Enclosure 3A - Project Summary Form
154
NATIONAL FIRE PLAN COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE AND WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE PROJECTS
Application for Fuels Treatment Projects
Applicant
Applicant/Organization: City of Sisters
Type of Applicant: (enter appropriate letter in box)
Phone: (541) 549-6022
C. Municipality
A. State
B. County
C. Municipal
D. Township
E. Interstate
F. Intermunicipal
G. Special District
FAX: (541) 549-0561
Email: estein@ci.sisters.or.us
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): P.O. Box 39, Sisters, OR, 97759
Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator (Name and Title): Eileen Stein, City Manager
Organization/Jurisdiction: City of Sisters
Phone: (541) 549-6022
FAX: (541) 549-0561
Email: estein@ci.sisters.or.us
Project Information
Project Title: Sisters-Area Urban Interface Fuels Treatment
Proposed Project Start Date: 03/01/2005
Proposed Project End Date: 06/30/2007
Federal Funding Request: $117,500
Total Project Cost: $157,691
Are you submitting multiple projects? If so, please prioritize, and explain if the projects are stand alone, sequential or other:
N/A
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).
Due to several catastrophic wildfires that have recently occurred around Sisters, concern among city residents and
surrounding landowners has drastically risen in recent years and fuels treatment has become a top priority for the city.
As a result of the heightened concern and danger to the community, Sisters was selected as one of three communities to
participate in the “Upper Deschutes Basin Community Fire Plans” project, being implemented by the Watershed
Research Training Center. The result of this project for the City will be a Community Fire Protection Plan to guide the
efforts of the City of Sisters and local partners in mitigating against future fire threats. The purpose of this funding
request is to implement the fuels treatment strategies in critical areas that will be identified in the Community Fire
Protection Plan. This project will treat fuels on approximately 260 acres in and around the Sisters community.
Project Location: Sisters, OR and surrounding communities
County: Deschutes
Federal Congressional District:
OR 2nd
Name of Federal, State or Tribal contact with whom you coordinated this proposal:
Telephone number of Contact:
Lorri Heath, Sisters Ranger District
(541) 480-0912
Enclosure 3A (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:
 project location (e.g., Watershed,
Address
neighboring community)
these items
as applicable:  anticipated outcomes

project relationship to the community risk assessment and
mitigation plan
 amount or extent of actions (acres, number of homes, etc.)
 community partners and their
 project timeline and matching or contributed funds
role(s)
 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 haven’t worked with a local coordination group, why not?
Project Location: The project location will consist of non-federal lands identified in the Community Fire
Protection Plan as the highest priority for immediate treatment. Based on preliminary evaluation by the City
of Sisters and project partners there are several areas that are likely to be considered as high priority. These
include areas within or adjacent to the city limits near the City’s sewage treatment plant and Sisters High
School, and areas around Sisters such as Black Butte Ranch, the Tollgate community, and Cascade Meadows
Ranch to the northeast of Sisters; the Crossroads and Edgington Road communities to the east of the city.
Anticipated Outcomes: This project will implement fuels treatments recommended in the Community Fire
Protection Plan that meet or exceed the standards of Senate Bill 360 to protect residential, commercial, and
publicly-owned properties in the wildland urban interface.
Community Partners and Roles: The City of Sisters and the Sister-Camp Sherman RFPD will collaborate on
project management and coordination. Heart of Oregon Corps will conduct the majority of the fuels
treatment labor. The Watershed Research and Training Center will act in an advisory role on site selection
and treatment methods while the U.S. Forest Service, Departments of Forestry and Fish and Wildlife,
Cloverdale RFPD, and Black Butte Ranch RFPD will serve in advisory roles throughout implementation.
Relationship to Community Mitigation Plan: This project will directly implement the 2004 Sisters
Community Fire Protection Plan which is currently under development.
Extent of Actions: The budget proposed in this application will enable fuels treatment on approximately 260
acres in priority areas identified in the Community Fire Protection Plan. The City anticipates that one of the
highest priorities will be the treatment of 160 acres of city-owned property that is used for effluent discharge
from the sewage treatment plant. This area serves as a buffer between federal land in the Deschutes National
Forest and residential areas, including some of the highest valued real-estate in the city. The City also
anticipates that approximately 20 acres adjacent to Sisters High School will be identified as a high priority for
treatment. This area to the north of the high school would serve as a buffer between the Deschutes National
Forest and the school, as well as residential neighborhoods surrounding the school. The City anticipates the
remainder of the funds to be used to treat privately-owned properties within the identified project area.
Project Timeline: Implementation of the project will be carried out from March 1, 2005 to June 30, 2007.
Treatment activities will be carried out in accordance with the Community Fire Protection Plan beginning
with the areas with the highest level of fire hazard.
Matching Funds: The City of Sisters and the Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD will contribute $27,691 in
staffing, materials, and transportation toward project implementation. Participating private landowners will
be required to provide up to 50 percent of the cost for treatment on their property.
Ability to Complete the Project: The City of Sisters has the fiscal, administrative, and professional expertise
to carry out this project, and partners have considerable wildfire risk reduction planning and implementation
experience to help guide project activities. Matching personnel funds identified in this grant application will
provide the necessary staffing to administer and coordinate project activities. There is no Local Coordination
Group yet in place for Central Oregon. Sisters participates on the Project Wildfire Steering Committee.
Enclosure 3A (Page 2 of 3) - 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:
Community Infrastructure Protected: Fuels treatments implemented in the project area will help to protect
approximately 2,430 homes with a cumulative value of over $700 million. The breakdown of homes in potential
project locations are as follows: City of Sisters – 600 homes, Black Butte Ranch – 1200 homes, Tollgate – 400 homes;
Crossroads – 150 homes; Edgington Road – 50 homes; and Cascade Meadows Ranch – 30 homes. The average value
of homes in each community ranges from $200,000 to $400,000. In addition, treatment will help to protect the
commercial core in the City of Sisters and vital public facilities such as the City’s sewage treatment plant, Sisters High
School and Sisters Middle School. Fuels treatments will also ensure that Squaw Creek is protected as a valuable water
resource for the City.
Reduction of Fire Behavior: This proposal will reduce fire behavior in wildland urban interface areas by removing
small diameter forest fuels and underbrush. The specific techniques and timing of the treatments will be applied in
accordance with the Community Fire Protection Plan. The primary strategy will be to remove ladder fuels to decrease
the intensity of future fires and to ensure fires do not reach the tree crowns in order to avoid stand-replacing fires. The
treatments will help to prevent fires and mitigate damages of those that do occur by decreasing their intensity, slowing
the movement of the fire, and keeping the flames low to the ground.
Maintenance of Treatments: The City anticipates that treated areas will require maintenance every five years.
Maintenance will include mowing of underbrush and removal of branches. This will be funded through a combination
of city resources, other local contributions, and future grant funding.
Multi-Party Monitoring: All work completed on this project will be entered into the Central Oregon Fire Atlas which
is monitored by the Project Wildfire Steering Committee. This system will track both the type and frequency of
treatments completed in the Sisters area. The data from this Atlas will be used in making decisions for future treatment
activities to maximize the benefits of this and future projects. The City will also work with the U.S. Forest Service,
Central Oregon Fire Management Services, Black Butte Ranch RFPD, and other fire protection districts in the area for
on-site monitoring of project implementation and evaluating the impact of these fire hazard mitigation efforts.
Enclosure 3A (Page 3 of 3) - 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:
Improvement to Local Economy: Recent fires, such as the Cache Mountain Fire in 2002, and the Link and B&B
Complex fires in 2003, have had a damaging impact on the local economy which is highly dependent on tourism,
particularly in the summer months when fire risk is greatest. Greater fire protection from treatment within the wildland
urban interface will have the longer term impact of stabilizing the community by ensuring a safe, stable, and
uninterrupted business climate that will encourage entrepreneurs to locate businesses and homes in the community.
Job Creation and Retention: The Heart of Oregon Corps estimates that this project will employ 12 youth and two
supervisors on a part-time basis for approximately two years. For work that the Heart of Oregon Corps does not have
the capacity to handle, the City will hire a commercial contractor.
Tools and Skills Utilization: By using youth crews to implement the treatment, this project will help participating
youth and supervisors gain job skills and expertise related to fuels treatment. The project will also allow the
community to explore the benefits of fuels utilization through the high school wood shop. In addition, this project will
help build the capacity of the City and local partners to collaborate with federal land managers on fuels treatment and
utilization projects. The treatments proposed in this application for private lands will complement future treatments
proposed for federally owned lands around Sisters.
Utilization of Biomass: Small diameter lumber that is removed through treatment will be transported to Sisters High
School and stored for future use by vocational students in the school’s woodshop. Along with projects conducted
through the vocational programs, the small diameter wood could be used in the construction of the Natural Resource
and Science Center – a proposal under development by the Sisters School District, the Heart of Oregon Corps, and the
Sisters Ranger District. Underbrush and unusable timber will be used for composting by the City of Sisters.
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:
Implementation of Risk Assessment and Mitigation Plan: This project will directly implement the strategies defined by
the 2004 Sisters Community Fire Protection Plan which is currently under development.
Coordination with Adjacent Landowners: The City of Sisters has worked closely with the U.S. Forest Service in
identifying potential areas for treatment. In preparing the Community Fire Protection Plan, the “Upper Deschutes
Basin Community Fire Plans” project is also cooperating with a broad range of agencies in developing strategies to
address fuels treatment, including the U.S. Forest Service and the Oregon Department of Forestry.
Cooperators/Partners: Collaborators in the project are as follows: City of Sisters (project management and
coordination); Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD (co-leader for project implementation); Cloverdale RFPD and Black Butte
Ranch RFPD (advisory role for implementation of fuel treatments in their districts); Heart of Oregon Corps (majority of
fuels treatment labor); Watershed Research and Training Center (advisory role on site selection and treatment
methods); Deschutes County, U.S. Forest Service, the Departments of Forestry and Fish and Wildlife (advisory); and
landowners including Deschutes Basin Land Trust and homeowners associations (financial contribution and feedback).
Local Support: The impetus for this project originated with local property owners, homeowners associations, and fire
districts that were concerned with the increased threat they have experienced in recent years. The communities in
Black Butte Ranch and Camp Sherman have both been evacuated in the past two years and the residents understand the
severity of risk they are facing and are fully in support of fuels treatments.
Enclosure 3A - Project Work Form
Tasks
Time Frame
Responsible Party
Develop the Sisters Community Fire
Protection Plan through the “Upper
Deschutes Basin Community Fire Plans”
project
Pre-grant period:
February, 2004 – February 2005
Watershed Research & Training Ctr
City of Sisters
U.S. Forest Service
Local RFPD’s
Landowners & Homeowners Assns.
Selection of fuel treatment sites from
priority areas identified in the Sisters
Community Fire Protection Plan
March 1, 2005 – March 30, 2005
City of Sisters
Black Butte Ranch RFPD
U.S. Forest Service
Bidding for commercial contract.
April 1, 2005 – April 30, 2005
City of Sisters
Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD
Heart of Oregon Corps
Contract negotiation with commercial
contractor
May 1, 2004 – May 31, 2005
City of Sisters
Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD
Fuels treatment of project area.
- Removal of small diameter timber
- Mowing and removal of underbrush
- Other treatments as recommended in the
Sisters Community Fire Protection Plan
June 1, 2005 – May 31, 2007
Heart of Oregon Corps
Commercial contractor
Fuels utilization:
-Transport to recycling center or High
School Woodshop
-Composting at recycling center
-Storing for future use by Sisters High
School Woodshop
Consultation/Advice
Ongoing
Heart of Oregon Corps
City of Sisters
Sisters High School
Ongoing
USFS
Local RFPD’s
Watershed Research & Training Ctr.
Depts of Forestry/Fish & Wildlife
Project Assessment
June 1, 2007 – June 30, 2007
City of Sisters
Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD
USFS
Contract negotiation with Heart of
Oregon Corps.
Enclosure 3D Project Budget
Cost Category
Description
Federal
Agency
Applicant
Partner 1
Sisters- Camp
City of Sisters
Sherman RFPD
$8,568
$4,536
Personnel
Grant Admin., Reporting &
Community Meetings
Subtotal
$8,568
$4,536
$2,999
$1,588
$2,999
$1,588
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
Partner 2
Total
Private
Landowners
$13,104
Fringe Benefits
Benefits @35% of salary
Subtotal
$4,587
Travel
Site Visits
Subtotal
$5,000
Equipment
Subtotal
Supplies
Meeting Materials/Mailing
$5,000
Subtotal
$5,000
$5,000
Contractual
Fuel Treatment @ $500/acre
Subtotal
$117,500
$12,500
$117,500
$12,500
$130,000
$12,500
$157,691
Other precious
Subtotal
Total Costs
$117,500
$19,067
$8,624
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.