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: 541-935-2283 541-935-0731 Dspiesscha@state.or.us Address (Street or P. O. Box, City, State, Zip): 2600 State Street, Salem, OR 97301 Project Coordinator Project Coordinator (Name and Title): David Jacobs, Assistant Unit Forester Organization/Jurisdiction: The Dalles Unit, Central Oregon District, Oregon Department of Forestry Phone: 541-296-4626 FAX: Email: 541-298-4993 David.j.jacobs@state.or.us Project Information Project Title: Dry Creek Drainage, Seven Mile Hill Defensible Space & Hazard Fuel Reduction Project Start: Project End: October 2002 September 2005 Federal Funding Request: Total Project Funding: $172,000 $202,000 Are you submitting multiple projects? If so, please explain and prioritize: Yes, priority #2 Brief Project Description: Provide assistance to non-industrial landowners in the Dry Creek Drainage of the Seven Mile Hill area just outside of The Dalles, for vegetation management to create defensible space, to reduce fire hazard, and improve forest health in the adjoining timber stands. The funds would be used as a cost share incentive to allow landowners to make a single entry into stands and treat the total stand to meet the objective of reducing the fire hazard and improving forest health. This area is at extreme risk from wildfire due to the increase in rural residences in the Interface, and the signifant role that the Columbia Gorge winds play in creating a potential for disasterous wildfires. Project Location: County: Congressional District: Dry Creek, Seven Mile Hill Wasco 2nd Walden 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: 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 Response: Project 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 Location: The area is located in and around the community of Seven Mile Hill a timbered and grassy zone adjoining the Columbia River National Scenic Area. This area is at significant risk from wildfire due to the population density and influence that Gorge winds have on the potentially disastrous fires. Project Implementation: In this area the commercial harvest provides little in the way of profit to the landowner. The landowner can sometimes make a small profit by doing a commercial thinning. This leaves the rest of the activities such as precommecial thinning and reduction of the total fuel hazard undone. The result is a continued fuel buildup and a decrease in forest health. These 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 be only on the portion that would not generate a profit from a commercial harvest. Cost share incentives would have a base rate of 80%, with additional incentives up to 95%, for landowners working together, utilization of material and discouraging burning, use of local contractors, and creating defensible space around improvements. Letters will be sent to each landowner in the grant area describing the grant and setting up a meeting that will answer additional questions, when a landowner expresses an interest in participating, a Service Forester will meet with the landowner and decide what needs to be done. The landowner will sign an agreement that describes the work to be done. When the work is completed a Service Forester will review and sign off and payment will be made for work completed. Project Outcome: The outcome of this project is to reduce the fire hazard, and improve forest health on approximately 4,000 acres and directly and indirectly protect about 225 rural lots and fulltime residences. This 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. ODF Salem will issue a control number obligating the estimated amount of grant funds, when the work is completed the Service Forester will review and sign off on the amount of work completed. ODF Salem will process payment to the landowner. This process will record the work items accomplished and amount of acres and the funds spent. Partners: Partners will be the local landowners. Project Income: None expected Project Time Frames: This work would be accomplished between October 2002 and September 2005 Activities & Equipment Used: Activities would include pre-commercial thinning, pruning, material utilization, such as poles & posts, chips, hog fuel, firewood, and slash disposal, which would include chipping, piling, and burning. Burning is discouraged but in some cases it may be the only method to dispose of the fuel hazard. Equipment will range from mechanical harvesters, chippers, chainsaws, grapple pilers, and dozer piling. Hand crews will be used where possible to minimize ground disturbance activities. Extent of Actions: The actions would effect approximately 2,800 acres and directly and indirectly protect about 200 rural lots and full time residences, and the area of Seven Mile Hill, Dry Creek Drainage with a population estimated of round 700 people. Environmental, Cultural, and Historic Resources: All activities will follow the requirements for the Forest Practices Act. Consultation with ODFW and USFS on threatened and endangered species in the area resulted in no species identified utilizing both Federal and State species lists. Cultural concerns are present in the area, however through consultation with the CRGNSA no known cultural sites were identified within the project area. Contact with USFS biologists and archeologists has resulted in a decision that the project is “Not Likely to Adversely Affect” any known T&E or Cultural sites. 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? This project will reduce the fire risk directly by reducing the amount of fuel in the affected area. First priority will be to create defensible space, the next will be to work in the area directly beyond defensible space. This will reduce the stand density to an appropriate level for the given site class. By reducing the stand density and getting the stand to a healthy state, it will be able to withstand a moderate intensity fire. This project will directly reduce the risk of high intensity fire and thereby reduce the risk to the affected communities. The potential for removal of bio-mass will depend on the specific site. Estimates range from 25 to 75 tons per acre, the material could be used for chips at the local chip mill, or firewood through local commercial dealers. Coordination has taken place with the Columbia River National Scenic Area. This project covers the border of private timberlands adjoining the National Scenic Area. Similar grants are requested directly to the east of this grant proposal. CRGNSA has plans for additional fuel reduction treatments on adjacent Federal lands. This project will help by tying the private and Federal lands together for fuels reduction in a critical area. This community has been involved in the Firewise and defensable space triage programs. Public meetings, demonstrations, newspaper articles, fair displays have all recently publicized the issues. Annual triage programs have been held in the area. It is estimated that in this dry site Pine and Mixed conifer ecosystem this fuel hazard mitigation will be good for 10 plus years, during which landowners will be encouraged to use a low intensity fire and fuel removal around structures to maintain the mitigation work. Response: 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? The project would under the guidance of the Oregon Forest Practicesfor Act. Response: This grantfall will stimuate the landowners to explore alternatives the treatment of their land. The local community is very aware of and concerned about the fire potential. This will be the boost to help them make a positive change in reducing the fire hazard and improving forest health. One of the methods of treatment will be to haul chip logs to the local chip mill in The Dalles which is 5 miles away. Additionally there is a commercial firewood yard located in Dallesport that can utilize a significant amount of the product as well. Utilization will be the preferred and recommended method of treatment for the chip logs and firewood. This project will help a sagging economy in Wasco County. The timber industry especially is struggling, and this project has the potential to support other forest related jobs within the area. The diversification would come from the ability to utilize smaller material and assistance to make it economical to treat these private non-industrial lands. The local Fire Prevention Coop will share the results through community awareness programs throughout the Mid Columbia Area. This projects could potentially be the seed money to keep 25 to 50 people seasonally employeed for approximately 3 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 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. Response: This grant proposal fits into a strategy of The Dalles Unit and the Central Oregon District to apply for grants to cover identified Communities at Risk. Currently one other grant has been funded. This grant was coordinated with the local County Fire Chiefs in Hood River, as well as representatives from Mt Hood National Forest. The Mt Hood National Forest is planning to connect their fuel hazard mitigation projects to the work that is being done on private lands within the Hood River County area. Cooperation exists between Wasco County, the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, the Mid Columbia Fire Prevention Coop as well as the local fire district in coordination of grant opportunities. There are current and ongoing grants with Wasco County covering spatial data informational systems that will be made available to all interested parties for aid in prevention and response to all risk disasters in addition to wildfires. This data will be invaluable for use in this grant proposal. 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: There has been a series of Firewise workshops in Central Oregon, in which we have had participants from Hood River and Wasco Counties. Locally we have had Defensible space presentations to the Small Woodland Owners, and on site Triage programs for local residents. There have been ongoing displays at the county fairs, direct mailings to the landowners in the grant areas, public meetings, and newspaper articles. Local government, economic development, state and federal agencies have met to coordinate opportunities with the National Fire Plan grants. The counties have grant money and are working in coordination with this effort as well and the National Forests, and the Oregon Department of Forestry. The benefits of this project are direct fire hazard reduction, improved forest health, local economic stimulation, bio-mass utilization, and local government coordination. These projects have proved a stimulus to getting local agencies to working together. Hood River and Wasco Counties are economically depressed, and will benefit from this project. Enclosure 3C - Project Work Form Tasks Time Frame Responsible Party Identify specific landowners and direct mail the grant information and set up a meeting for landowners in the grant area. October/December 2002 The Dalles Assistant 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, assign a control number and authorize the work to start. October 2002 and ongoing through 2005 Service Forester/Forest Officers 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. October 2002 and ongoing through 2005 Service Forester/Forest Officers Use projects as an example of fire hazard reduction and improved forest health. October 2002 and ongoing through 2005 Service Forester/Assistant Unit Forester Enclosure 3D - Project Budget Cost Category Description Federal Agency Personnel Service Forester 1.5mths Forest Officer 2 mths Office Specialist .5 mths Subtotal Fringe Benefits OPE 37.23% Subtotal Applicant Partner 1 Partner 2 Total $5,550 $5,000 $1,100 $11,650 $5,500 $5,000 $1,100 $11,650 $4,350 $4,350 $4,350 $4,350 $500 $500 $500 $500 $500 $500 $500 $500 Travel Subtotal Equipment Vehicle Subtotal Supplies Service & Supply Subtotal Contractual Landowner Cost Share Agmts Subtotal Other Agency Administration Subtotal Total Costs $150,000 $30,000 $180,000 $150,000 $30,000 $180,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $172,000 $202,000 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.