Enclosure 3A
MULTI-AGENCY NATIONAL FIRE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
Community Assistance and Economic Action Programs
Project Summary Form
Applicant
Applicant/Organization:
Ferry Conservation District
Phone:
FAX:
Email:
509/775-3474
509/775-3170
lyle-gardinier@wa.nacdnet.org
Address (Street or P. O. Box, City, State, Zip):
84 E. Delaware Ave., P.O. Box 1045, Republic, WA 99166
Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator (Name and Title):
Lyle Gardinier, Ferry Conservation District Manager
Organization/Jurisdiction:
Ferry Conservation District (FCD)
Phone:
FAX:
Email:
509/775-3473
509/775-3170
lyle-gardinier@wa.nacdnet.org
Project Information
Project Title:
Extract And Sort Yarding (E.A.S.Y.)
Project Start:
Project End:
August 15, 2002
August 15, 2004
Federal Funding Request:
Total Project Funding:
$13,200.00
$205,380.00
Are you submitting multiple projects? If so, please explain and prioritize:
No - The projects marked below are in the same program with similarities and emphasis in both.
Brief Project Description:
This project will demonstrate to the public of the critical nature of problems associated with fuel
loads from years of fire suppression, a major decline in logging and increased insect and disease
problems that have dramatically decreased much of our forests overall health. We will provide
planning and technical assistance, demonstrate extraction methods, and procedures of removing
biomass materials through the different techniques. The project will also implement fuel reduction
adjacent to recreation areas, power lines, main roads, and project participants properties.
Project Location:
County:
Congressional District:
Ferry County and N. Central Wash.
Ferry County, Washington
100% in 5th District
Project Type:
Community Fire Plan
Business Plan
Market/Feasibility Study
Education/Prevention Program
Fuels Management Plan
Fuels Treatment Project
Fuels Utilization Project (demo/pilot/production)
Equipment Purchase/Lease/Rental
Other (Describe)
If the applicant is an unincorporated area, define the geographic area being represented:
Certification
I hereby certify that I am authorized by Ferry Conservation District to submit this application to a federal agency offering
assistance through the National Fire Plan.
Name:
Signature:
Jim Nash (Sending signature on hard copy)
Title:
Ferry Conservation District
Chairman of the Board
Date:
June 14, 2002
Enclosure 3B
MULTI-AGENCY NATIONAL FIRE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
Community Assistance and Economic Action Programs
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.
Briefly describe project including, but not limited to:
What is the opportunity problem or need that the proposal seeks to address? Address the following:
 project implementation
 urgency
 anticipated outcomes
 connection to the National Fire Plan
 partners
 time frame
Forests in North Central Washington have increased fuel loads primarily due to the aggressive fire
suppression over the last century. A major decline in logging and wood removal (90%) in the last decade, as
well as increased insect and disease problems has dramatically affected overall forest health. . Dense forest
stands with high fuel loads have become a problem on private, state, and federal lands. While faced with the
concerns of catastrophic fire, ecological degradation, and economic depression, Ferry Conservation District
(FCD) has been working to find solutions to some of the above problems while protecting other ecological
concerns such as nesting trees, fish and wildlife habitat, nutrient recycling, etc. Many of the most intense
fires occuring in the 2001 fire season occurred in the north central counties of Washington State.
Fire hazard reduction in wildland-urban interface (WUI) often involves mechanical thinning treatments to
reduce the amount of fuels, and may or may not be combined with prescribed burning. Fuel reduction
treatments in forest/ wildlands areas require low environmental impacts and cost-effective thinning operations
because it directly affects many people and local communities in the areas. It also works to support
community fire safety.
In this study and implementation project, we are proposing to demonstrate different harvesting systems
that could be utilized to reduce fuel loading in WUI areas. Demonstration sites will utilize hand felling and
various types of equipment to display proper techniques associated with the removal of silvicultural materials.
Hand felling, horse logging/fuel removal, and a combination of horse and medium size swinging grappel
skidder typically used in local commercial operations will also be part of our project. All the systems will
include a chipper and/or grinder to process logging slash and non-merchantable trees, along with an
arrangement of transportation. Harvesting strategy is to minimize impacts on soils, aesthetics, and other
environmental concerns while maximizing product outputs (sawlogs, clean chips, and hog fuels) to offset the
expenses. Foresters will develop management plans for each site and clearly mark materials to be removed,
harvest routes, etc. in preparation for ecologically and environmentally sound practices.
Project sites will be targeted for areas around high recreation use, power line right of ways, high use road
systems, and on sites where we can demonstrate wildland fuel reduction beyond developed areas where other
defensible space programs are already working.
Demonstration of thinning treatments and fuel reduction/disposal methods in WUI areas is an important
part of this project, and people will be invited to view the operations and have an opportunity to discuss with
managers and machine operators at project sites. Educational workshops will be offered prior to the
implementation projects to better educate the people involved in the project and the general public.
Ferry County is the poorest County in Washington and has the highest level of unemployment in the state.
With the majority of our income being natural resourced based, much of the lack of work is due to severe cut
backs in logging, mining, and jobs related to supporting those industries. Only two large businesses still exist
in Ferry County. One is a gold mine that has laid off all but a skeleton crew, and one saw mill that is faced
with volatile timber prices and very marginal lumber markets. The success and completion of this project will
support existing forest industry jobs as this area evolves from a resource extraction based economy.
Response:
Enclosure 3B
MULTI-AGENCY NATIONAL FIRE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
Community Assistance and Economic Action Programs
Project Evaluation Criteria
Applications for funding must include narrative responses that address the following project criteria, where applicable. Limit your
responses to the areas provided. The following five criteria are worth 10 points each in the evaluation process.
1. Expanding community participation. (10 points)
Describe how interested parties have been provided an opportunity to become informed (outreach) and to what extent does support
for the project seem apparent?
Describe local cash or in-kind contributions. What is the longevity of the commitment and how will the project be maintained or
sustained?
Describe how outreach will be conducted to assure that all interested individuals and organizations will have equal access to the
benefits of the project (Civil Rights Title VI compliance).
Response: FCD
is involved with a local Community Development Group, where we are addressing many
economic, environmental, and natural resource concerns. This group is currently working with the District to
facilitate a Fuel Market/Feasibility Study for power co-generation. This development group includes
representatives of: State Office of Trade and Economic Development (OTED), the Ferry County P.U.D.,
Ferry Conservation District, U.S. Forest Service, State Department of Natural Resources, Vaagen Brothers
Lumber Co., Inc., environmental groups, private consultants, and private land owners. The P.U.D. and local
mill (Vaagen's) are currently committed to financially supporting our projects and provide in-kind
contributions that help in the success of our goals.
The N.Ferry Enterprise Committee is committed to pursuing and promoting small diameter wood
utilization, and has sent two representatives to a three day workshop to help in assisting local businesses.
FCD is actively involved in many public outreach and education programs that use different methods to
keep the community informed on the development and progress of these types of projects. Newspaper
articles, advertisements, newsletters, web page articles, public meetings, field tours, and meeting with special
interest groups are all part of the mechanisms used for community participation. These mechanisms will all
be applied throughout this project.
2. Increasing local capacity. (10 points)
Describe how the project increases community capacity, educates the public or improves local conditions or infrastructure.
How is the project clearly tied to local or multi-community strategies, or does this proposal create a plan?
What is the opportunity for providing sustainable diversification and improvement to the local economy?
How many local jobs are expected to be created or retained and for how long?
Response: This
project includes a commitment from several local and regional entities. Contingent upon the
results of the fuel feasibility study, the P.U.D. could strengthen the existing electrical distribution
infrastructure by providing an alternative power generation facility and create additional jobs in the forest
management industry. It would also provide the incentive for future industrial investment possibilities into
the local economy. Co-generation (and steam) can also support other viable businesses in Ferry County.
With our partnerships, we can educate and demonstrate to the community ways in which materials can be
extracted, sorted, and utilized appropriately to achieve several different goals. Materials can be used to
produce lumber, utilize small diameter possibilities, provide compostable matter and materials such as root
wads and logs for other streambank, fish, and habitat improvement projects. Equipment and practices
demonstrated throughout this project will serve to not only educate people how to safely pursue these kinds of
activities, but also allow those with minimum cash flows, ways to consider the equipment needs and designs
suitable for removing biomass from their property; or how to invest wisely for a future business. Combinations of these project goals are to create sustainable programs which will serve to keep people in the forest
based businesses gainfully employed and find diversification advantages that provide for those goals.
Enclosure 3B
MULTI-AGENCY NATIONAL FIRE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
Community Assistance and Economic Action Programs
Project Evaluation Criteria
3. Increasing interagency coordination. (10 points)
Describe the level of cooperation between federal, state, tribal and local government and community organizations in planning or
implementing this project?
Who are the partners in carrying out this project?
Will expertise from resource agencies be included in project implementation?
Response: The
District has already partnered with other state and federal agencies, and is assisting with forest
plans, fire/fuel/habitat/environmental education, and defensible space projects in our area. Further interagency
coordination will effectively answer the need to utilize fuels removed through current defensible space and
fuel reduction programs. We are already working in unison with local DNR and Forest Service representatives to expand fuel reduction and removal programs. This includes utilization of thinning slash, timber
management activities, fish and wildlife habitat projects, and reducing fuel loads to enhance prescribed
burning possibilities.
Project implementation partners include FCD, Ferry County P.U.D., and the NRCS. Other partners we're
currently working with include the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife, Washington State
Departments of Fish & Wildlife and Natural Resources, Colville Confederated Tribes, Vaagen Brothers
Lumber Co., and private land owners. Ferry Conservation District is currently working as a Joint Lead with
the Colville Confederated Tribes in the Subbasin Planning processes. The knowledge and experience of the
Conservation District will be used to offer additional cost-share opportunities to landowners participating in
implementation projects. Use of root wads and similar materials can be demonstrated for use in habitat, fish,
and/or streambank restoration work.
4. Learning from people. (10 points)
Were other alternatives considered and, if so, why were they rejected in favor of this proposal?
What are the environmental, social, or educational benefits of the project?
What are the short and long-term outcomes from this project? How will they be measured and reported?
How can this project be used by other communities?
Response: Other
alternatives have been to pile and burn forest residues, which in the past has consumed a great
deal of merchantable materials. Alternatives have also left slash from management operations and natural
disturbances out in the forest, often on top of years of combined fuel accumulation. Since the developments in
small wood utilization, and the interest of people in this county (some have already purchased equipment) to
pursue modern ideas in the use of forest materials, there is major interest in learning more about new techniques. Even in this preliminary stage, the possibility of this project going ahead has generated a great deal of
interest on the part of local agencies and individuals regarding the support for new and existing private sector
forest industry jobs, including potential contracts on government lands. As efforts continue, timber industry
operators will be introduced to new ways to profitably utilize forest by-products. These will also be used as
part of other environmental enhancement and improvement projects, which will provide work and materials
for habitat and stream/bank improvement projects. Through our partnerships, we will generate sound
proceedures and environmental practices to provide information that will be demonstrated and reported in
ways useful to agencies, other grant participants, Tribes, and the general public. Through education and
demonstration, we will be reaching out to surrounding counties to extend our lessons gained from successes
and failures while the concerns from recent fires are still quite real.
Enclosure 3B
MULTI-AGENCY NATIONAL FIRE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
Community Assistance and Economic Action Programs
Project Evaluation Criteria
5. Reducing fire risk. (10 points)
How will the project reduce fire risk to the community over the short and long-term?
How will the proposal provide fire protection for communities, watersheds, and/or threatened and endangered species?
If biomass or small diameter material is removed, will it be utilized and, if so, estimate how much (tons, MBF, cunits, other)? How
will the material be utilized?
What is the geographic scope of this project (acres treated, number of communities served, other)?
Are needed permits, environmental clearances, signed agreements and volunteers in place?
Response: This
project will assist in the removal of fuels beyond the defensible spaces around homes,
outbuildings, and developed areas into the surrounding forest interface. As we reach out with new and
current defensible space participants, it allows us to promote other forest management techniques that will be
beneficial to forest health, increased timber growth and yield, as well as fuel and fire hazard reduction
projects. This project will assist in combined efforts to remedy these types of problems on private, state, and
federal lands. We are located within a million acres of forested lands to be considered within this proposal
with a city and towns listed on the extreme hazard list. Our project will further expand our abilities to reduce
fuels, educate and train people to utilize existing local equipment, make modifications, and demonstrate the
use of several different mechanical applications and horse operations which are now available and affordable.
It will also demonstrate sucessful practices for the long term sustainable management of forests and wildland.
Since the District is already actively involved in several cost/share activities on both private & government
lands, we can add management tools such as thinning and fuel reduction to already existing soil and water
improvement projects, habitat development, and enhancement programs or vice versa. District involvement
will promote the protection of watersheds, fish, and wildlife species throughout these projects. FCD assists
landowners from the planning and permitting stages, to the completion of the management activities.
Enclosure 3C
MULTI-AGENCY NATIONAL FIRE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
Community Assistance and Economic Action Programs
Project Work Form
Tasks
Time Frame
Responsible Party
Submit National Fire Plan Grant
Application
June 14, 2002
Ferry Conservation District
Notification to Ferry Conservation
District of Grant Award
After June 14, 2002
U.S. Forest Service National
Fire Plan Grant Committee(s)
Notify all cooperating entities and
partnerships of grant award
Immediately after receiving grant
Ferry Conservation District
Meet with U.S. Forest Service to draw
up agreement and scope of work
As soon as possible
FCD, P.U.D.,
U.S. Forest Service Region 6
Use educational mechanisms to notify
and educate public of the program
Following acceptance of
agreement and scope of work
FCD, P.U.D.
Meet with all partners and cooperators
FCD, P.U.D., NRCS, Private
August 1, 2002-September 1, 2002 Land Owners, Operators and
Horseman
Conduct outreach & education
Ongoing
FCD, P.U.D.
Collect information from all
participating partners & cooperators
Continuous
FCD, P.U.D., Consultants, and
other grant participants.
Conduct site surveys, assist with mngt.
August 1, 2002 - July 2004
plans, mark units, prepare operations
Conduct educational workshops
Fall of 2002 and 2003, Spring of
2003 and 2004
Implement demonstration projects
September 2002- August 2004
Collect information from projects and
other grant participants
Ongoing
Complete Final Report of Findings
July 1, 2004-August 1, 2004
Submit report to U.S. Forest Service
and all partners & cooperators
On or before September 1, 2004
Continue Monitoring
Ongoing
FCD, P.U.D., NRCS
FCD and P.U.D.
FCD and P.U.D.
FCD, NRCS, and P.U.D.
Ferry Conservation District
Ferry Conservation District
Ferry Conservation District