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:
Deschutes County
Phone:
FAX:
Email:
541-388-6575
541-385-1764
catherin@co.deschutes.or.us
Address (Street or P. O. Box, City, State, Zip):
117 N.W. Lafayette Ave., Bend, OR 97701
Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator (Name and Title):
Catherine Morrow, Principal Planner
Organization/Jurisdiction:
Deschutes County Community Development Department
Phone:
FAX:
Email:
541-385-1708
541-385-1764
catherin@co.deschutes.or.us
Project Information
Project Title:
La Pine New Neighborhood Survivable Space Treatment
Proposed Project Start Date:
Proposed Project End Date:
Jan. 2, 2003
June 1, 2003
Federal Funding Request:
Total Project Funding:
$109,835
$109,835
Are you submitting multiple projects? If so, please explain and prioritize:
Yes. One other project submitted by County for fuels treatment on County property has 2nd priority.
Brief Project Description:
Implementation of a model "Defensible Space Management Plan" now in development will treat 540 acres of
county-owned property in southern Deschutes County in the urban/forest interface on the outskirts of the rural
community of La Pine. Outcomes will include fire-defensible areas for medium/high density residential for
1,800 homes, as well as commercial and natural open-space areas; ongoing vegetation management; shaded
fuel breaks; job skill-development for at-risk youth; community-service opportunities for incarcerated youth;
seasonal employment; and fuels utilization. Documentation of the model fire-defensible landscape will aim
to make this project replicable throughout the county and the Western U.S.
Project Location (latitude/longitude if applicable):
County:
Congressional District:
La Pine, OR unincorporated area
Deschutes
2nd
Project Type: Check appropriate project type. More than one type may be checked. If only Box (4) is checked, use Enclosure 4.
(1)
(2)
Wildland Urban Interface Fuels Project
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:
Approximately 540 acres of Deschutes County-owned area in north La Pine UUC.
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:
 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
Deschutes County proposes a 4-month project for 2003 having a total cost of $109,132. This
project is ready to be implemented. This project will essentially transfer development from environmentallysensitive, high watertable and deer-migration areas to a planned development area under the administration of
the county. An environmental assessment (EA) of the area, completed by the Bureau of Land Management,
has been reviewed by the USFS; USFS has concluded that the EA meets all standards.
Rapid population growth in Central Oregon is exacerbating fire/urban interface issues that in the past
decade have consumed over 40 homes and burned over 266,000 acres of federal, state and private lands in the
region. About 540 undeveloped acres, owned by Deschutes County in the La Pine unincorporated area of the
south county, will be the site of new residences for over 3,500 people. A grant from the 2001 National Fire
Plan Program of the USDA is funding a comprehensive “Sustainable Space in Urban Interface Management
Plan” (SSM Plan) for this “New Neighborhood” of about 1,800 homes. The plan will be complete in
December 2002. The County is proposing this project for implementation of the plan; the three-fold aim of
the implementation project is to: (1) establish defensible spaces through clearing of hazardous fuels; (2)
preserve the beauty of natural, forested open spaces by establishing protected parks and buffer zones within
and adjacent to the developed area; and (3) provide opportunities for area residents and propertyowners to
observe research-based methods and practices for defensible spaces based on a model plan for fire prevention
in the urban interface suitable for communities throughout the Northwest. The Plan will be carried out by a
partnership led by Deschutes County’s Community Development Dept. (DCDD), and comprised of the
county’s Project Impact and Juvenile Community Justice Dept. (DJCJD), La Pine Fire District, La Pine
School District, Oregon Departments of Forestry (ODF) and Fish & Wildlife (OFW), and the USFS. Laborintensive tasks of clearing and treating about 528 acres of mostly-sparse lodgepole pine community will be
divided between DJCJD and private subcontractors. Activities will mainly involve cutting and taking down
trees, pruning/limbing up, piling, slash treatment, shrub removal, and mowing. Equipment and tools used for
this purpose by DJCJD are already owned by the county; subcontractors will be expected to also use their
own equipment and tools. The outcomes of the project will be:
> 540 acres prepared according to comprehensive defensible-space management plan: 470 for medium/highdensity, residential/commercial development, and 68 acres for natural and developed open space;
> Highly visible model of a fire-defensible landscape in lodgepole pine forest communities typical of the La
Pine area;
> Optimal reduction of fuels and noxious weeds throughout the target area;
> Fire-resistant species planted according to recommended specifications and maintenance standards;
> Shaded fuel breaks;
> At least 50 at-risk youth gain job and workplace skills; each earn minimum wage for average of 100 hours;
> At least 50 adjudicated youth pay back the community through community-service function of this project;
> A number of local jobs will be supported through local contracts;
> Fuel wood and cut trees for La Pine schools to use for heating their facilities and converting to fence poles
and posts for added security around school properties; and
> Fuel wood for an estimated 1,000 low-income residents of La Pine.
Measures of the fire resistance of the area’s urban interface will be determined by SSM Plan, developed
according to specifications and standards from national research and with technical help from USFS, ODF
and BLM.
Response:
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: Proposal
will create a fire-defensible landscape on project site based on site-specific fuels treatment
prescriptions. A major goal of the project is to prevent fires spreading from private to public lands. The
immediate project area covers 540 acres in a proposed 1,800-unit development. The impact area from which
development will be transferred covers an additional 19,500 acres of Deschutes County that will benefit from
decreased density, retention of natural open spaces and fire crew accessibility; much of this area borders
BLM-managed forested lands. As has been noted, this project will implement the comprehensive Sustainable
Space Management (SSM) Plan—now in development-- for the 540-acre New Neighborhood. The proposal
will reduce the fire risk of numerous other properties in Deschutes county. College and high school forestry
students working on the project will bring fuels reduction skills back to their parents’, neighbors’ and friends’
properties. Students will have the knowledge to explain and implement fire-defensible strategies on these
properties. Future residents of the project site, homebuilders on the project site, La Pine residents, realtors,
and visitors to the site will learn fire-defensible space strategies that they can apply on these and other
properties in the county. A homeowners' association for the area will adopt CC&Rs based on Senate Bill 360
and standards developed through the SSM Plan. Local media will be invited to the site for periodic briefings
on this grant project and on the neighborhood development after the grant is completed. Deschutes County
Project Impact will be involved in the education functions of the proposal providing its years of experience
with public education.
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 toher 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: Immediate job-creation
outcomes for the project will result in the employment for 2 months of (a)
50 at-risk youth at minimum wage through the non-profit Heart of Oregon Corps; (b) an estimated 20
employees of commercial contractors; and (c) 50 adjudicated youth from the county corrections program,
who will earn team-building and job skills while paying back their community. In the longer term, the
project will foster additional job opportunities for local arborists and landscapers, builders and renovators and
local, regional and national businesses who will supply local landowners with the materials necessary to
create a fire resistant property, home and/or business. Much of the local service economy is already
recreation-related; jobs supported through this project, which will help sustain and diversify the local
economy, will grow over time as new structures are built, yards and parks are developed, and their ongoing
maintenance becomes an annual priority. Additional benefits will be fuel wood provided free or at low cost
to low-income families, and wood chip to be used at the nearby Sunriver Composting Center.
A final report on the project will aim for replicability of the SSM Plan’s model elements, and will chronicle
how these elements were implemented in the development of the New Neighborhood. It is believed that other
communities in the county—and throughout the Western U.S.-- face similar situations.
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).
Under the auspices of the Oregon Regional Problem Solving Initiative, a partnership between the
County, ODF, ODFW, Deschutes Soil & Water Conservation Service, USFS, La Pine Rural Fire District,
schools, and local citizens was initiated by the SSM Plan grant of last year. Implementation of this proposal
requires continued interagency cooperation. Although the County will be responsible for general project
oversight, it will rely substantially on agency partners to provide expertise/advice in a number of areas,
including:
how to treat property to make it fire survivable,
how to handle fuels/biomass,
what costs are involved in treating/managing urban interface areas,
what personnel needs are required and job-related hazards,
plant species identification.
Response:
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: Deschutes
County has held over 50 meetings, workshops and public hearings regarding the New
Neighborhood planning area. A number of the hearings informed the public of the county's intent to build
fire-mitigation practices into development of the neighborhood. Six county newsletters have featured
informative articles about the project. Also, the county's website includes a webpage linked to the
Community Development Department homepage that features the project and all of its specific objectives and
elements. In the near future, this website will be enhanced to allow for interactive involvement. These
efforts will be continued over the next 20 years as the New Neighborhood develops.
Local support for this project is high. High in-migration has created pressure on the county to designate
more land for residential development. Concerns over defensibility of new subdivisions are being addressed
through the DSM Plan. The county will provide in-kind contributions for implementation of the DSM Plan,
including coordination of tasks that convert plan elements into comprehensive biomass treatment, zoning
revisions, development agreements and homeowner covenants.
The benefits of the La Pine Neighborhood include, but are not limited to: decreased density in the impact
area which reduces ground water pollution, enhances deer migration routes and improves existing resident
quality of life, while simultaneously increasing local fire agencies' ability to respond to emergencies. The
immediate goal is to implement a plan for defensible space and fire mitigation.
Enclosure 3C - Project Work Form
Tasks
Bidding for commercial contract.
Time Frame
Responsible Party
30-45 days
Deschutes County Community
Devt Dept. (DCCDD)
Contract negotiation for commercial
contractor.
7 days
DCCDD
Fuels treatment of project area.
30-60 days
Heart of OR Corps, Juvenile
Justice Dept., commercial
contractor, Central OR
Community College and La
Pine High School students.
Fuels utilization:
-Bundling
-Stacking
-Distribution to community.
30-60 days
Juvenile Justice Dept., Central
OR Community College and La
Pine High School Students
Consultation/advice
Ongoing
OR Depts of Forestry and Fish
& Wildlife, USFS, BLM,
Project Impact.
Project assessment
30 days
Central OR Comm College,
under guidance of DCCDD and
partners.
Documentation of model firesurvivable landscape.
14 days
DCCDD
Contract negotiation with Heart of OR
Corps and Juvenile Justice Dept.
Top of Form
Enclosure 4D - Project Budget
Cost Category
Description
Federal
Agency
Personnel
DCCDD Principal Planner
DCCDD Asst Planner
Subtotal
$4,940.00
$2,326.00
$7,266.00
Fringe Benefits
DCCDD Principal Planner
DCCDD Asst Planner
Subtotal
$1,422.00
$905.00
$2,327.00
Travel
180 miles @ $0.33/mile
$59.00
Subtotal
$59.00
Applicant
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
Partner 1
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
Partner 2
Total
$0.00
$0.00
$4,940.00
$2,326.00
$7,266.00
$0.00
$0.00
$1,422.00
$905.00
$2,327.00
$0.00
$0.00
$59.00
$0.00
$59.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$31,608.00
$29,550.00
$61,158.00
Equipment
Subtotal
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
Supplies
Subtotal
Contractual
Private: Heart of OR Corps
Private: Comm contractor
Subtotal
$0.00
$31,608.00
$29,550.00
$61,158.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
Other
Deschutes Juv Justice youth
Administration (10% of proj)
Subtotal
$29,040.00
$9,985.00
$39,025.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$29,040.00
$9,985.00
$39,025.00
Total Costs
$109,835.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$109,835.00
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.
$0.00