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:
Southwest Oregon Resource Conservation & Development Council
Phone:
FAX:
Email:
541-476-5906
541-955-9574
sworcd@cdsnet.net
Address (Street or P. O. Box, City, State, Zip):
576 NE "E" Street, Grants Pass, OR 97526
Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator (Name and Title):
Gail Perrotti, Chair
Organization/Jurisdiction:
Seven Basins Watershed Council
Phone:
FAX:
Email:
541-830-3781
n/a
perrotti@internetcds.com
Project Information
Project Title:
Seven Basins Neighborhood Fire Planning and Education
Project Start:
Project End:
July 1, 2002
December 31, 2003
Federal Funding Request:
Total Project Funding:
$7,205.00
$18,265.00
Are you submitting multiple projects? If so, please explain and prioritize:
No
Brief Project Description:
The Evans Creek watershed is among the most fire prone areas in Southern Oregon. This project
will engage & empower rural residents to become more aware and active in wildfire prevention &
response. It will begin with a one-day workshop to develop the capacity of the Watershed Council
members to conduct outreach, provide public education. Working with agencies the Council will
conduct 3-4 localized workshops to increase awareness and promote utilization of existing
programs and resources. The Council will coordinate with agencies to facilitate the development of
two neighborhood fire strategies complementing fire planning activities occurring on Federal lands
and in ODF priority areas. These will include risk assessment and planning.
This project will pave the way for the Watershed Council to continue to provide education and
facilitation of neighborhood fire plans throughout the fire-prone watershed and to develop a role of
liaison between the agencies and the dispersed rural residents.
Project Location:
County:
Congressional District:
Evans Creek Watershed
Jackson
02
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:
Evans Creek Watershed: cities of Rogue River, Gold Hill, unicorporated areas of Wimer, Sams Vly.
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
 partners





project income
project time frames
specify types of activities and equipment used
amount or extent of actions (acres, number of homes, etc)
environmental, cultural and historical resource requirements
The Evans Creek Watershed has been heavily impacted by fire for more than 20 years. In more
than 8 significant fires, approximately 40,000 acres have suffered including the loss of homes. There are two
incorporated cities in the area, but a significant portion of watershed lies in the unincorporated area of
Jackson County; significant area is outside rural fire districts. Natural conditions including vegetation,
aspect, slope and climate are compounded by an increasing shift in land use to rural residential.
This project will develop capacity of the Watershed Council members to conduct outreach, provide public
education and facilitate the development of two neighborhood fire strategies, including fire prevention and
response activities. This groundwork will pave the way for the Watershed Council to continue to provide
education and facilitation of neighborhood fire strategies throughout the fire-prone watershed and to develop
their liaison role to the benefit of agencies and the dispersed rural residents.
A train-the-trainer session will be conducted to give watershed council members the skills needed to facilitate
and assist community workshops and planning efforts. This one-day workshop will be jointly conducted by
Southwest Oregon RC&D Council, USFS, BLM, ODF, and local fire districts. Trained Watershed Council
members will form the cadre of volunteers to conduct further work in the neighborhoods, and they will
provide vital outreach to maximize public involvement.
A series of 3-4 localized workshops will be developed to present basic fire prevention and response
information and to promote programs to assist with fuels reduction and fire response. Tours will be
integrated with workshop sessions to provide hands-on examples of fuels reduction, defensible space and
other prevention work. The Watershed Council will assist with the planning outreach and coordination of the
workshop, and technical assistance will be provided by implicated agencies.
Two neighborhood fire strategies will be facilitated by the Watershed Council in cooperation with agency
partners. Community members will come together to evaluate their risks and opportunities and plan for
prevention and response to wildfire disasters and emergencies. Groups will verify and refine information to
share with agencies such as high risk fuel sources, roads/bridges and stored water (using GPS). Databases
will be developed with contact and other information.
These efforts will be targeted to best complement ongoing and planned efforts by partners. BLM is
beginning planning on a watershed-wide fuels reduction and fire prevention effort in the Evans Valley with
specific activities planned in Fielder Creek and Pleasant Creek. ODF is planning to implement fuels
reduction cost-share activities in the Wimer area in the 2002 season and is working in cooperation with the
Seven Basins Watershed Council to conduct outreach and plan more activity watershed-wide.
This project will result in a trained cadre of community volunteers, 3-4 workshops offered at the local level
with tours, two neighborhood fire strategies and updated information. Evaluation efforts will include:
evaluation forms distributed to participants at all workshops and training events, a followup report on the
activity of the trained cadre (hours, type of service), degree of participation and involvement of residents in
planning efforts and the ability of the neighborhood groups to set and achieve objectives. Agency partners
will be interviewed to evaluate effectiveness from their perspectives.
The project will not generate income. It is planned to begin in July 2002 and complete in December 2003.
The project does not involve ground disturbing activity or equipment.
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.
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 fuels treatment plan or 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 (a) leads to, enhances or restores a local fire-adapted ecosystem, and/or (b) mitigates or leads to the
mitigation of hazardous fuel conditions.
F. How will the proposed treatments be maintained over time?
Response: There is
extensive "checkerboard" ownership in the Evans/Sardine Creek drainages, which have
more than 40,000 acres within a mile of the interface zone. The 13,000+ rural residents are dispersed and
have neither strong community affiliations, nor full coverage by Fire Districts. This project will gather
information useful to fire strategy development watershed-wide, provide training and mobilize private
citizens to organize and act on their own behalf in localized cooperation. The pilot areas for strategy
development coincide with areas that are in early stages of fire and fuels planning by BLM and are priority
areas for ODF and County Emergency Offices.
The neighborhood groups will analyze their risks and opportunities & develop strategies to reduce risk and to
respond to emergencies. Education efforts will make people more familiar with existing assistance & costshare programs available to reduce fire risks and will encourage the development of strategies to implement
activities to address needs. ODF plans to target these pilot areas with their field assistance and cost-share
programs to add incentive to implement practices. Neighborhood groups will be encouraged to share and
coordinate their strategies with Fire Districts, ODF and BLM.
This methodology is intended to be replicable and to be used throughout the watershed after the initial pilot
neighborhood sessions and using skills and experience developed in the pilot phase.
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)?
B. To what extent will this project be offered to serve as a model for other communities?
C. Will biomass or forest fuels be utilized; if so, in what manner and how much?
Response: While focused
on community strategy development and education, this effort will have an indirect
impact on jobs related to fuels reduction as residents are motivated to undertake the necessary work on their
land. In addition, those who pursue cost-share programs are likely to contract for fuels reduction work.
This initial effort will be a training opportunity for Watershed Council members who are interested in leading
these neighborhood efforts throughout the watershed. Training and development of community leaders will
increase the capacity of the residents in the affected area to interact and cooperate with fire and forest
management agencies. Equipment (such GPS units, computer and printer) provided through this grant will
provide the tools for future outreach and community organizing activities as well as supporting these current
efforts.
This model of training and local empowerment is designed to be readily replicable, and the Seven Basins
Council is planning to use this experience, the watershed-wide assessment information and the equipment as
the basis for carrying on localized planning efforts throughout the remainder of the watershed.
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 plan, or creates such a plan. Describe the plan if it
already exists.
B. Explain the level of cooperation, coordination or strategic planning among federal, state, tribal, local government and
community organizations. List the cooperators.
The Evans Creek and Sams Valley areas have been plagued by destructive fires over the last 20
years and are considered very high priority areas by BLM and ODF. Local Fire Districts play a key role
where they have coverage, but there are sizable areas within the watershed which are not protected by fire
districts. Agencies are very supportive of efforts to educate and mobilize rural residents to combat the toll of
fire in these areas, and they are excited about the development of a citizens group to assist with outreach
efforts.
In early meetings of the Seven Basins Watershed Council, participants discovered they had a common interest
in fire and they have learned that agencies are also interested and busy with plans for their area. The agencies
welcome the development of a citizen group to help coordinate, facilitate outreach, promote education and
motivate citizen involvement. Agencies will provide technical support for train-the-trainer, workshops and
neighborhood planning. Agencies have suggested that verifying and ground-truthing information on stored
water would be a data gap that a citizen's group could help fill. Location data on stored water can be
collected with GPS and shared with appropriate agencies.
Neighborhood groups will evaluate their unique situations and develop strategies. They will be encouraged to
involve and share information with interagency partners, and to coordinate their activities with efforts
planned on adjacent forest lands.
Response:
4. Expanding Community Participation. (15 Points)
A. To what extent have interested people and communities been provided an opportunity to become informed and involved in this
proposal?
B. Describe the extent of local support for the project, including any cost-sharing arrangements.
C. What are the environmental, social and educational benefits of the project?
Response: The Watershed
Council has just recently formed through a series of public meetings. During this 9
month period potential activities and projects have been discussed including fire prevention and response.
The full Board of 15 locally elected members, representing residents throughout the watershed, has actively
participated in the development of the project concept.
The Seven Basins Board of Directors plans to become actively involved in the outreach and education
activities. More than 25 volunteers will be recruited to provide at least 250 hours of service. Agencies are
offering support, including access to data, technical assistance, and some educational materials.
Preventing fire in the Evans Creek Watershed is far easier and more cost effective than fighting fires and
healing the effects of wildfire. Many people are concerned about fire, but lack the skills and coordination to
act in meaningful ways to protect their own interests or to lessen the risks to the neighborhood. This project
will train community members to evaluate their own situations as well as reach out to their neighbors. The
cadre of trained community members will provide ready access and referral to assistance. Development of
neighborhood strategies will steer rural residents toward greater self-responsibility and community awareness,
as well as creating better coordination with agencies.
Enclosure 3C - Project Work Form
Tasks
Time Frame
Responsible Party
Train-the-Trainer. Train Watershed Council
members in community outreach methods, fire
planning and prevention in order to better
support agency efforts (i.e. not to lead
trainings)
August 2002, one-day workshop
ODF, BLM, Southwest Oregon
RC&D, Fire Districts
Community Workshops. Conduct 3-4
localized workshops (including tours) to
present fire prevention overview and promote
programs to assist with fuels reduction and
emergency response.
September-November 2002
Seven Basins WC with Agencies:
fire districts, BLM, ODF, County
Emergency services
Neighborhood Strategy Development.
Conduct outreach to target neighborhoods,
develop planning processes with local input,
hold planning sessions, followup and
communicate resulting strategies/plan to
appropriate partners.
Dec 2002- July 2003
Seven Basins Watershed council with
input and assistance from agencies.
PLEASE SEE BUDGET ON ATTACHED
SPREADSHEET
Enclosure 3D Project Budget
Cost Category
Description
Federal
Agency
Applicant
Partner 1
Personnel
SEE ATTACHED SPREADSHEET
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$
$0.00
$0.00
Subtotal
Partner 2
Total
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
Fringe Benefits
n/a
Subtotal
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
Travel
n/a
Subtotal
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
Equipment
Subtotal
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
Supplies
Subtotal
$
$0.00
$0.00
$
$0.00
$0.00
Contractual
Subtotal
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
Other
Subtotal
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
Total Costs
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$
Project (Program) Income1
(using deductive alternative)
1
$0.00
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.