Project Summary Form
Id Number 2006-153
NATIONAL FIRE PLAN COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE AND WILDLAND URBAN-INTERFACE PROJECTS
Application for Fuels Treatment Projects
Applicant
Applicant/Organization:
Deschutes County
Phone: (111 111-1111 x 1111)
Type of Applicant: (enter appropriate letter in box)
B
541-330-4627
FAX: (111 111-1111 x 1111)
A. State
B. County
C. Municipal
D. Township
E. Interstate
541-385-3202
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):
1300 NW Wall Street, Suite 200 Bend, OR 97701
Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator (Name and Title):
Mr. Joe Stutler Forestry Specialist
Organization/Jurisdiction:
Deschutes County
Phone: (111 111-1111 x 1111)
541-322-7117
FAX: (111 111-1111 x 1111)
541-388-2719
Call Ahead For FAX
Email:
joe_stutler@co.deschutes.or.us
Project Information
Project Title:
Vacant Lot Fuels Reduction Project
Proposed Project Start Date:
07/01/2006
Federal Funding Request:
$ 225,000
Proposed Project End Date:
06/30/2008
Total Project Funding:
$
339,856
Are you submitting multiple projects? If so, please explain and prioritize:
Deschutes County is submitting five stand alone applications to the Community Assistance Grant Program, one under the Education and
Prevention category, one under the Community Planning category, and three under the Fuels Treatment category. This project is the fifth
priority among all five of the applications and the third priority among just the three fuels treatment projects.
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).
Through the Vacant Lot Fuels Reduction Program, the Deschutes County Forestry Program seeks to remove excessive timber, vegetation, and
debris from approximately 300 acres of privately owned land that is located within the Wildland-Urban Interface area within Deschutes County when
the property owners fall into one of two categories: 1] Owners of vacant lots who are unable to reduce potential wildland fire fuels on their land due
to either financial hardship and/or physical disability. 2] Owners of vacant lots who have been informed about the need for fuel reduction efforts on
their land, but who opt to ignore the vacant lot standards and/or deliberately choose not to comply despite having the means to do so.
Project Location:
Latitude: 44.09278
Longitude: 121.293
County:
Deschutes County
Name of Federal, State or Tribal contact with whom you coordinated this proposal:
Lisa Clarke
Federal Congressional District:
2
Telephone number of Contact:
541-416-6864 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?
The project was discussed and coordinated with Project Wildfire, the Local Coordination Group.
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) Yes
Please indicate planned treatments and associated acres:
* Treatment Thinning
Acres 150
Treatment Hand Piling
Acres 300
Treatment Hand Pile Burning
Acres 300
Treatment Mastication/Mowing
Acres 150
If you have a treatment type other than standard types above:
Other 1
Acres 0
Other 2
Acres 0
The Deschutes County Vacant Lot Fuels Reduction project has one primary goal: Eliminate excessive fuels on privately-owned vacant lots, thereby
decreasing the risk of wildland fire in the Wildland-Urban Interface [WUI], protecting public safety, improving forest health, and reducing structural
loss. This goal is consistent with objectives of both the Healthy Forests Restoration Act and with local Community Wildfire Protection Plans [CWPP]
and a preliminary county-wide CWPP. The project will be targeted to: 1] Owners of vacant lots who are unable to reduce potential wildland fire fuels
on their land due to either financial hardship and/or physical disability. 2] Owners of vacant lots who have been informed about the need for fuel
reduction efforts on their land, but who opt to ignore the vacant lot standards and/or deliberately choose not to comply despite having the means to
do so.
The project will be implemented in Deschutes County, a 3,055 square mile region of Central Oregon notable for its arid high desert climate,
abundant sunshine, strong winds, dry stands of timber and other vegetation, and frequent summer lightening strikes that often result in large, fastmoving, and devastating wildfires. Compounding these problems, Deschutes County's population is growing at a much faster pace than elsewhere in
the state and in most of the nation. Currently estimated at 130,500, the population has grown by 13% since 2000, a rate nearly 4 times Oregon's
average of 3.5%. Many of these new residents moved to the region specifically to experience the blend of city and country life that can be found in
the marginal forest and farmland of the WUI. The Oregon Department of Forestry has identified Deschutes County as one of two pilot counties for
implementation of the Oregon Forestland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Act of 1997 ensuring that replicability to other "wildland-urban interface
areas" as defined by statute will be built into the Public Lands Fuel Reduction Project.
Under the direction of the Deschutes County Forestry Program, the fuels reduction project will take place in four separate phases during a two-year
period. Much of the work will be performed by a Vacant Lot Mitigation Officer hired on a limited term basis for the two-year period and by qualified
local contractors who will be selected through a public process. Specific project activities and timelines include:
* Phase 1, Months 1-6, Preparation: Hire a Vacant Lot Mitigation Officer on contractual basis. Create compliance and enforcement system. Work
with other local agencies to create interagency referral system. Adopt criteria to assess economic and health hardship levels of program recipients.
Develop record-keeping, inventory, and tracking systems. Identify all vacant lots at high risk that meet program guidelines. Select contractor[s] to
perform fuels reduction work on a per-acre basis through competitive public process.
* Phase 2, Months 7-12, Outreach: Accept referrals from local agencies. Develop and deliver written notices explaining program to target population.
Inspect vacant lots on inventory to assess if compliance has been met. Follow up written notification to property owners with personal contact if
necessary.
* Phase 3, Months 13-24, Implementation: Schedule and perform fuel reduction work on vacant lots remaining on inventory. Inspect work. Assess
charges against property owners who can afford to pay. Explore ways to make program self-sustaining on a long-term basis.
* Phase 4, Months 20-24, Follow-up: Measure effectiveness of campaign through follow-up inspections and communications with landowners.
Report project results to community, funders, and other interested stakeholders. Adjust project plan, if necessary, to achieve goals on an ongoing
basis. Make program available for replication to other agencies through site visits, speaking engagements, and published reports.
The project requests $225,000 from the Community Assistance Grant Program for these activities and will be supported with $114,856 of in-kind
contributions from Deschutes County for staff, facilities, travel, and operational supplies necessary to plan, coordinate, manage, monitor, and
evaluate the project.
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 preliminary estimate indicates that approximately 300 acres of privately-owned land could meet the criteria for the Vacant Lot
Fuels Reduction project, are located within the WUI, and present the highest degree of threat. These properties are widely spread
across Deschutes County and are interspersed with other vacant lots, residences, businesses, parks, and community facilities.
Reducing hazardous fuels on the affected land will decrease the risk that a fire will ignite and will help protect neighboring land,
structures, and amenities from spreading flames and sparks by acting as a containment barrier if a fire does start nearby.
The properties to be treated in the Vacant Lot Fuels Reduction project primarily feature small ponderosa pine, douglas fir,
lodgepole pine, sagebrush, bitterbrush, mountain shrub, and various bunch-type grasses. While many of these vegetation types
are naturally volatile due to inherent pitch, oils, and resins, recent drought conditions have significantly increased their susceptibility
to fire through desiccation and disease. In many cases, the ground is littered with fallen debris and dead limbs and logs. This
debris will be removed through a combination of thinning, mowing, burning, and reclamation which will take place during the
months of late Fall through early Spring when the weather is cool and the risk of wildland fire is at its lowest.
The Vacant Lot Fuels Reduction project was designed to be completed within the two-year grant period. During that time, the
Deschutes County Forestry Program and its partners will identify affected properties and remove all potential wildland fire fuels in
compliance with established standards. Once this has been accomplished, only minimal maintenance will be required to ensure
that the lots do not revert to an overgrown and hazardous state. During the initial project period, Deschutes County and its
partners will explore resource options with a goal of sustaining these efforts in the long-term.
Throughout the fuels reduction project implementation period, Deschutes County will monitor and evaluate progress by conducting
regular site visits, tracking the number of acres treated, and maintaining information in the County's existing GIS database. This
monitoring process will be coordinated with the Oregon Department of Forestry as the agency charged with enforcing the Oregon
Forestland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Act [SB 360] within Deschutes County. This collaborative approach will ensure that the
evaluation is conducted in a balanced and impartial manner and will facilitate future efforts to replicate the project's success on a
wider scale and within other communities throughout the State.
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:
One objective of the Vacant Lot Fuels Reduction project is to enhance the local economy by providing jobs to private contractors.
Activities that will be assigned to commercial contractors will involve thinning, pruning, piling, burning, removing shrubs, and mowing.
The two-year project period is expected to help support an estimated 10 jobs within the local economy. Many of these jobs will be
entry-level allowing unskilled laborers an opportunity to develop an employment history and valuable work skills. In the longer term,
this project could help lead to new jobs in additional, more diverse, professions as well, including arborists, landscapers, landscape
material suppliers, builders, developers, and renovators as neighboring landowners and communities recognize the importance of
treating fuels and maintaining properties to reduce fire risk.
The project will also make use of the biomass that results from removing fuels from privately-owned lands in a manner that benefits
both the County and the local contractors hired to perform the work. The County Forestry Program will negotiate contractual fees at
a reduced rate in exchange for the wood products that will be removed from the sites. In particular, the ponderosa pine, douglas fir,
and lodgepole pine are desirable for lumber, poles, firewood, wood chips, mulch, and compost material. These products can be sold
at retail or wholesale market bringing additional dollars into the community.
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:
The Vacant Lot Fuels Reduction project will be implemented alongside development of a County-wide Community Wildfire
Protection Plan [CWPP] which will be prepared pursuant to Public Law 108-148 and Deschutes County Resolution 2004-093
establishing minimum standards for CWPPs. The document will incorporate all communities within the County and will be
coordinated with neighboring counties due to overlap in the WUI. Concurrently, one neighborhood [Upper Deschutes Coalition] has
already completed a CWPP, and three others have initiated CWPP efforts. The proposed project addresses priorities established in
each of these situations.
Many other agencies will participate in the project, including the Oregon Department of Forestry; Cities of Bend and Redmond Fire
Departments; Bend, Black Butte, Camp Sherman, La Pine, and Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection Districts; Central Oregon Fire
Chief's Association; Central Oregon Fire Prevention Cooperative; and Project Wildfire Committee. All partners will contribute their
time and effort as an in-kind match to the project as detailed in the budget section. Partners will provide advice and assistance with
planning, communication, and implementation; identify qualified program recipients; develop guidelines and standards; and help
create and use an interagency referral system.
Lots to be treated through the project are not contiguous and are widely dispersed. As a result, numerous adjacent landowners will
need to be individually contacted throughout the duration of the project to address any issues they may have. The County will also
periodically issue press releases to raise awareness about the importance and value of reducing hazardous fire fuels and
maintaining properties in a safe condition.
Project Work Form
Tasks
Preparation: Hire contractors. Create tracking,
compliance, referral, and record systems.
Adopt program criteria. Identify properties.
Outreach: Accept referrals. Develop and
distribute informational notices. Make
personal contact with property owners.
Implementation: Perform fuels reduction work.
Inspect work. Assess charges. Research
sustainability options.
Follow-Up: Evaluate program. Report results.
Revise plan if needed. Make program
available for replication.
Time Frame
Responsible Party
Deschutes County Forestry Program
and Project Partners
Months 1-6
Deschutes County Forestry Program
Months 7-12
Deschutes County Forestry Program
and Private Contractors
Months 13-24
Deschutes County Forestry Program
and Project Partners
Months 20-24
Project Budget
Cost Category
Description
Federal
Agency
Applicant
Partner 1
Partner 2
Total
Partner 3
Personnel
Forestry Specialist
GIS Analyst
Subtotal
$20,140
$0
$0
$0
$0
$10,072
$0
$0
$0
$10,072
$0
$30,212
$0
$0
$0
$30,212
$0
$0
$10,072
$0
$20,140
Fringe Benefits
Forestry Specialist
$0
$10,072
$0
GIS Analyst
$0
$3,832
$13,904
$0
$0
$0
$3,832
$0
$0
$0
$0
$13,904
Auto Use/Mileage (FS)
$0
$8,840
$0
$0
$0
$8,840
Auto Use/Mileage (MS)
$0
$0
$0
$10,900
$0
$10,900
$19,740
$0
$0
$0
$0
$19,740
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$3,000
$0
$0
$0
$3,000
Operation/Office/General
$0
$6,000
$0
$0
$0
$6,000
Subtotal
$0
$9,000
$0
$0
$0
$9,000
Mitigation Officer
$120,000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$120,000
Fuels Reduction
$105,000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$105,000
$225,000
$0
$0
$0
$225,000
Facilities
$0
$22,000
$0
$0
$0
$22,000
Partner Participation
$0
$0
$0
$0
$20,000
$0
$20,000
$42,000
$0
$0
$0
$42,000
$225,000
$114,856
$0
$0
$0
$339,856
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
Subtotal
Travel
Subtotal
Equipment
Subtotal
Supplies
Map Printing/Paper
Contractual
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.