Project Summary Form
Id Number 2006-054
NATIONAL FIRE PLAN COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE AND WILDLAND URBAN-INTERFACE PROJECTS
Application for Fuels Utilization and Marketing Projects
Applicant
Applicant/Organization:
City of White Salmon
Phone: (111 111-1111 x 1111)
Type of Applicant: (enter appropriate letter in box)
C
509-493-1133
FAX: (111 111-1111 x 1111)
A. State
B. County
C. Municipal
D. Township
E. Interstate
509-493-1231
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):
Box 2139, 100 N. Main White Salmon, WA 98672
Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator (Name and Title):
Mr. Wil Keyser Director, Public Works and Planning
Organization/Jurisdiction:
City of White Salmon
Phone: (111 111-1111 x 1111)
509-493-1133
FAX: (111 111-1111 x 1111)
509-493-1231
Call Ahead For FAX
Email:
cityhall@gorge.net
Project Information
Project Title:
Bluff Animal Assisted Hazard Fuel Reduction
Proposed Project Start Date:
06/01/2006
Federal Funding Request:
$
50,000
Proposed Project End Date:
09/30/2008
Total Project Funding:
$
61,500
Are you submitting multiple projects? If so, please explain and prioritize:
This is the only project submitted by the City of White Salmon.
Please note! Because this project overlaps both the fuels utilization and hazard fuel treatment categories, it was submitted under both
categories. The applicant was unsure which category it best fits. It is understood that it will be considered under only one category and that
the agencies will decide this.
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).
This project involves grazing by goats and sheep to reduce hazardous fuels on the 143 acre White Salmon/Bingen bluff area. The
bluff contains heavy fuels and the risk of ignition is high with a state highway and major railroad immediately below it. A wildfire
starting on the bluff will rapidly spread to the top where many high valued homes are located. The cities propose to contract with a
professional goat/sheep herder to bring animals in over a two year period to reduce woody and herbaceous material on the bluff.
The goal is to reduce the level of fuels so when a wildfire occurs, fire department personnel will be able to more easily suppress it
before it threatens human life and property. The bluff area is very steep, foot travel is hazardous, and there is lots of poison oak.
Hand treatment would be difficult and dangerous. This project is identified as a high priority project in the White Salmon/Bingen
Community Wildfire Protection Plan completed in January of 2005.
Project Location:
Latitude: 45.72769
Longitude: 121.483
County:
Klickitat
Name of Federal, State or Tribal contact with whom you coordinated this proposal:
Federal Congressional District:
4
Telephone number of Contact:
Len Riggens, WDNR
509-925-0969
Rod Altig, US Forest Service
541-308-1700
Alan Lawson, WDNR
509-493-3218
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 Geographic scope of project
Address these
x Is the project linked to a plan?
items as
x Project time frames and partners
applicable:
x Specify types of activities and equipment used
x
x
x
Anticipated outcomes and measures of success
How will the project results be reported?
Special skills or expertise needed to complete the work
For this project, explain the level of cooperation, coordination or strategic planning, through a “Local Coordination
Group.” If you haven’t worked with a local coordination group, why not?
Response:
Geographic Scope:
The White Salmon/Bingen area is located about 60 miles east of Portland on the Washington side of the Columbia River. The
communities are served by Washington State Highway 14 and the interstate bridge leading to I-84 in Oregon. The project is
made up of the bluff area between Highway 14 and the top of the bluff, from 500-700 feet from bottom to top. It extends from
the White Salmon River on the west to the city of Bingen on the east, about two miles in length. Total area involved is 143
acres.
Plan Linkage: The need to treat hazard fuels on the bluff is documented in the January, 2005 Community Wildfire Protection
Plan for White Salmon and Bingen. It is rated as a high priority project.
Project time frames: This project will take place over a two year period beginning in spring of 2006 and ending in the fall of
2007. Goats and sheep will be brought in to graze the project area for three to four week periods in the spring and fall of each
year. The idea is to graze heavily for two years followed by a maintenance program of grazing once every three years to keep
fuel levels low. It will take at least two continuous years of grazing twice a year to bring fuel levels to an acceptable level.
Partners:
City of Cascade Locks: the city will administer the contract, hold meetings with landowners involved, and gain acceptance for
the project.
Landowners: The bluff is in largely private ownership with approximately 75 owners involved. The state of Washington owns
about 10 percent of the project area. There is strong agreement among the landowners to treat hazard fuels on the bluff. The
concept of grazing has wide support because it will meet the objective of creating an effective shaded fuel break and avoid
having to do logging activities or herbicide use on the steep slope.
White Salmon Fire Department and Fire District 3: Fire department personnel will work with landowners to secure agreement
for the project.
Washington DNR: The DNR is keenly interested in treating hazardous fuels on the bluff and will be a strong partner in
implementing the project. They will provide technical assistance in designing the project and in helping to conduct public
meetings to explain the project to residents.
Underwood Conservation District: Will provide technical assistance with monitoring the success of the project and take before
and after pictures.
Klickitat Weed Control District: Will provide technical assistance and assist with monitoring transects.
US Forest Service, National Scenic Area Office: Provide technical assistance.
Types of activities and equipment used: Approximately 500 Goats and sheep will graze the steep slope and reduce fuel levels
with each eating about 10 pounds of vegetation a day. Goats will take the woody material to a height of about five to six feet
and the sheep will take the grasses and herbaceous material. The herd will cover about 15 to 20 acres per day. Herders will
utilize portable electric fences with solar energizers. Pyrenean Mountain guard dogs will be used to protect the animals from
predators. Portable water sources may be needed. An encampment area will be established to keep the animals at night.
Signs will be placed along the road to explain activities to persons in vehicles.
Project Evaluation Criteria
Applications for funding must include narrative responses that address the following four criteria. Within each criterion, subcriteria are listed in descending order of importance. Limit your responses to the areas provided.
1. Increasing Economic Utilization of Woody Material Removed in Fuels Management and Forest Restoration
Activities (50 Points)
A. Will biomass or forest fuels be utilized? If so, in what manner and how much?
B. Will the project improve the local economy in terms of jobs and sustainable economic activity?
C. How many jobs are expected to be created or retained, and for how long?
D. Are any private businesses involved in this project? If so, what are their roles?
E. Can this project be offered to serve as a model to other communities or businesses? If so, why and how will the model be
conveyed or made available?
F. If the project involves new product development, what evidence is there for appropriate markets and end-users?
G. How will the project be sustained or carried forward beyond the project timelines? Will it depend on public funding sources?
Response:
A. Yes, biomass will be utilized by goats and sheep. Because of the extreme conditions on the bluff, it would not be
economically or physically possible to manually cut and remove the biomass to a location where it could be utilized. With this
project, goats will eat the vegetation on-site and products used by people will be produced. Goats will produce meat and
leather and sheep will produce wool. Each goat will eat about ten pounds of biomass per day. A herd of 500 will consume
5,000 pounds a day. Importantly, this material makes up the ladder fuels which enable fire to get into the crowns of trees and
travel through the tree tops. This results in extreme fire behavior making suppression efforts very difficult, or impossible.
B. This project will support a local business set up to provide grazing services for various purposes. It will provide work for
one or more herders during the spring and fall seasons. Products produced by the animals will cycle through the local and
regional economy and help support several small businesses dealing in these products, i.e. goat meat, sheep wool. The
businesses supported are very viable and sustainable.
C.& D. One to two herder jobs will be supported during the spring and fall seasons. The project will directly support one local
business supplying the animals and indirectly support several businesses which deal in goat meat and sheep wool products.
Also, businesses which make and distribute fencing supplies will be supported.
E. The project would serve as a model for people considering to start an animal grazing service. Using animals for hazard fuel
treatment has been shown to be less expensive than traditional methods and more environmentally acceptable on landscapes.
This project will receive a lot of interest from the local and regional media and many people will be exposed to the concept of
grazing for hazard fuel treatment. As part of the project planning, the city will explore possibilities of producing a video for use
to demonstrate the effectiveness of the process. There may be an opportunity for the local schools to get involved and help
produce the video.
F. This project will not necessarily involve development of new products. However, it will involve the evaluation of methods
and materials used during the project. This will provide valuable information for agencies who will consider animal use for
hazard fuel treatment in the future.
G. After completion of this two year project, the city will consider alternatives for continuing it in future years. The project may
prove profitable to the local business which supplied the animals and it may want to continue grazing the bluff even without
financial compensation. Another possibility is for the homeowners at the top of the bluff to form a hazard fuel control district.
Members of the district would pay an annual fee which would go towards the continuance of the grazing activities. A successful
program demonstrating the effectiveness of the grazing program would encourage the homeowners to form and support such
a district.
Project Evaluation Criteria
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
1. Expanding community participation and collaboration. (30 points)
Identify the partners and community members involved in planning and implementing the project.
Describe the extent of local support for this project.
How much cost-sharing is there for the project? Who are these partners and what are the arrangements?
What are the direct community benefits that will result from this project?
How will you use multi-party monitoring to improve this and future projects?
Response:
A. About 75 landowners will be involved in planning and implementing this project. They will be most affected if a
wildfire begins on the bluff and comes to the top. The city will notify all landowners and hold Town Hall type meetings
to give information, take input and answer questions about the project.
Other partners include the WDNR, Underwood Conservation District,US Forest Service, local fire departments and the
Klickitat County Weed Control Board.
B. There is strong support from landowners to treat hazard fuels on the White Salmon/Bingen bluff. Several bluff fires
in past years have residents deeply concerned that one will eventually take off and destroy many homes and threaten
human lives. If a bluff fire does occur under the right conditions, including strong west winds during hot dry conditions,
it will not only threaten bluff homes but could spread throughout the cities and involve more than 1000 homes and
nearby National Forest lands.
C. The Klickitat County Weed Control Board and the Underwood Conservation District will contribute several man-days
in planning and monitoring. The DNR will contribute many days providing technical assistance. Homeowners will
assist the herders with providing water for the animals, etc.
D Direct benefit to the communities is reduced wildfire risk making residents and property safer
2. Taking Advantage of Existing Networks, previously-funded projects and knowledge. (20 Points)
A. Describe how the proposed project takes advantage of relevant, existing networks and previously-funded projects.
B. Describe who and what (reports, studies, internet sites, etc.) were consulted to ensure the best information available was used
in designing this project proposal.
Response:
A. The County Weed Control Manager recently conducted a goat/sheep grazing project in Dallesport. He will use this
experience to help design this project. Some members of the Local Coordinating Group will be involved with
implementing this project. They can call on other members of the group to provide technical assistance.
B. Close collaboration with the WDNR and County Weed Control Board was used while developing the concept for this
project. Internet searches were conducted to research similar projects, particularly ones done in the LaGuna Beach and
Oakland Hills area in California. Papers and research articles by Roger Ingram, University of California Cooperative
Extension, Auburn Calif., and Dr. An Peischel, Associate Professor, Tennessee State University were relied on heavily.
Project Work Form
Tasks
Time Frame
Contact landowners, explain program, secure
their permission. Hold town hall meetings.
January - May, 2006
Contract with goat/sheeper grazing business
owner to accomplish work.Schedule grazing
periods.
Responsible Party
City of White Salmon
White Salmon & Bingen Fire
Departments
City of White Salmon
March-April, 2006
Identify highest priority areas on bluff for
grazing.
WDNR, USFS, Weed Control Board,
Underwood Conservation
March-May, 2006
Underwood Conservation District,
Klickitat County Weed Control Board.
Establish monitoring transects and photo
points. Conduct monitoring and write report.
May, 2006 - October 2007
Project Budget
Underwood Cons.
Cost Category
Description
Federal
Agency
Applicant
WDNR
Partner 1
Weed Control Bd.
Partner 2
Total
Partner 3
Personnel
Administrative support
Contract Administration
Subtotal
$2,000
$0
$0
$0
$8,000
$3,000
$0
$0
$0
$11,000
$10,000
$5,000
$0
$0
$0
$15,000
$0
$0
$0
$2,000
$4,000
Fringe Benefits
Subtotal
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$40,000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$40,000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$40,000
$0
$0
$0
$40,000
$0
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,500
$6,500
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,500
$6,500
$50,000
$5,000
$1,000
$2,000
$3,500
$61,500
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
Travel
$0
Subtotal
Equipment
Subtotal
Supplies
Subtotal
Contractual
Grazing animals
Subtotal
Other
Technical Support
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.