Project Summary Form
Id Number 2006-209
NATIONAL FIRE PLAN COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE AND WILDLAND URBAN-INTERFACE PROJECTS
Application for Fuels Treatment Projects
Applicant
Applicant/Organization:
State of Washington, Department of Natural Resources
Phone: (111 111-1111 x 1111)
Type of Applicant: (enter appropriate letter in box)
A
509-684-7474
FAX: (111 111-1111 x 1111)
A. State
B. County
C. Municipal
D. Township
E. Interstate
509-684-7484
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):
P.O. Box 190 Colville, WA 99114
Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator (Name and Title):
Mr. Chuck Johnson Community Fire Planner
Organization/Jurisdiction:
State of Washington Dept of Natural Resources, NE Region
Phone: (111 111-1111 x 1111)
509-684-7474
FAX: (111 111-1111 x 1111)
509-684-7484
Call Ahead For FAX
Email:
chuck.johnson@wadnr.gov
Project Information
Project Title:
Conconully Wildland Urban Interface Fuels Reduction Project
Proposed Project Start Date:
05/01/2006
Federal Funding Request:
$ 192,000
Proposed Project End Date:
12/31/2007
Total Project Funding:
$
215,310
Are you submitting multiple projects? If so, please explain and prioritize:
YES. The WA DNR is applying for numerous projects, however this is a stand-alone proposal. The Highlands LCG will 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).
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources is proposing a hazard fuels reduction project to strategically thin, remove fuel ladders, and
treat slash on properties in the Wildland Urban Interface in Conconully, Washington, approximately 15 miles northwest of Omak, Washington. This
proposal is intended to complement the Mutton Project, a planned fuels reduction project on adjacent federal lands on the Okanogan National
Forest. The Forest Service anticipates beginning implementation in 2006. Funding of this proposal will serve to extend fuels reduction work across
the landscape between the forest and the community.
Project Location:
Latitude: -48.558
Longitude: 119.749
County:
Okanogan
Name of Federal, State or Tribal contact with whom you coordinated this proposal:
Federal Congressional District:
5
Telephone number of Contact:
Loren Torgerson, WA DNR Assistant NE Region Manager
509-684-7474 Ext.
Chris McCuen, Mt. Tolman BIA Fire Prevention Specialist
509-634-3157 Ext.
Sharon Barton-Woods, USFS Tonasket RD FMO
509-486-5151 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?
Project presented to and approved by the Highlands Local Coordinating 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 160
Treatment
Acres 0
Treatment
Acres 0
Treatment
Acres 0
If you have a treatment type other than standard types above:
Other 1 Ladder Fuel Removal
Acres 160
Other 2
Acres 0
The Conconully WUI Fuels Reduction Project area lies approximately 15 miles northwest of Omak, Washington. The area is nearly surrounded by
BLM managed lands and is just south of the Okanogan National Forest, where the Mutton Project is currently in the planning stage. That project
proposes considerable fuels reduction activity. The Conconully project proposes to complement Forest Service efforts by extending fuels reduction
work from the National Forest boundary outward to the wildland/urban interface to protect a community of over 200 homes and businesses.
Prior to beginning fuels reduction work, a fuels management consultant and the property owner would conduct an onsite inspection and develop a
strategy and work agreement. If tasks are beyond the capabilities of an owner to do themselves, the work order will be passed to a contract hazard
reduction crew using small, mechanized equipment.
There are several anticipated outcomes: reduce fire intensity and torching potential near private improvements, break up the continuity of hazardous
fuel conditions across the landscape, provide firefighters with a chance to mount a reasonable defense against wildfire and build owner awareness
of fire hazard mitigation.
There are several community partners involved in planning this project. Fire managers from the U.S. Forest Service, BLM, BIA, and DNR support
this proposal, as well as Okanogan County and community members. Collaboration and coordination has occurred within the Highland Fire Defense
Team Local Coordinating Group. These people recognize the danger of catastrophic fire in the community and are willing to bring focus to fuels
problems and prioritize mitigation strategies. More partners will be involved, once the project is funded and contacts with groups and individuals
occur.
This project is tied to the Okanogan County Fire Protection Plan, which is currently being prepared. A risk assessment for the town of Conconully
has been done, indicating a high risk. Local fire managers recognize a critical opportunity in timing a fuels reduction project in conjunction with the
Mutton Project on National Forest land.
There are over 200 homes in the community; this proposal would treat approximately 160 acres. These are labor intensive treatments involving,
thinning, slashing, pruning, chipping, handpiling, and otherwise removing flammable fuels generated in Fuels Condition Class 2 and 3 stands.
Since this project proposes to continue the work of a successful program currently administered by the Wa State DNR, implementation can start
quickly after funding. There are no entities with money to match funding, but agency partners are making themselves available to assist in public
relations, fuels education and grant administration. Procedures regarding homeowner applications and screening, fuels consultations, work orders,
billing and payments are already in place. There are experienced consultants and fuels reduction contractors in the area. This project should be
completed within a year.
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 project area is mountainous and wooded. It provides scenic views for the valley around Conconully Lake, a recreational
zone important to the local economy. Neighborhoods are served by a network of county roads with parallel power lines. These
roads and powerline corridors also serve as potential fuelbreaks. As the Conconully project proceeds, the consultant will look for
opportunities to make improvements to these corridors where they may work well as future fuelbreaks.
Protecting this area from catastrophic fire is high for water quality reasons. The Conconully Lake's water quality is largely
dependent upon a steady supply of good quality water. This maintains the health of Conconully Lake and the recreational and
economic opportunities it provides. The lake is a water source for irrigators, residents and recreationists. Water quality is always a
concern expressed by local residents who depend upon healthy watersheds for economic and recreational support.
B. The proposal will reduce fire behavior by removing fuels between the forest and the community. Contractors will thin small,
overstocked trees, cut brush, prune low limbs, handpile debris, chip larger woody pieces, and/or remove debris to safe burning
areas. This will decrease fire intensity, flame length, and the tendency for fire to ascend into tree crowns. The overall effect is to
reduce Fuels Condition Class from 2 or 3 down to 1. Fuel reduction projects will have the broader effect of breaking up the
continuity of hazard fuels across the landscape.
The project meets National Fire Plan Implementation Plan goals by: focusing on treating improvements and hazards that would
most threaten firefighters defending homes, increasing homeowner education by distributing FireWise literature during the project,
restoring portions of unhealthy forests by reducing fuels condition class from 2 or 3 down to 1, collaborating across agency lines to
prioritize common goals, achieving fuel reduction goals in the wildland/urban interface where adjacent to federal lands, planning
cross-boundary fuels work both by this grant and the Mutton Project on the Okanogan National Forest to achieve a coinciding
implementation schedule and monitoring results so work can be improved during the project and in the future.
C. Many citizens do not know what a safe fuel condition looks like. Once the initial time consuming and financial expense of fuels
reduction takes place, a public example will be created. Past experience in this program results in enthusiastic landowners that
can see what to do, and why it will lessen fire danger. Homeowners have been much more willing to maintain areas after the more
labor-intensive fuel reduction work has been completed.
D. The contracted fuels consultant will be required to take before and after photographs of the treatment areas. These will be
compiled with the work orders and costs. A monitoring field trip will be organized during the project. Members of the Highlands
Fire Defense Team, the Project Coordinator, the Fuels Consultant, and local city and county officials will visit thr site to see how
the work is progressing. Appropriate changes or recommendations will be incorporated into the project and noted for inclusion in
future projects.
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. The project will benefit the economy by paying local workers. The tasks will likely include equipment rental and repair at local saw
shops. Property values will be increased. The potential economic damage to a weak local economy will be lessened as the potential
for catastrophic fire and it's effects is reduced.
B. Financial estimations of project costs figure utilizing one Fuels Consultant and a four-person contract crew. The work must be
done in non-snow months, so the contractor may opt to hire two crews to get the work done in half the time.
C. The consultant and the contract workers will be doing forest maintenance work that is different than typical logging work. There
will be work with chainsaws, pruners, brush cutters, and chippers. They will gain an understanding of the kinds and volumes of
material that can be generated by fuels reduction work mostly involving small diameter vegetation. As the workers and homeowners
see what and how much debris is generated, a greater understanding will develop about feasibility of any economic utilization.
D. Biomass is beginning to be appreciated locally as landscape mulch and livestock bedding. Such utilization has been limited to
homeowners. The Conconully project may be large enough to spawn peripheral utilization activities.
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 project is tied to the Okanogan County Wildfire Protection Plan, which is currently being prepared. This area has been
assessed as High Risk. Local Fire Managers saw a critical timing need to implement this project while the adjacent USFS project is
being implemented.
B. The project has been reviewed and prioritized by the Highland Fire Defense Team Local Coordinating Group. This team is
heavily represented by local, state, and federal agencies. Through this collaboration, the group recommended fuels reduction work
adjacent to the Okanogan National Forest on the upcoming Mutton project on adjacent Forest Service lands.
C. Cooperators/partners are:
-U.S. Forest Service, Tonasket Ranger District, Okanogan National Forest
-Bureau of Land Management, Wenatchee Office
-Highlands District, Northeast Region, Washington State Department of Natural Resources
-Bureau of Indian Affairs, Mt. Tolman Fire Center
D. Local support has been enthusiastic among those landowners who have been contacted. At least 25 landowners have
expressed an interest in participating; more public interest and participation will occur as this project gets underway. A match in the
form of outreach, education, publicity, monitoring and grant administration will be provided by the DNR.
Project Work Form
Tasks
--Obtain funding
--Obtain the services of a Fuels Consultant
--Obtain the services of fuels reduction
contractors
Time Frame
Responsible Party
Grant Administrator
May 2006
--Begin Project Design
Grant Administrator
May 2006 & ongoing
--Begin Fuel Reduction Plans with landowners
Fuels Consultant
Fuels Consultant
June 2006 & ongoing
Fuels Reduction Contractors
--Implement fuel reduction work orders.
June 2006 and ongoing
--Monitoring visits to treatment areas
Grant Administrator
July - October 2006
Highlands Fire Defense Team
Grant Administrator
--Project completion and accomplishment
report
March 2007
Project Budget
Cost Category
Description
Federal
Agency
Applicant
Partner 1
Partner 2
Total
Partner 3
Personnel
Administration
$0
$11,280
$0
$0
$0
$11,280
$0
$5,640
$0
$0
$0
$5,640
$0
$16,920
$0
$0
$0
$16,920
$0
$3,390
$0
$0
$0
$3,390
$0
$0
$3,390
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$3,390
$0
$1,000
$0
$0
$0
$1,000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$1,000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$1,000
$0
$500
$0
$0
$0
$500
$0
$500
$0
$0
$0
$500
$0
$1,000
$0
$0
$0
$1,000
$0
$500
$0
$0
$0
$500
$0
$500
$0
$0
$0
$500
$0
$1,000
$0
$0
$0
$1,000
Fuels Consultant
$16,000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$16,000
Fuel Contractors
$176,000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$176,000
$192,000
$0
$0
$0
$192,000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$192,000
$23,310
$0
$0
$0
$215,310
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
Monitoring
Subtotal
Fringe Benefits
Indirect Costs
Subtotal
Travel
Mileage
$0
Subtotal
Equipment
GPS Units & Cameras
Laptop Computers
Subtotal
Supplies
Media & Educ Materials
Mailing & Newspaper
Subtotal
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.