
this grant proposal would be to continue reducing the number of over stocked acres, reducing the fire hazard and improving forest and watershed
health.
In this area there are approximately 500 improved minimum assessed tax lots, which equates to approximately 500 homes or cabins in a rural
interface setting. This grant would work towards reducing the fire hazard that could directly impact these structures. Treatments would include 750
acres of thinning, 100 acres of hand piling, 100 acres of hand pile burning, 500 acres of machine piling & burning and 200 acres of chipping. The
chips from the chipping operation would be utilized as hog fuel and the co-generation plant in Prairie City. Since this work is done on private land, it
is the choice of the landowner to take advantage of the opportunity to reduce the fire hazard and provide defensible space. There is still a great
demand and many requests for additional assistance. The landowners are especially interested in the forest health aspects of the program which
includes the reduction of the fire hazard. A 2002 grant in this area provided for a Hazard Inventory. This inventory GPS mapped the location of all
structures in the Unit, water locations, access, hazards, including adjacent fuel loading. This data was recorded in our Spotfires database [GIS
system]. This information is also shown in our Community Risk Assessment Plan.
Project Timeline;
If the project is funded in the spring of 2006, the majority of the thinning and biomass removal would take place during the field seasons of 2006 and
2007. The burning would take place during the fall and winter of 2007 and 2008 and finished by December 31, 2008.
Community Partners and Matching or Contributed Funds:
The private landowners would match up to 25% of the funds for the on the ground project work. The Oregon Dept of Forestry will contribute time
and materials beyond administrative costs to oversee the program at the Unit & District levels. The SWCDs, Watershed Councils, federal agencies,
and Counties will contribute time in the coordination of the projects.
Abililty to Complete the Project;
This type of program fits with our current Stewardship Forester roles and responsibilities to work with private landowners providing technical
expertise and cost share opportunities. The Unit has successfully implemented NFP grants of this type since 2001.
Project Evaluation Criteria
Applications for funding must include narrative responses that address the following three criteria. Be sure you address every one
briefly, yet thoroughly. Limit your responses to the area provided.
1. Reducing Hazardous Fuels (50 points)
A. Describe the community infrastructure that will be protected.
B. Explain how the proposal reduces fire behavior in high hazard areas by describing the fuels to be disposed or
removed, and the techniques and timing of the treatments.
C. How will the proposed treatments be maintained in future years?
D. How will you use multi-party monitoring to improve this and future projects?
Response:
A. The community infrastructure consists of two components, human and natural. The human infrastructure consist of the
powerlines, bridges, homes, barns, mills and other structures that make up the rural communities and are vital to maintain the
communities. The second part is the natural resources. Normally natural resources are thought of as renewable in the long-term
sense. In this case private forestlands are a short-term infrastructure that need protection. First they need to be maintained in a
healthy fire resistant state to provide a product to the mills, to maintain the mills, to maintain the communities. The last three mills
in the Central Oregon District are located in Grant County. With the reduced harvest on federal lands, the ability to feed and
maintain the last surviving mills in the area rely on the harvest potential from private lands. This means that the forest needs to be
maintained in a healthy fire resistant state to maintain a major component of the community infrastructure. Another element of the
natural resource infrastructure is that private forestlands are the future retirement and college education funds of the landowners.
Maintaining those forests maintain the economy of the local county. Grant County and other eastern Oregon counties are hardest
hit from an economic standpoint in Oregon and have the highest unemployment rates. From the forest management standpoint,
the reduced harvest on federal lands have put an extreme pressure on private forest lands. This funding will assist in managing the
non-commercial component of those stands that are left to ensure that they remain in a fire resistant and healthy state. This in turn
will have the effect of starting to reduce the fire intensity, fire size, resource loss, and suppression costs.
B. At the last assessment of forest condition on the John Day Unit, 500,000 acres of private forestland were found to be in an overstocked condition. This project would work towards reducing the fire hazard caused by over-stocked stands by thinning and
removal of unmerchantable material. The preferred method will be to thin and remove the material as a secondary product such
as post & poles or hog fuel to the local co-gen plant. Priority is given to projects in and around Communities at Risk. All work will
be monitored and enforced for compliance with the Oregon Forest Practices Act, which ensures adequate protection is given to
soil, water, heritage resources, and T&E species.
C. The standards for the proposed treatments will follow the Stewardship Forestry Standards State & Private Coop Forestry, with
activities designed to have a minimum treatment life of at least 10 years. It will be the responsibility of the private landowner to
maintain the projects. The projects will be recorded in the Dept of Forestry FIRS [GIS] program and can be monitored and
followed-up by future Stewardship Foresters.
D. The inspection or review, monitoring and approval of the projects on private lands will be done by the Stewardship Foresters
prior to payment of the cost share to the landowner. The long-term monitoring is accomplished through ODF Stewardship
Foresters and established ODF cooperative agreements with other agencies that work with private landowners such as OSU and
OSU Forestry Extension, Watershed Councils, Soil Water Conservation Districts, USDA NRCS, and USDA Forest Service National
Timber Inventory.
Project Evaluation Criteria
2.
Increasing Local Capacity (25 points)
A. How would the proposal improve or lead to the improvement of the local economy in terms of jobs and
sustainable economic activity?
B. How many jobs are expected to be created or retained and for how long? (Please distinguish between
essentially year-round and seasonal jobs).
C. What tools and skills will be gained or utilized as a result of this project?
D. Will biomass be utilized; if so, in what manner and how much?
Response:
A. This proposal would create jobs in the woods in conjunction with concurrent timber harvest in some cases and by creating jobs
that can be done by current logging operators and landowners. In Grant County a study done by the County Court showed that
every $1 brought into the county in this type of proposal resulted in $7 return in economic stability to the county. This would be
representative to the other counties involved. Currently a large portion of the work being done under current grants is done by our
local logging contractors as a way to maintain their workforce and keep them actively employed.
B. It is estimated that it would keep about 30 people employed for approximately 6 months a year for 2.5 years. This does not
include the work by the landowners themselves but by logging contractors and small contractors.
C.Most of the tools will be current logging tools such as machine mounted cutting heads for thinning, dozers for piling, chippers for
hog fuel to chainsaws and handwork for hand piling. Skills will be currently available woods workers in the local community.
D. In our cost share process, utilization is emphasized as the prefered method of removing the biomass. There are currently large
scale chippers in the area owned by local operators. There are two co-generation plants in the area that are supported by this
material. There is a Post & Pole facility funded by a USDA Community Development Grant in Seneca which utilizes this material.
3.
Demonstrating Community and Intergovernmental Collaboration (25 Points)
A. How will this project implement a community risk assessment and mitigation plan? Include name of plan, date
it was prepared, and local contact to get a copy of the plan if requested.
B. How has this treatment been coordinated with adjacent landowners and local/State/Tribal/Federal agencies?
C. Identify the cooperators/partners involved in implementation of this project.
D. Describe the extent of current local support for the project, including any cost-sharing agreements.
Response:
A. This proposal implements the strategies in the Grant County Community Risk Assessment & Mitigation Plan, otherwise known as
the Grant County Fire Plan. This work on private land is listed in the Plan as a key action. A copy of the plan can be obtained from
the Grant County Court, Commissioner Boyd Britton. The base plan was completed under Contract from the Grant County Soil
Water Conservation District in 2004.
B. This proposal and current grants have been coordinated with the adjoining federal agencies, with the primary federal agency
being the Malheur National Forest. Other agencies include, the Umatilla, Wallowa-Whitman, Ochoco National Forests, Burns, Vale,
and Prineville BLM. Other agencies include the local SWCD, Watershed Councils, County Courts, and OWEB.
C. These cost share projects are with the private landowners. In some cases these projects will tie into current projects with the
National Forests. ODF encourages private landowners to take advantage of opportunities to work with neighboring landowners
including the National Forests to coordinate operations across boundaries. A current example under this proposal would link about
5 private landowners, The Nature Conservancy, Warm Springs Tribe, and the Malheur National Forest in a project on the Middle
Fork of the John Day River.
D. The local support for the proposal is from local agencies and landowners. Since this work is on private lands it limits cost share
from other agencies. There are opportunities for using the Wyden authority where appropriate and utilizing other funds such as
OWEB on private lands. Those opportunities are taken where appropriate.
Project Work Form
Tasks
Identify priority areas to focus work projects
from an assessment of current and past
projects
Time Frame
Responsible Party
Stewardship Foresters and Unit
Forester
Prior to April 06
Identify and contact landowners as to the
availablity of the cost share funds
Stewardship Foresters and Unit
Forester
May 06 & ongoing
Site visits and technical advice to landowners,
sign-up for cost share program
Stewardship Foresters
May 06 & ongoing
Monitoring work projects, document activities,
check for compliance, technical support, verify
accomplishments.
Stewardship Foresters
May 06 & ongoing
Processes documentation and payment
records.
Stewardship Foresters
May 06 & ongoing
Monitor effectiveness of projects in meeting
overall objectives of program in decreasing
the fire hazard and increasing forest health
Ongoing
Stewardship Foresters
Unit Forester
ODF program reviews
SWCD
Watershed Councils
Project Budget
Private Landowner
Cost Category
Description
Federal
Agency
Applicant
Partner 1
Partner 2
Total
Partner 3
Personnel
Field Personnel
ODF match
Subtotal
$11,625
$8,600
$0
$0
$0
$20,225
$0
$263,446
$0
$0
$0
$263,446
$11,625
$272,046
$0
$0
$0
$283,671
$5,700
$4,214
$0
$0
$0
$9,914
$0
$0
$4,214
$0
$0
$0
$0
$5,700
$0
$0
$0
$9,914
$1,200
$500
$0
$0
$0
$1,700
$0
$0
$475
$1,200
$475
$975
$0
$0
$0
$0
$2,175
$2,000
$2,000
$0
$0
$0
$4,000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$2,000
$2,000
$0
$0
$0
$4,000
$1,000
$1,000
$0
$0
$0
$2,000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$1,000
$1,000
$0
$0
$0
$2,000
$250,000
$0
$62,500
$0
$0
$312,500
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$62,500
$0
$0
$312,500
Fringe Benefits
OPE 49% (CTG)
Subtotal
Travel
Vehicle Mileage
Per Diem
$0
Subtotal
Equipment
Misc Equipment
Subtotal
Supplies
Misc Supplies
Subtotal
Contractual
Cost Share Agmts 75/25%
Subtotal
$250,000
Other
Salem Adm 6%(Prot&Fin)
$17,970
$0
$0
$0
$0
$17,970
Unit Adm 5%
$10,000
$0
$0
$0
$20,000
$27,970
$10,000
$10,000
$0
$0
$0
$37,970
$299,495
$290,235
$62,500
$0
$0
$652,230
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
Subtotal
Total Costs
Project (Program)
Income1
___________________________________
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.