Project Summary Form
Id Number 2006-079
NATIONAL FIRE PLAN COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE AND WILDLAND URBAN-INTERFACE PROJECTS
Application for Fuels Treatment Projects
Applicant
Applicant/Organization:
Oregon Department of Forestry/SWO/Grants Pass
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):
Ms. Mary Helen Smith Grant Coordinator/Teresa Vonn Field Coordinator
Organization/Jurisdiction:
Oregon Department of Forestry
Phone: (111 111-1111 x 1111)
503-945-7431
FAX: (111 111-1111 x 1111)
503-745-7416
Call Ahead For FAX
Email:
msmith@odf.state.or.us
Project Information
Project Title:
Josephine County Communities at Risk Fuel Reduction Project
Proposed Project Start Date:
03/01/2006
Federal Funding Request:
$ 259,612
Proposed Project End Date:
12/31/2006
Total Project Funding:
$
679,926
Are you submitting multiple projects? If so, please explain and prioritize:
This is a stand alone project. It is one of four grants being submitted in Josephine County by ODF.
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).
The Oregon Department of Forestry, recognizing the need for increased fuel reduction efforts is requesting funding to continue the ODF Defensible
Space cost-share program. The program began in 1998 and has had a high degree of interest and success. High hazard fuel treatment areas
identified by the Integrated Fire Plan [JCIFP] will be targeted. Title III grant money has been utilized to provide the technical assistance to
landowners to identify those parcels in need of treatment and write prescriptions that most effectively change the fuel loading, as well as provide a
one on one landowner education to each contact regardless of whether the landowner qualifies for the grant. Traditionally, nearly all of the previous
ODF grants went to landowners on the form of $330 cost-share agreements. The expanded defensible space areas will include roadside and
driveway access to allow egress during a fire will strengthen firefighting efforts. Strategic areas of up to 5 acres may also be treated
Project Location:
Latitude: 42.50681
Longitude: 123.329
County:
Josephine
Name of Federal, State or Tribal contact with whom you coordinated this proposal:
Federal Congressional District:
4
Telephone number of Contact:
Tim Gonzales, BLM, Education and Mitigation Specialist
541-471-6943 Ext.
Teresa Vonn, ODF, District Protection Planner
541-664-3328 Ext.
Lang Johnson, Rural Metro
541-474-1218 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?
Several Members of the Josephine/Jackson County Local Coordination Group have been contacted.
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 225
Treatment Hand Piling
Acres 225
Treatment Mastication/Mowing
Acres 75
Treatment Hand Pile Burning
Acres 225
If you have a treatment type other than standard types above:
Other 1
Acres 0
Other 2
Acres 0
The project is located throughout Josephine County, OR. The risk that wildfires pose to Josephine County is evident. A heavily forested region, the
County encompasses approximately 1,040,000 acres of which about 70% is publicly owned. Josephine County boasts 75,726 citizens and over half
live in rural areas. The 2002 Biscuit Fire, largely within Josephine County boundaries, burned close to 500,000 acres and cost over $150 million.
The Redwood Highway fire of 2004 threatened 100 homes.
To reduce the risk of wildfires, the Josephine County Integrated Fire Plan [JCIFP] has assessed risk and prioritized projects. The JCIFP Fuels
Reduction Committee has unanimously adopted a coordinated approach to systematically address priority wildfire hazard areas throughout the
County. This effort is also coordinated with the Jackson-Josephine County Local Coordinating Group, which formed in 2004 to bring increased
cooperation and partnerships between the two counties.
Projects have been identified through the risk assessment tool developed in the JCIFP process, which integrated 5 weighted factors [Risk, Hazard,
Protection Capabilities, Values at Risk, & Structural Vulnerability]. The resulting GIS map targets high-risk areas. Coordination with fire districts and
with community groups has been successful in developing local partnerships for fuels reduction planning, implementation, follow-up, & education.
Multi-tax lot projects are being targeted using criteria that: maximize # of residences where fire hazard can be reduced; reduce likelihood of large
scale wildfire events by strategic landscape fuels reduction; optimize collaboration with fuels reduction on adjacent federal land; and include
significant community participation.
Community partners include Rogue River, Evan Creek, Fire Districts, Rural Metro, Grants Pass, Bureau of Land Management, & Forest Service.
Federal agencies identify planned fuels reduction projects on adjacent lands, ODF will conduct home assessments, approve cost-share plans, and
inspect completed work. Private contractors, community organizations, and landowners conduct fuels reduction work.
The anticipated outcome is significant fire hazard reduction and education about the importance of fuel reduction and treatment maintenance. The
project will treat 300 acres nearby homes and driveways to improved access.
Other outcomes: 1. Reduce risk to life safety, property, & natural resources; 2. Enhance Fire District capacity for community fire planning; 3.
Increase resources for fuels reduction, prevention, & education; and 4. Foster collaborative partnerships between agencies, community
organizations, and citizens around fire protection. Reduction in the rate of human-caused fire occurrence, through increased resident awareness
and fire prevention education.
ODF has a long history of successfully implementing NFP grants.
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:
In addition to dwellings and residential out buildings, infrastructure protected will be primarily power line and road systems, from
fire, and fire-related erosion. High at-risk residences and access routes are the primary type of infrastructure targeted for
protection. In addition, other sites [e.g. churches, historic buildings, power lines, scenic areas] will be included as they relate to the
specific area being treated.
Fuels to be treated include, but are not limited to, natural brush species such as manzanita, wedge-leaf ceanothus, and madrone,
and natural coniferous fir and pine tree species. Hazard reduction plans will also include treatment of non-native, flammable
vegetation such as scotch broom. Ladder fuelss and hazardous fuel continuity will be treated through the processes of removal,
reduction, or replacement with fire resistant plants. Fuel reduction will be accomplished on residential defensible space, driveway
access improvement, and landscape thinning to reduce the fuel load by hand treatment, through thinning, slashing and pruning to
remove brush, ladder fuels, standing dead trees, or by mechanical treatment. The goal being to reduce overly dense stands and
restore landscapes to conditions similar to those resulting from regularly recurrent fire. Slash will be hand piled and burned or
chipped or lopped and scattered. Documentation of the results will be retained through before and after photos.
Long term treatment will be stressed through education and reinforced in all cost-share agreements with the acknowledgment that
maintenance by the landowner is a condition of the cost-share. An aggressive education and outreach program sponsored by the
county, ODF, and Fire Services will be essential for the successful maintenance of treated areas. ODF will continue to emphasize
the importance of maintenance through the dynamic JCIFP effort. Maintenance will be monitored through pre and post photo
points as well as a follow up of photo points on a random sample of treated acres 5 years after treatment and used in community
education and outreach programs. Pre and post photos have been captured for 3 years and are used in community meetings as
well as in quarterly reports to the Josephine County Commissioners. The primary message around the importance of reducing fuel
loads and maintaining fuel treatments can be reinforced with an understanding of basic how-to skills of stand management. When
the skills are absorbed into individual behavioral patterns, maintaining and expanding fuel treatments will become more important
to landowners and less expensive if continually implemented. A Regional fire awareness newsletter is being proposed for the
Southern Oregon and this project is committed to participating in the newsletter. One on One landowner education as well as
neighborhood meetings will be deployed to increased fire preparedness and encourage participation in fuels reduction.
Multi-party monitoring by ODF in partnership with community fire planning leaders and Fire Districts will include both
implementation and effectiveness monitoring. Tracking the location of completed fuel reduction is currently being completed by
Josephine County and will track implementation of the project. Effectiveness monitoring will develop over time as wildfires burn
through treated areas and existing pre and post fuel treatment photo points are utilized for analysis of fire effects.
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:
The fuel reduction industry in Southern Oregon has developed into a competitive venue for those willing to invest in equipment to
mulch or shred smaller diameter brush, as well as hard and softwoods up to 6-8" DBH. Two years ago there was one large slash
buster working mostly on federal lands, today there are 5 smaller machines working on private lands. Local contractors have built
equipment especially for fuels reduction on small lots or for landscape treatment. One contractor is utilizing a shearer to harvest
small diameter material for utilization. Contractors who traditionally work fire crews in the summer are contracting out for fuels
reduction on private lands. ODF maintains a list of contractors that wish to be contacted for fuel reduction projects, both mechanical
and hand crew. Continuation of cost-share for fuel reduction will drive and expand this industry.
Skills necessary to motivate people to take a role in creating a safer living space will be essential to implement this project. Education
will be the biggest tool needed to meet the objective of promoting and attaining increased defensible space in local high risk
communities.
Biomass utilization has historically been in the form of firewood and pole production. Some pole companies will perform fuel
reduction if the number and quality of poles is high. ODF maintains a list of pole companies/buyers. Biomass utilization opportunities
will continue to be explored through the JCIFP Biomass subcommittee.
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:
This plan targets those areas of concern addressed in Josephine County Integrated Fire Plan. The JCIFP has been adopted and
signed by the County Commissioners and is a successful tool coordinating multi-organizational committees around risk
assessment, fuels reduction, education and prevention, biomass utilization, and emergency management. A copy of the fire plan is
available at www.co.josephine.or.us/wildfire/ The contact for the Josephine County Integrated Fire Plan is Mark Sorensen,
Josephine County, 541-474-5300, msorensen@co.josephine.or.us.
Treatment coordination with adjacent landowners has been accomplished by participation on the JCIFP Fuels Reduction
Subcommittee. This committee is composed of representatives from the Forest Service, BLM, ODF, Josephine County Forestry, 5
fire service areas, and 6 community organizations; it has provided a comprehensive analysis of existing and proposed projects in
the county. One criterion for determining high risk areas is that they be contiguous to past, current, or planned fuels reduction
activities on federal lands.
Partners in this project include: JCIFP Fuels Reduction Committee,Rural/Metro, Josephine County, BLM, and Forest Service
[potential for adjacent project sites], private contractors, and community organizations.
*Josephine County is a partner providing Title III funds for technical assistance.
*BLM is a partner providing the location of completed and proposed projects and the prescription for treatment. BLM has treated
740 acres throughout the county and Josephine Forestry has treated 100 acres.
Project Work Form
Tasks
Time Frame
On-site resident assistance - development of
individual hazard reduction plans
Responsible Party
Oregon Department of Forestry
Upon Date of Award
Hazard Reduction activities
Landowners/Oregon Department of
Forestry, landowners and contractors
3/1/2006-12/31/ 2007
Community planning meetings
Landowners/Oregon Department of
Forestry, and Fire Districts
Ongoing
Oregon Department of Forestry
Monitoring / Evaluation
Ongoing
Promote expansion of affected areas &
recruiting additional resident participants
Ongoing
Community Fire Planning Leaders,
Landowners/Oregon Department of
Forestry, and Fire Districts
Project Budget
Josephine County
Cost Category
Description
Federal
Agency
Applicant
Community Leaders
Partner 1
Landowners
Partner 2
Total
Partner 3
Personnel
Technical Assistance
ODF Match
Subtotal
$85,120
$0
$100,000
$5,000
$0
$190,120
$0
$205,000
$0
$0
$0
$205,000
$85,120
$205,000
$100,000
$5,000
$0
$395,120
$0
$0
$45,113
Fringe Benefits
OPE
$45,113
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$45,113
$0
$0
$0
$45,113
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$24,000
$0
$0
$0
$24,000
$0
$1,814
$0
$0
$0
$1,814
$0
$25,814
$0
$0
$0
$25,814
$0
$2,500
$0
$0
$0
$2,500
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$2,500
$0
$0
$0
$2,500
$100,000
$0
$0
$0
$100,000
$200,000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$100,000
$0
$0
$100,000
$200,000
Field Administration
$13,813
$0
$0
$0
$0
$13,813
Salem 6% (Prot+Finance)
$15,566
$0
$0
$0
$15,566
$29,379
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$29,379
$259,612
$233,314
$100,000
$5,000
$100,000
$697,926
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
Subtotal
Travel
$0
Subtotal
Equipment
Vehicle Ues
Cell Phone Use
Subtotal
Supplies
Office Material
Subtotal
Contractual
Landowner Cost-Share
Subtotal
Other
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.