Enclosure 3B - Project Summary Form
143
NATIONAL FIRE PLAN COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE AND WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE PROJECTS
Application for Community Risk Assessment and Mitigation Planning
Applicant
Applicant/Organization
The Nature Conservancy
Phone:
Type of Applicant: (enter appropriate letter in box)
L
( 541) 322 - 8963
FAX:
A. State
B. County
C. Municipal
D. Township
E. Interstate
F. Intermunicipal
G. Special District
(541) 382 - 4078
Email:
gbabb@tnc.org
H. Independent School District
I. State-Controlled Institution of Higher Learning
J. Private University
K. Indian Tribe
L. Nonprofit Organization
M. Other (Specify) _______________________
Address (Street or P. O. Box, City, State, Zip):
821 SE 14th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator (Name and Title):
Geoff Babb
Organization/Jurisdiction:
The Nature Conservancy
Phone:
FAX:
Email:
(541) 322-8963
(541) 382 - 4078
gbabb@tnc.org
Project Information
Project Title: Central Oregon Fire Atlas Version 3.0
Proposed Project Start Date:
March 1, 2005
Proposed Project End Date:
February 28, 2006
Federal Funding Request:
Total Project Cost:
$ 183,750
$ 213,859
Are you submitting multiple projects? If so, please prioritize, and explain if the projects are stand alone, sequential, or other:
NO
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 proposal expands the extent of the Central Oregon Fire Atlas to include the entire Central
Oregon Fire Management Service (COFMS) area, which includes nearly 12 million acres of land
in 13 different counties. Development and integration of this COFMS–wide GIS database will
enable multiple parties and partners to make informed decisions regarding fuels treatment,
community risk assessment and mitigation planning. Development of this web-based and hosted
Atlas will enable easier user access and enhanced update and functionality.
Project Location:
County:
Federal Congressional District:
All or part of 13 Counties
COFMS Boundaries – 12 Million Acres
Name of Federal, tribal, and/or State Official with whom you coordinated
in ibn ibthis
in
2nd Congressional Dist.
proposal:
Telephone number of Contact:
Lorri Heath – Deputy Fire Management Officer (East), Central Oregon
Fire Management Service
(541) 416-6500
Enclosure 3B (Page 1 of 3) - 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:
 change fire behavior
 WHO are your collaborators - are they current or potential collaborators?
Address these
through fuels reduction
 describe the relationship of this plan’s desired outcome to NFP Goals
items as
 increase community
and to any existing community fire protection plan.
applicable:
education and awareness
 project time frames and matching or contributed funds
 enhance fire protection
 tools and/or skills needed to complete project
capability
 specific project location, geographic extent, and fire risk assessment
 desired outcome
methodology
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?
The Nature Conservancy and the Fire Learning Network have created the Central Oregon Fire Atlas - Version
2.0 as a dynamic tool that enables fire managers to view and analyze information from a variety of agencies
and sources. Through consolidation of information and presentation in a standard GIS format, managers can
view and combine information pertinent to their jurisdiction and application to make informed management
or treatment decisions. The Atlas has many uses including: mitigation planning, fuels and treatment planning,
fire prevention, public education and sharing lessons learned. The current extent of the Atlas is the Upper
Deschutes Basin Watershed, encompassing slightly more than 2 million acres in Central Oregon.
The Atlas has been developed in close coordination and with support and encouragement from the Central
Oregon Fire Leadership Council (COFLC), COFMS leadership, and Project Wildfire Partnerships (PWP).
This proposal expands the existing Atlas to COFMS wide coverage of nearly 12 million acres. COFLC
will provide policy and direction to this project, while the Nature Conservancy will contract and administer
further Atlas development activities. The Atlas has become a key tool used to develop mitigation and
community protection strategies that transcend agency and political boundaries, while bringing “good
science” and shared information to assist in making informed management and treatment decisions.
The Atlas demonstrates high levels of interagency coordination and information sharing necessary to
maximize monies and joint fuels mitigation efforts. The Atlas displays consolidated information gathered
from federal, state, local and private entities.
Principle providers of data and users of the Atlas include: US Forest Service, Bureau of Land
Management, Oregon Department of Forestry, Deschutes County, Klamath County, Jefferson County,
Deschutes County 911 Service District, Environmental Systems Resource Institute, US Geological
Survey, Oregon Geographic Data Clearinghouse, US Census Bureau, Department of Land
Conservation and Development, various homeowners associations, Soil and Water Conservation
Districts, the Nature Conservancy - Fire Initiative and all regional fire suppression agencies.
The Atlas will substantially assist in the development of comprehensive Community Fire Protection Plans and
enhance regional fire protection capability while providing data for all-hazard mitigation activities. The Atlas
does not provide a specific mitigation assessment methodology, although users of the product will most
probably jointly develop this methodology using the Atlas as the key source of information. Implementation
and fine-tuning of the Atlas feedback process will enable the Atlas to become a more refined and useful
interagency regional data source.
The Atlas is designed so that managers and practitioners, without high levels of GIS expertise, can utilize
ESRI ArcReader to view and analyze data pertinent to their projects or jurisdictions. The true strength of the
Atlas will be fully realized when it is housed as a web-based application with supplementary CD distribution.
The Atlas provides a cornerstone for the Central Oregon Community Protection Strategy (FY 04 NFP), the
Upper Deschutes Coalition (FY 05 NFP Proposal), the Bend Community Protection Plan (under
development), the COFMS Monitoring Strategy and provides linkage to LANDFIRE and Fire Regime &
Condition Class projects.
The Atlas provides the foundation for collaboration and information sharing so essential to solving the
complex challenges of fire, fuels, community education and mitigation planning.
Enclosure 3B (Page 2 of 3) - Project Evaluation Criteria
Applications for funding, must include narrative responses that address the following four criteria. Be sure you address every one
briefly, yet thoroughly. Limit your responses to the area provided.
1. Planning for Action (40 points)
A. Describe your desired plan outcome and how the outcome will be measured.
B. How will the plan address :
 Fire behavior changes through fuels reduction
 Community education and awareness
 Enhanced suppression capability
C. How will the completed plan be implemented, and by whom? OR How does this plan enhance or complete
previous fire planning by the community?
D. How will the plan address landowner responsibility for implementation of this plan?
E. Describe your ability to complete project in one year of receipt of funds
Response:
The Atlas provides direct avenues of enhanced utility of two of the most widely supported and pursued
Federal efforts of fuels characterization and mitigation: Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC) mapping and
LANDFIRE. While providing a conduit for displaying and distributing the results of FRCC mapping, the
Atlas also provides a mechanism for consolidating the input data layers for implementation of FRCC
mapping. Professionals wishing to complete or revise FRCC mapping for any given area within the region
covered by the Atlas will be able to do so on a continuing basis using current, readily available input data
from the Atlas. The Atlas will facilitate the capture, monitoring, updating and incorporation of base data
needed for FRCC mapping. Similarly, utilization of models, applications and algorithms associated with the
LANDFIRE process will be greatly enhanced by the Atlas. The Atlas may serve to validate ecological
models developed through LANDFIRE as well as provide a mechanism for consolidation of input data layers.
The Atlas will therefore provide an efficient and very effective tool, putting into practice consistent and
accurate methodology for producing geospatial data of vegetation conditions, fire fuels, community risks and
ecosystem status at both local and regional scales for improved implementation of the National Fire Plan.
The Atlas will allow sharing this spatial information with homeowners, further engaging them in their
responsibilities to mitigate fuels adjacent to their structures and in their neighborhoods.
2.
Enhancing Community Collaboration and Local Capacity. (30 points)
A. Describe your strategy for collaboration to develop this plan across multiple ownerships.
B. Identify the interested partners and members of the community who are involved in this project, and the level of
their involvement.
C. How will this project enhance local community collaboration and local capacity for cooperative action?
D. Describe skills or experience the community will gain through development of this plan.
Response:
The current Atlas Version 2.0 enables managers and the public to visualize and prioritize fuels treatment
activities and treatment projects within the Upper Deschutes Basin, an area of 2 million acres. This
collaboration includes all structural and wildland fire agencies in Deschutes County. Funding will enable the
development and release of Atlas Version 3.0, expanding the Atlas coverage to the entire COFMS area which
includes all or part of 13 counties and nearly 12 million acres of public and private land.
The Atlas facilitates collaboration and information sharing while empowering agencies to make informed
treatment decisions. Through highlighting and linking case studies and best practices, the Atlas can show
project successes that will encourage and support multi-party participation in fuels projects. Based upon
feedback from current users of the Atlas, the Atlas Development Team will build additional features into
Version 3.0 to better meet the needs of the constituency.
Some of the contributors and partners of the Atlas are identified on Page 1 in Section 3B.
The Atlas will provide unprecedented interagency and interregional collaboration and increase local capacity
to develop and implement solid and coordinated community protection strategies and mitigation plans.
Enclosure 3B (Page 3 of 3) - Project Evaluation Criteria
3.
Expanding Community Participation. (30 Points)
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Explain the level of cooperation, coordination and/or involvement of the Local Coordination Group. List the
cooperators/members (in a broad way) of the local area coordination group.
Describe your strategy for leveraging funding. Who are the partners and what is their commitment to the
plan’s completion, including any existing or proposed cost-share agreements and their status.
Describe the extent of local support or opposition for the project.
Describe your strategy for post-plan marketing and collaboration for the successful implementation of the
next steps described in the plan.
To what extent will this project be offered to serve as a model for other communities in your sub-geographic
area, state-wide area?
Response:
The Atlas has been developed with the full knowledge and support of the Central Oregon Fire Leadership
Council (COFLC) and a variety of federal, state, county and local leaders. The Atlas has been presented to
various leadership teams and boards to demonstrate its capabilities and functionality. Extremely high levels of
enthusiasm, participation and feedback have been especially helpful in the development and refinement of the
Atlas. The COFLC will oversee the Atlas, as they represent the highest levels of leadership within a wide
variety of agencies in the region. The Nature Conservancy shall serve as Grant Recipient to manage
contracting and Atlas development activities.
Currently, interim funding is being sought through other sources to continue timely development of the Atlas.
In-kind match shall be provided by the Nature Conservancy and other agencies as they assist in Atlas
planning, development, implementation and management. The region is fully aware of the capabilities of the
Atlas and has committed to expanding and improving the Atlas to the next level through the Nature
Conservancy and private contractors. (Note: This will involve a six fold increase of area of coverage from
two to twelve million acres. This will also include nearly 100 Communities at Risk in all or part of 13
counties in Eastern and Central Oregon).
The Atlas will compliment Deschutes County’s Project GEO, a lot level response, mapping and display
project. Project GEO is limited in scope to Deschutes County only, while the Atlas covers a much larger
region and contains landscape level data critical to planning decisions.
Marketing of the Atlas is not seen as a difficulty, as interested parties will be provided CD’s or Web Access
to the data and entire Atlas. This will continue to build collaboration and replicate the most effective
treatments and activities across the landscape. The Atlas Development Team is actively soliciting comments
to make the Atlas more applicable and useful. We have developed a registration system to maintain contact
with users and provide quarterly E-Mail project status and useful user information. Several annual facilitated
meetings will be held with user groups to further solicit input, hold discussions and refine the Atlas (Version
3.0, containing COFMS wide coverage.)
The Atlas currently serves as a model within Oregon and has been shared across the nation through the Fire
Learning Network by The Nature Conservancy. The Atlas has been described as one of the most effective
tools seen to date that will assist mitigation and treatment planning for wildland fire. The collaboration and
consensus building aspects of data sharing between agencies and in the Atlas will provide long-term benefits
to community risk assessment, protection strategies and mitigation planning.
Enclosure 3C - Project Work Form
Tasks
Develop strategy for continuous
feedback of Atlas usefulness and
application
Develop data standards and protocols
to strengthen the data collected and
contained within the Atlas, making it
as useful as possible and deleting
unnecessary information
Integrate “Best Science” into the Atlas
as a way to demonstrate cost effective
and lasting stewardship of the
landscape
Expand the Atlas to incorporate the
entire Central Oregon Fire
Management Service area. (All or
parts of 13 counties, nearly 12 million
acres and 93 Communities at Risk.)
Time Frame
On-Going
On-Going over 6 month period
On-Going
8 – 10 Months
Develop Case Studies and Best
Practices to highlight success stories
for replication across the landscape
On-Going
Develop Web-Based delivery system
for the Atlas to enable periodic
updates and multi-agency use across
the landscape
2 – 3 Months
Develop monitoring procedures to
insure that appropriate measures are in
place to completely evaluate the
functions and effectiveness of the
Atlas
Promote and share the Atlas
Responsible Party
Data Coordinator
Atlas Users Group
Atlas Users Group
Data Coordinator
GIS Specialists
Data Coordinator
The Nature Conservancy
Local & Regional Agencies
Conservation Organizations
Data Coordinator
GIS Specialists
Data Coordinator
The Nature Conservancy
Local & Regional Agencies
Atlas Users Group
GIS Specialists
Web-design Contractors
On-Going
The Nature Conservancy
Leadership Council (COFLC)
Data Coordinator
On-Going
Leadership Council (COFLC)
Local & Regional Agencies
Data Coordinator
Enclosure 3D Project Budget
Cost Category
Description
Federal
Agency
Applicant
Non-Federal
Agencies
Partner 2
Total
Personnel
$ 16,000
Non-Federal Data Providers
The Nature Conservancy
Subtotal
$5,776
$5,776
$16,000
$16,000
$5,776
$21,776
Fringe Benefits
Subtotal
$2,311
$2,311
$2,311
$2,311
Travel
Subtotal
Equipment
Subtotal
Supplies
Subtotal
Contractual
Spatial Solutions
Subtotal
$ 147,000
$147,000
$ 147,000
$147,000
Other
Subtotal
Total Costs
$36,750
$2,022
$4,000
$42,772
$36,750
$2,022
$4,000
$42,772
$ 183,750
$10,109
$ 20,000
$213,859
Project (Program) Income1
(using deductive alternative)
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.