Project Summary Form
Id Number 2006-221
NATIONAL FIRE PLAN COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE AND WILDLAND URBAN-INTERFACE PROJECTS
Application for Fuels Treatment Projects
Applicant
Applicant/Organization:
State of Washington, Dept. 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:
Department 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:
Orient Wildland Urban Interface Fuels Reduction Project
Proposed Project Start Date:
05/01/2006
Federal Funding Request:
$ 192,000
Proposed Project End Date:
04/30/2007
Total Project Funding:
$
217,820
Are you submitting multiple projects? If so, please explain and prioritize:
Yes, DNR is submitting multiple projects. All projects will be prioritized by Local Coordinating Groups.
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).
Washington Department of Natural Resources is proposing a hazard fuels reduction project near properties in the Wildland Urban Interface in
Orient, Washington. The project is intended to complement a planned fuels reduction project on adjacent federal lands on the Colville National
Forest. The Forest Service anticipates beginning implementation in 2006. Funding of this proposal will serve to extend fuels reduction work across
the landscape beyond the national forest boundary by intensive hazard fuels reduction between the forest and the community of Orient.
Project Location:
Latitude: 48.70275
Longitude: 118.316
County:
Ferry
Name of Federal, State or Tribal contact with whom you coordinated this proposal:
Federal Congressional District:
5
Telephone number of Contact:
Al Garr, Fire Staff, Colville N.F.
509-684-7000 Ext.
Steve Rawlings, Fuels Specialist, Colville N.F.
509-684-7000 Ext.
Loren Torgerson, Asst. Region Mgr., DNR
509-684-7474 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 is strongly supported by the Stevens County 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 Hand Pile Burning
Acres 160
Treatment Hand Piling
Acres 160
Treatment
Acres 0
If you have a treatment type other than standard types above:
Other 1 Fuel Ladder Removal
Acres 160
Other 2
Acres 0
A. The Orient WUI Fuels Reduction Project area lies approximately 20 miles north/northwest of Kettle Falls, Washington on the Kettle River. The
area is bordered by Colville National Forest lands to the west, adjacent to a planned USFS fuels reduction project. That project proposes
considerable fuels reduction activity in the wildland/urban interface. The Orient project proposes to complement Forest Service efforts by extending
fuels reduction work from the National Forest boundary outward to protect the community. The Orient project is in a community that has been
identified as a wildland urban interface community within the vicinity of federal lands that are at high risk from wildfire. The community has been
rated as High risk.
B. There are several anticipated outcomes: -- Reduce fire intensity and torching potential near the community, -- Break up the continuity of
hazardous fuel conditions across the landscape, --Provide firefighters with a chance to mount a reasonable defense against wildfire, --Increase
firefighter safety, --Increase landowner awareness of fire hazard mitigation.
C. There are several community partners involved in planning this project. Fire managers from the Colville National Forest and the Washington
State DNR support this proposal. Collaboration and coordination has occurred within the Stevens County Local Coordinating Group and with the
Colville Community Forestry Coalition. These groups recognize the risk 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 in
the community occur. These will include key landowners, developers and other community leaders.
D. This project is tied to the Lower Kettle River Community Wildfire Protection Plan [CWPP] and the Stevens County CWPP, which are in progress.
Local fire managers recognize a critical opportunity in timing a fuels reduction project on private lands in conjunction with the fuels reduction project
on adjacent national forest land.
E. The project will treat 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.
F. Since this project proposes to continue the work of a successful program currently being administered by the WA State DNR, implementation can
start quickly after funding. Match will be from DNR and agency partners available to assist in public relations, education/outreach and grant
administration.
G. 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 and implementing this project will be conducted in a timely manner if funded.
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 the Kettle River, a recreational
zone important to the local economy. Rural 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 Orient project proceeds, the consultant will look for
opportunities to make improvements to these corridors where they may work well as future fuel breaks. Protecting this area from
catastrophic wildfire is high for water quality reasons. The Orient watershed is the main source of drinking water for the town of
Orient.
B. The proposal will change fire behavior by reducing fuels in the interface 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 hazardous 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 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 fuels reduction project on the Colville National Forest to achieve a
coinciding implementation schedule, --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 has been 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 fuels reduction
treatments after the more labor-intensive fuel reduction work has been completed.
D. The fuels consultant will be required to take before and after photographs of 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 Stevens County Local
Coordination Group, the Project Coordinator, the Fuels Consultant, and local city and county officials will visit sites to view 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 hiring and paying local workers. The tasks will likely include equipment rental and repair
at local vendors. Property values will be increased. The reduction of the potential for a catastrophic wildfire and its subsequent
effects will minimize the damage to a weak local economy.
B. Financial estimations of project costs figure utilizing one fuels consultant and a four-person contract work crew for the duration of
the project. 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 conducted with chainsaws, pruners, brush cutters, and chippers. They will gain an understanding of the type and
volumes of material that can be generated by fuels reduction work mostly involving small diameter vegetation. As the workers and
landowners determine the type and quantity of debris 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
adjacent homeowners. The Orient project may be large enough to spawn some 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 Stevens County CWPP and the Lower Kettle River CWPP, both of which are currently in progress.
This area has a risk assessment of High. Local fire managers see a critical timing opportunity to link implementation of this project
with the adjacent USFS project.
B. The project has been reviewed and prioritized by the Stevens County 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 Colville National Forests upcoming fuels reduction project on adjacent Forest Service land.
C. Cooperators and partners are: North Columbia District, Northeast Region, Washington State Department of Natural Resources,
U.S. Forest Service, Colville National Forest and the Colville Community Forestry Coalition.
D. Local support has been enthusiastic among landowners who have been contacted. There will certainly be more public interest
and participation once this project is underway. Matching funds from DNR in the form of publicity, project coordination and
monitoring will be utilized.
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 identification
Grant Administrator
May 2006 and ongoing
--Begin fuel reduction plans with landowners
Fuels Consultant
Fuels Consultant
June 2006 and ongoing
Fuels Reduction Contractors
--Implement fuel reduction work orders.
June 2006 and ongoing
--Monitoring visits to treatment areas
Grant Administrator
July 2006 and ongoing
Local Coordinating Group
Grant Administrator
--Project completion and accomplishment
report
April 2007
Project Budget
Colville Coalition
Cost Category
Description
Federal
Agency
Applicant
County RFPD #3,8
Partner 1
Partner 2
Total
Partner 3
Personnel
Administration
$0
$5,640
$0
$0
$0
$5,640
$0
$5,640
$1,000
$1,000
$0
$7,640
$0
$11,280
$1,000
$1,000
$0
$13,280
$0
$2,260
$0
$0
$0
$2,260
$0
$0
$2,260
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$2,260
$0
$2,780
$500
$500
$0
$3,780
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$2,780
$0
$500
$500
$0
$3,780
$0
$500
$500
$0
$0
$1,000
$0
$500
$500
$0
$0
$1,000
$0
$1,000
$1,000
$0
$0
$2,000
$0
$500
$500
$0
$0
$1,000
$0
$500
$500
$0
$0
$1,000
$0
$1,000
$1,000
$0
$0
$2,000
$19,000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$19,000
$173,000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$173,000
$192,000
$0
$0
$0
$192,000
Fuels Mapping
$0
$0
$2,000
$0
$0
$2,000
GIS Maps
$0
$500
$0
$0
$500
$0
$0
$0
$2,500
$0
$0
$2,500
$192,000
$18,320
$6,000
$1,500
$0
$217,820
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
Monitoring
Subtotal
Fringe Benefits
Indirect Costs
Subtotal
Travel
mileage, perdiem
$0
Subtotal
Equipment
Cameras, GPS Unit
Laptop, printer
Subtotal
Supplies
Education Materials
Mailing, advertising
Subtotal
Contractual
Fuels Consultant
Contract Crew
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.