Enclosure 3C - Project Summary Form
170
NATIONAL FIRE PLAN COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE AND WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE PROJECTS
Application for Prevention & Education Projects
Applicant
Applicant/Organization:
Greenbelt Land Trust
Phone:
Type of Applicant: (enter appropriate letter in box)
L
(541) 752-9609
FAX:
A. State
B. County
C. Municipal
D. Township
E. Interstate
F. Intermunicipal
G. Special District
(541) 752-9609
Email:
Karlene@greenbeltlandtrust.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):
P.O. Box 1721, Corvallis, OR 97339
Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator (Name and Title):
Karlene McCabe
Organization/Jurisdiction:
Greenbelt Land Trust
Phone: ( 541) 752-9609
FAX:
Email:
(541) 752-9609
Karlene@greenbeltlandtrust.org
Project Information
Project Title: Landowner Education and Outreach in the High Fire Area of North Corvallis
Proposed Project Start Date:
March 1, 2004
Proposed Project End Date:
February 28, 2006
Federal Funding Request:
$ 12,500
Total Project Cost:
$ 30,000
Are you submitting multiple projects? If so, please prioritize, and explain if the projects are stand alone, sequential, or other:
Greenbelt Land Trust is submitting this application in partnership with Corvallis Fire Department and Benton County and in
collaboration with a number of other partners. We are aware of an assessment application from Philomath Rural Fire and Rescue.
Brief Project Summary:
Greenbelt Land Trust, Benton County and the City of Corvallis are proposing a prevention and education program to increase
firefighter readiness and public education in the high risk wildland fire area of North Corvallis. We will work in cooperation with
City of Corvallis Fire Dept. to educate citizens of North Corvallis and the community at large about strategies for reducing urban
wildland interface fires and the role of fire regimes in the landscape. We will utilize the Firewise curriculum in meetings with
landowners and in our displays at public open space areas. In order to increase public interest and provide a training opportunity for
volunteer firefighters we will conduct a controlled burn on 50 acres of open space lands in North Corvallis. Burns at these two sites
will also restore fire regimes to the oak savanna and prairie ecosystems. This proposal meets the four goals of the National Fire
Plan. The project also builds collaboration between a number of local, state, and federal agencies, non-profits and educational
institutions and private landowners.
Project Location (latitude/longitude of project):
County:
Congressional District:
T11S, R5W Section, Sec 45, Hwy 99W
Benton
4th and 5th
Name of Federal, State or Tribal contact with whom you coordinated this proposal:
Telephone number of Contact:
Steve Smith, USFWS Private Lands Biologist
Steve Elefant, Oregon Department of Forestry
(541) 757-7236
(541) 929-3266
Enclosure 3C (Page 1 of 3) - Project Narrative Description
Describe project:
Response: This application is being submitted by Greenbelt Land Trust in cooperation with Benton County, City of
Corvallis, Corvallis Rural Fire Protection District, Oregon Department of Forestry, The Nature Conservancy, Division
of State Lands, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Benton Soil and Water Conservation District, Oregon State
University, OSU Cooperative Extension, USFWS, homeowners associations and private forestry contactors.
In the past 3 years Benton County and the City of Corvallis in partnership with Oregon Department of Forestry, The
Nature Conservancy, Greenbelt Land Trust and other partners have carried out successful wildland fuels reduction and
education programs at two open space natural areas (see enclosed articles). These projects have generated a great deal
of community interest in reducing wildland urban interface fire risks. We would like to build upon this success by
introducing a more formal education and prevention program in the Corvallis region. We are directing our efforts in the
North Corvallis region due to the presence of homes and public facilities adjacent to and within forested areas and the
13,000 OSU McDonald-Dunn Research Forest, a heavily used area for recreation and an important research area for
Oregon State University (see attached maps). Although a formal risk assessment and mitigation plan has not been
developed for Benton County, the North Corvallis area is classified as a high priority area for wildland urban interface
efforts by the Corvallis Fire Department. The North Corvallis Area Plan adopted in July 2001 projects approximately
14,200 dwellings (approximately 10,400 units) to serve an estimated population of 32,000 people by 2050. This area is
characterized by forested hillsides, steep slopes, a number of south facing slopes and houses built within high fuel areas.
The public open space areas included in this proposal (Owens Farm and Jackson Frazier Wetlands) will be incorporated
into our education and prevention efforts. These sites either currently have or will have public access during high fire
seasons creating an increased potential for wildland fires. Chip Ross Park located in North Corvallis had a wildland fire
in August 1996 that created great concern among neighboring landowners. These areas are near residential and public
facilities (Good Samaritan Hospital) and are highly visible to the community (next to Hwy. 99). Therefore this site
serves as an exceptional site for educational and community outreach. Controlled burning of these oak savannah and
prairie habitats will reintroduce fire to these fire adapted ecosystems thus controlling invasive species and enhancing
habitat for native species. Both the GLT and Benton County are working in partnership with the USFWS to manage
these properties for their unique habitat and wildlife values.
The controlled burns at these sites will be used as a training opportunity for volunteer firefighters from the newly
constructed fire station on Lewisburg Rd. that serves North Corvallis. Most of the volunteers at this station have not
received wildland fire training and this will serve as an excellent opportunity for them to gain experience.
The Corvallis Fire Department in cooperation with the Corvallis Rural Fire Protection District will utilize the Firewise
curriculum to outreach to landowners in the North Corvallis area. This will include distribution of pamphlets, showing
of videos at neighborhood association meetings and field visits to landowners who request and evaluation of their
property. Volunteers from the Greenbelt Land Trust will also assist in these outreach efforts. We will also place a
supply of Firewise pamphlets at public open spaces in Corvallis that visitors can take with them.
In accordance with the goals of the National Fire Plan 10 Year Comprehensive Strategy our outcomes will be:
Prevention and Suppression- Participation in controlled burns at this site will increase firefighting readiness and
capability at the local, state and federal level. We will also increase educational outreach efforts to the general public
and landowners through Firewise and other outreach efforts. Reducing fuel loads at these sites will reduce the
incidence of injury to life and property at adjoining urban areas.
Reduce Hazardous Fuels- We will reduce fuel loads at the Owens Farm and Jackson Frazier sites and will manage
these areas to keep fuel loads low. We will also work with our partners to monitor the effectiveness of treatments and
share this information with other fire entities in our area.
Restore Fire Adapted Ecosystems- Reintroducing fire to these oak savanna and prairie habitats will promote the
establishment of source of native seeds and other plant materials, eradicate or minimize the rate of spread of invasive
species, improve our capability to decrease invasive species at these sites, and apply the lessons from this site to other
sites in the valley.
Promote Community Assistance- The partnerships and lessons learned from this project will increase local capacity of
firefighters, educate landowners and the larger community about better fire protection planning and actions they can
take to reduce fuel loads on their properties, promote public knowledge and understanding of wildland fire and the role
that controlled burns can play in land management, including risks and the role of fire in natural ecosystem processes.
Enclosure 3C (Page 2 of 3) - Project Evaluation Criteria
1. Prevention of Wildland Urban Interface Fire (40 points)
Describe how the proposal will lead to:
A. Reduction of wildland urban interface fire
B. Reduction of structural losses
C. Homeowner action and personal responsibility to reduce fire loss of private land.
Response:
The urban wildland interface community exists where humans and their development meet or intermix with wildland
fuel. The project area is a mix of interface and intermixed wildland areas.
Intermix community exists where structures are scattered throughout a wildland areas and there is no clear line of
demaracation. This is true of the North Corvallis area where wildland fuels are continuous outside of and within the
developed area. Fire protection is provided by the Covallis Fire District and in some instances by a contract with CFD
with revenue from the Corvallis Rural Fire Protection District.
Implementing an education and prevention plan in this area will help protect community infrastructure that occurs
adjacent or in close proximity to the sites. As shown on the enclosed maps the Owens Farm and Jackson Frazier sites
are located within or adjacent to the Urban Growth Boundary of North Corvallis. A regional medical facility ( Good
Samaritan Hospital) is located just south of the Owens Farm property and the hospital has plans to expand their
facilities into the oak woodland area on Owens Farm. A number of high density housing areas occur in the vicinity as
well as Cheldelin Middle School and Crescent Valley High School. An industrial facility ( Marys River Lumber)
occurs just north of the Jackson Frazier site. In recent years a number of homes have been built in North Corvallis
within areas that contain high fuel loads, steep slopes and south facing slopes. Of particular concern is the potential risk
to the 13,000 acre McDonald-Dunn Research Forest owned by Oregon State University. This forest is located adjacent
to a number of the housing areas and open space/natural areas in the Jackson Frazier Watershed. The potential for a fire
spreading from these more developed areas into the research forest is high.
The loss of structures, threats to human life, costs and impact on the Jackson Frazier watershed would be quite high. A
fire could also heavily impact the stands within the McDonald Research Forest. Historically this area would have
burned every 5-20 years. However, fire suppression activities have severly altered the fire regime in this region. This
proposal will help to reintroduce fire into this oak savanna, mixed forest ecosystem and and will educate property
owners about the need to reduce fire risks to their homes and businesses at the wildland urban interface. The controlled
burns at Jackson Frazier and Owens Farm will help to reduce wildland urban interface fire danger to surrounding
industrial, high density residential and regional medical facilities. Letting landowners see first hand how fuel reduction
can be successfully accomplished will provide an example of how they can prodeed on their own properties. Earlier
this year when the Greenbelt was removing understory fuels from Owens Farm they had a number of landowners pull
into the site to obtain information on how individual landowners could perform the same acitivites on their properties.
The Corvallis Fire Department in cooperation with other community organizations will distribute information from the
Firewide curriculum to landowners in North Corvallis. They will also encourage landowners to contact them for
evaluation of individual properties and how landowners can create defensible space. Property values are high in this
region and homesites are located within forested settings. Creation of defensibe space will will greatly reduce structural
losses in this area. It will also educate landowners on how they can take personal responsibility for reduction of fire
loss to private lands and adjoining public lands.
Fuels reduction on public lands ( park and open space sites) will reduce the potential for wildland fires at these sites that
could spread to surrounding structures. It is our desire that a fuels reduction and education program at these sites can
serve as an example for the Corvallis community. Many residents access the open space areas in our community and
having Firewise materials available at these sites will help to educate citizens about the difference they can make in
reduction of wildland fires and property loss. As individual property owners our often nervous about controlled burns
at their property we will provide an example of how to safely perform fuels reduction activities.
The combined efforts of City fire staff, volunteer fire personnel, City parks personnel, the Greenbelt Land Trust and
Benton County will reach a number of citizens throughout Corvallis and surrounding communities.
Enclosure 3C (Page 3 of 3) - Project Evaluation Criteria
2.
Community Participation (30 points)
Response: This application is being submitted by Greenbelt Land Trust (GLT) in cooperation with Benton County, City
of Corvallis, Corvallis Rural Fire Protection District, Oregon Department of Forestry, The Nature Conservancy,
Division of State Lands, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Benton Soil and Water Conservation District, Oregon
State University, OSU Cooperative Extension, USFWS, homeowners associations and private forestry contactors.
Corvallis Fire District will be the primary education and outreach provider with assistance from Corvallis RFPD, GLT
and community volunteers. This collaboration will provide outreach to a variety of audiences through newsletters,
distribution of Firewise materials, meetings with homeowners associations, a public forum on wildand interface fire
risks, and posting of information at kiosks at public parks in the City of Corvallis. We will also include local high
school and middle school students in our outreach efforts. The partners will combine their mailing contact lists to
reach the widest possible audience in the community and will incorporate educational materials in their individual
publications. We will also work with local media to provide PSA time and media coverage of the program. The
prescrised burn included in this project will build upon the success of previous burn partnerships between the City of
Corvallis, Benton County, The Nature Conservancy, ODF and GLT. It will also provide a new training opportunity for
volunteer firefighters in North Corvallis.
The project will be sustained by incorporating fire into the management at public open spaces in North Corvallis. The
education and prevention outreach will be sustained through notices in fire department newsletters and visits to
homeowners by fire department personnel. We will monitor the education portion through keeping count of the
attendees at presentations, the number of pamphlets distributed and requests for assistance received. We will monitor
results of the burn with plant surveys of the burned area on a yearly basis for the next five years.
3.
Partnerships (40 points)
Response:
Corvallis Fire Department- Responsible for education outreach and evaluation of individual homesites. They will
provide staff time and planning time toward this effot. Corvallis Rural Fire Protection District will assist with them.
City of Corvallis Parks Dept.- Will provide staff time and tools for assistance at burns and removal of ladder fuels on
City owned properties. They will also provide kiosks at public parks and open spaces for display of Firewise materials.
Greenbelt Land Trust- Will provide admistrative oversight of grant, will assist with outreach to community on
education and prevention, media outreach and will assist with removal of ladder fuels and controlled burns. Benton
County- Will provide staff time for planning and implementation of controlled burns, will provide display space for
Firewise materials at kiosks. The Nature Conservancy- Will assist with planning for controlled burns and media
outreach. Benton Soil and Water Conservation District- Will assist with landowner outreach and publication of
Firewise materials in newsletter. OSU- Will assist with display and distribution of public information of Firewise
materials. USFWS- Will assist with fuels reduction at burn sites, planning for controlled burns, monitoring of sites
and display of Firewise materials. ODF- Will assist with planning for controlled burns, may assist with burns
depending on staffing.
Although a formal risk assessment and mitigation plan has not been developed for Benton County, the North Corvallis
area is classified as a high priority area for wildland urban interface efforts by the Corvallis Fire Department. The
North Corvallis Area Plan adopted projects approximately 14,200 dwellings to serve an estimated population of 32,000
people by 2050. The location next to the 13,000 acre McDonald Research Forest owned by OSU also makes this area a
high priority for prevention and education. This area is characterized by forested hillsides, steep slopes, a number of
south facing slopes and houses built within high fuel areas. We are working with personnel from the ODF to evaluation
this area for inclusion in the state list of high priority areas. We are also working with our partners to gather
background information for development of a risk assessment for this region.
Enclosure 3C - Project Work Form
Tasks
Time Frame
Responsible Party
Inventory available Firewise curriculum, order
needed supplies and develop outreach and
education plan with partners.
March 2004-September 2004.
Corvallis Fire District
Remove understory mix from beneath 5 acres
of oak woodlands and ash forests on
Greenbelt Land Trust property.
Remove invasive trees, grass and shrubs from
45 acres at Jackson Frazier.
Fall 2003, Fall 2004 and summer 2005
Benton County, City of Corvallis and
Greenbelt Land Trust
Prepare Fire Management Plans for GLT and
Benton County property.
Spring 2004-Winter 2005
GLT and Benton County in
partnership with Oregon Department
of Forestry, private contractors,
USFWS and City of Corvallis.
Begin outreach and education program with
landowners meetings, site visits, and
homeowner associations. Distribute Firewise
materials.
Publicize efforts of wildland interface
methods with local news media.
Summer 200\4-Summer 2005
Corvallis Fire Dept. with partners
Prepare and place interpretive and educational
materials regarding urban wildland interface
fire management techniques at park and open
space areas in Benton County, City of
Corvallis and City of Philomath,
Spring 2004-Summer 2005
Benton County, Greenbelt Land Trust,
City of Corvallis Parks and
Recreation, City of Corvallis Fire
Department and Philomath Rural Fire
Protection District.
Carry out fuels reduction through controlled
burns at Jackson Frazier and Owens Farm.
Have media publicize efforts. Use as training
for volunteer firefighters.
Summer and Fall 2005
Corvallis Fire Department in
cooperation with ODF, USFWS,
Benton County, City of Corvallis
Parks, Nature Conservancy and
Greenbelt Land Trust.
Monitor results of public information
campaign and continue homeowner visits.
Fall 2005-Spring 2006
Corvallis Fire with partners.
Replant vegetation with native seeds and
utilize herbicies for control of invasive
species. Monitor results of controlled burns on
vegetation reductions and impacts on habitat
types and plant species.
Fall 2005-Spring 2008.
Greenbelt, USFWS, City of Corvallis
and Benton County.
Enclosure 3D Project Budget
Cost Category
Description
Federal
Agency
Applicant
Partner 1
Partner 2
Total
Personnel
Outreach, prevention
Controlled burns
3,000
Subtotal
Fringe Benefits
Subtotal
Travel
Subtotal
Equipment
Subtotal
Supplies
Subtotal
Contractual
Subtotal
Other
Subtotal
Total Costs
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.