Enclosure 3A - Project Summary Form NATIONAL FIRE PLAN COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE AND WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE PROJECTS Application for Wildland Urban Interface Fuels / Education and Prevention / Community Planning for Fire Protection Projects Applicant Applicant/Organization: Oregon Department of Forestry Phone: FAX: Email: 503.945.7341 503.945.7454 Sboro@odf.state.or.us Address (Street or P. O. Box, City, State, Zip): 2600 State Street, Salem, Oregon 97310 Project Coordinator Project Coordinator (Name and Title): Gordon Foster, Unit Forester, John Day Organization/Jurisdiction: Oregon Department of Forestry, Central Oregon District Phone: FAX: Email: 541.575.1139 541.575.2253 Gfoster@odf.state.or.us Project Information Project Title: Mitchell Strip Community Vegetation Management Proposed Project Start Date: Proposed Project End Date: October 1, 2003 \ September 30, 2006 Federal Funding Request: Total Project Funding: $100,000 $100,000 Are you submitting multiple projects? If so, please explain and prioritize: Yes – Priority # 20 in Fuels Treatment Category Brief Project Description: This National Fire Plan project would provide financial assistance to non-industrial landowners in the Mitchell area to create defensible space around homes, reduce fire hazard and improve forest health in the adjoining timber stands. The funds would be used as a cost share incentive to assist landowners in the over all treatment of their forested stands. Project Location (latitude/longitude if applicable): County: Congressional District: John Day area Wheeler Walden, #2 Project Type: Check appropriate project type. More than one type may be checked. If only Box (4) is checked, use Enclosure 4. (1) X Wildland Urban Interface Fuels Project (2) Wildland Urban Interface Education and Prevention Project (3) (4) Community Planning for Fire Protection Project Fuels Utilization and Marketing Project If the applicant is an unincorporated area, define the geographic area being represented: Near the community of Mitchell in Southern Wheeler County 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, and 12-pitch font. Describe project including, but not limited to: project location Address these project implementation items as anticipated outcomes applicable: measures and reporting interagency partners project relationship to community or natural landscape fire plans project time frames and income specify types of activities and equipment used amount or extent of actions (acres, number of homes, etc) environmental, cultural and historical resource requirements Response: Project Location: The project areas are located in and around the community of Mitchell, adjoining the Ochoco National Forest. Project Implementation: In this area, the commercial timber harvest provides little in the way of profit to the landowner. Sometimes a commercial thinning creates a small profit. This leaves other activities such as precommercial thinning and fuel hazard reduction incomplete, which will lead to continued fuel buildup and a decrease in forest health. NFP funds would be used to cost share with the landowner the total treatment of the site with the objective of reducing the fuel hazard and improving forest health. The cost share would only be applied to the portion of the project that would not generate a profit from commercial harvest. Cost share incentives would have a base rate of 80%, with additional incentive up to 95% if landowners work together, utilize material rather than burn debris, use local contractors, and create defensible space around improvements. Letters will be sent to each timber landowner in the project area describing the grant program and arranging for informational meetings. When a landowner expresses an interest in participating in the program a forester will meet with the landowner and decide what type of work is to be done. The landowner will sign an agreement that describes the work to be done and agree to maintain the practice. Project work will be reviewed before final approval and payment is given. Project Outcome: The outcome of this project will be to reduce the fire hazard and improve forest health on approximately 5,000 acres and directly/indirectly protect about 100 rural ranches and full time residences from the threat of wildfire. This project will also serve as a model for landowners and encourage them to take action to protect their personal investments. Project Measures & Reporting: Each landowner will sign an agreement that will outline the work to be accomplished. This process will record the work items accomplished, acres treated and funds allocated. Partners: Partners include local landowners. Project Time Frames: This work would be accomplished between October 2003, and September 2006. Activities & Equipment Used: Activities would include pre-commercial thinning, pruning, material utilization such as poles and posts, chips, hog fuel, and firewood. Slash disposal methods would include chipping, piling and burning. Burning will be discouraged unless it is the only method available to dispose of slash. Equipment used will range from mechanical harvesters, chippers, chainsaws, grapple pilers, and dozers. Extent of Actions: The actions would effect approximately 5,000 acres and directly and indirectly protect about 100 rural ranches and full time residences. Environmental, Cultural, and Historic Resources: This land has been intensively managed for timber and grazing resources. Most stands have had the merchantable timber removed and are in need of thinning and slash removal. The Oregon Department of Forestry will comply with the state Forest Practices Act and SHPO requirements when conducting National Fire Plan activities including hazardous fuels reduction on private land. Enclosure 3B (Page 2 of 3) - 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. Reducing Fire Risk. (40 points)) A. Describe how the proposal promotes reduction of risk in high hazard areas or communities, or natural landscapes. B. Describe how the proposed project benefits resources on federal land or adjacent non-federal land, or how it protects the safety of communities. C. To what extent does the project implement or create a cooperative (1) fuels treatment plan or (2) community fire strategy (include evidence of the plan if it already exists)? D. Explain to what extent the affected community or proponent has been involved or plans to involve the affected community in a qualified fuels education program (e.g., FIREWISE). E. Explain how the proposal (1) leads to, enhances or restores a local fire-adapted ecosystem, and/or (2) mitigates or leads to the mitigation of hazardous fuel conditions. F. How will the proposed treatments or programs be maintained in future years? Response: This project will directly reduce the fire risk by reducing the amount of fuel in the affected area. The primary action will be to create defensible space around homes by removing fuels in the immediate area and then directly beyond defensible space. By reducing the stand density, we can move the forest towards a healthy state. The forest will then be more able to withstand a moderate intensity fire. This project will directly reduce the risk of high intensity wildfire and thereby reduce the risk of loss to nearby affected communities. The potential for removal of biomass will depend on the specific site. Estimates range from 50 to 100 tons per acre available for use as pulp or fuel for a co-generation plant. Coordination has taken place with the Malheur and Umatilla National Forests. This project covers the fringe of private timberlands that lies between the valleys and national forests. This is an extension of existing NFP grant projects in the area. The John Day community has been involved in the Firewise Communities and Living with Fire programs. Public meetings, demonstrations, newspaper articles, and fair displays have all recently publicized the issues. Currently there are seven funded grants projects in the John Day area that are tied directly to improving fuels hazards near Communities at Risk. It is estimated that in this dry site pine and mixed conifer ecosystem, the fuel hazard mitigation projects will last for 10 plus years. Landowners are strongly encouraged to maintain the fuels reduction work. 2. Increasing local capacity. (30 points) A. How would the proposal improve or lead to the improvement of the local economy in terms of jobs and sustainable economic activity? How many jobs are expected to be created or retained and for how long (please distinguish between essentially yearround and seasonal jobs)? How will this proposal link to together projects (or proposed projects) to create year-round jobs? B. To what extent will this project be offered to serve as a model for other communities or natural landscapes? C. Will biomass or forest fuels be utilized; if so, in what manner and how much? Response: This grant will stimulate the landowners to explore alternatives for the treatment of hazardous fuels on their land. The local community is very aware and concerned of the potential for disastrous wildfire. This NFP project will be a great boost to help them make a positive change towards reducing the fire hazard in and around communities and improving the overall forest health. One of the methods of fuels treatment will be to grind the debris on site and supply it to the local co-generation plant in Prairie City and Heppner. Utilization of the slash debris may possibly help with the declining economies in Grant and Wheeler Counties. Diversification may improve the wood products industry outlook if small material utilization becomes more economical. These types of NFP projects could potentially keep 50 to 75 people seasonally employed for approximately three years. Enclosure 3B (Page 3 of 3) - Project Evaluation Criteria 3. Increasing interagency and intergovernmental coordination. (15 Points) A. Describe how this project implements a local intergovernmental strategy or plan, or creates such a plan. Describe the plan if it already exists. B. Explain the level of cooperation, coordination or strategic planning through a “Local Coordination Group” for wildland fire activities, or among federal, state, tribal, local government and community organizations. List the cooperators (a detailed list of cooperators will be required for projects that are funded). Response: This grant proposal is part of a strategy in the John Day Unit to fund fuels reduction projects in all identified Communities at Risk. This strategy has been coordinated with the County Courts in Wheeler, and Harney counties; the County fire chiefs in Grant and Wheeler counties; Grant and Wheeler county Soil and Water Conservation Districts; Malheur and Umatilla National Forests; Prineville District BLM; North Fork of the John Day Watershed Council; and Grant County Economic Development. The Umatilla and Malheur National Forests and Prineville BLM are working to connect their fuel hazard mitigation projects to the work that is being done on adjacent private lands. 4. Expanding Community Participation. (15 Points) A. To what extent have interested individuals, groups, and communities been provided an opportunity to become informed and involved in this proposal? B. Describe the extent of local support or opposition for the project, including any cost-sharing arrangements. C. What are the environmental, social and educational benefits or concerns of the project? Response: There has been a series of Firewise Communities workshops held in Central and Eastern Oregon, in which people from Grant, Harney and Wheeler counties have participated. Locally, Living with Fire presentations have been made to the Small Woodland Owners Association and other groups. There have been displays at the county fairs, direct mailings to the landowners in the grant areas, public meetings, newspaper articles, Living with Fire newspaper inserts, and meetings with service providers. Local government, economic development, state and federal agencies have met to coordinate opportunities with the National Fire Plan grants. The counties have received grant money for fuels reduction and are working in coordination with this efforts as well as the National Forests, BLM and the Oregon Department of Forestry. The benefits of this project will include: direct fire hazard reduction of fuels around homes, improved forest health, local economic stimulation, biomass utilization, and local government coordination. These projects have proved a positive stimulus for collaboration between many different agencies. Enclosure 3C - Project Work Form Tasks Time Frame Responsible Party Identify specific landowners and direct mail the grant information; set up a meeting for landowners in the grant area October 2003 John Day Unit Forester Sign up landowner in the program, arrange for a site visit with the landowner and do a hazard assessment, determine what activities need to take place, sign an agreement for the work and authorize the project. Monitor work projects, document activities for future educational opportunities, check for compliance with agreement, verify work has been accomplished, process final payment record and submit for payment. Use projects as an example of fire hazard reduction and improvement of forest health. October 2003 and ongoing Service Forester October 2003 and ongoing Service Forester October 2003 and ongoing Service Forester and Unit Forester Enclosure 3D Project Budget Cost Category Description Federal Agency Applicant Personnel 10,584 Subtotal 10,584 Fringe Benefits 4,466 Subtotal 4,466 Travel Vehicle Subtotal Partner 1 Partner 2 Total 10,584 4,466 1,500 1,500 1,500 Equipment Subtotal Supplies Service and Supply 500 Subtotal 500 500 Contractual Landowner cost share agrmts 82,950 Subtotal 82,950 82,950 $100,000 $100,000 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.