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@odf.state.or.us
Address (Street or P. O. Box, City, State, Zip):
2600 State Street, Salem. OR 97310
Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator (Name and Title):
Jim Wolf, District NFP Coordinator
Organization/Jurisdiction:
Oregon Department of Forestry, Southwest Oregon District
Phone:
FAX:
Email:
(541) 664-3328
(541) 776-6260
JWOLF@ODF.STATE.OR.US
Project Information
Project Title:
Applegate Watershed Community Fuel Reduction
Project Start:
Project End:
9/1/2002
6/1/2004
Federal Funding Request:
Total Project Funding:
$249,000
$325,000
Are you submitting multiple projects? If so, please explain and prioritize:
Brief Project Description:
Provide financial assistance and incentives to landowners to complete survivable space fuels reduction around
homes and community fuel reduction zones. This is a continuation and expansion of an existing successful
landowner rebate/incentive program in coordination with the Applegate Communities Collaborative Fire
Protection Strategy’s (Applegate Fire Plan) 24 partners. This FY2003 project will provide financial
assistance for home survivable space projects for landowners identified through the collaborative fire
planning process funded by a 2001 Community Assistance grant.
This project is a perfect match for the Applegate Fire Plan as it provides an incentive for landowners to
become involved in the community fire plan and accomplish on-the-ground work. It is just one of several
projects being proposed for the Applegate. Other projects being proposed by the plan’s partners would
provide work force training, assistance for low-income landowners unable to participate in cost share
programs, and assistance to landowners who prefer approaching fuel reduction in a more “traditional”or tribal
manner, and without government involvement.
Project Location:
Applegate Watershed
County:
Congressional District:
Josephine & Jackson
Oregon 2nd & 4th
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:
Wilderville, Murphy, Williams, Applegate, and Upper Applegate are on the national register
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
Response:
Location: This project is in a watershed which has a fire dependant ecosystem and that experiences one of the
highest occurrences of wildfires in the state. There are approximately 7,400 households in the nearly 500,000acre Applegate watershed. The purpose of this project is to reduce the risk of loss of human life, property and
resources by mitigation of fuels on private lands near dwellings in key landscape locations. This project is a
continuation and expansion of the Applegate Fuel Project funded by a NFP Community Assistance Grant in
2001. It will target neighborhoods identified by the plan as high priority. Wilderville, Murphy, Williams,
Applegate and Upper Applegate are on the national register as at risk communities.
Implementation: This project will be implemented and administered by the Oregon Dept. of Forestry by two
mechanisms. ODF will work with local fire districts to continue a landowner rebate program for home
survivable space. ODF will also provide landowners a 75% reimbursement for costs to treat additional acres
beyond the home (similar to the current Hazard Mitigation Title IV Program).
Outcomes: Reduce losses to property and surrounding forestland from wildfire, reduce fire starts through
landowner awareness and reduction of flammable vegetation, and provide greater safety for landowners and
firefighters.
Measures and Reporting: Prior to landowner reimbursements, ODF will inspect and approve the work.
Accomplishments and payments will be tracked by ODF, as well as by the Applegate Partnership (part of
implementation monitoring of the Applegate fire Plan).
Partners: This project is coordinated with and supported by the 24 partners of the Applegate Fire Plan (see
Q.3 for full listing of these partners). It continues to fund a cost-share reimbursement program that will
provide incentive and assistance to private landowners, who are proving to be the Fire Plan’s most vital
“partner”. The community of the Applegate has come together around the Applegate Fire Plan, both in
working together on neighborhood fuel reduction projects, as well as in organizing emergency
communications systems like telephone trees and resource lists. Private landowners are also beginning to
collaborate with federal land managers on fuel reductions, where joint ownership boundaries exist. (Note:
these collaborative projects are not being funded under this grant, but rather via federal means.)
Income: None anticipated.
Time Frames: Following fire season 2002 and continuing through June 1, 2004, or until funds are gone.
Activities/equipment: The landowner has a choice of completing the work themselves or hiring a contractor.
Around homes, the mitigation typically involves hand thinning and pruning of trees and brush. The waste is
either chipped, burned, or hauled to a recycling center. Projects that extend beyond the survivable space will
be completed by a combination of hand and mechanical treatments as described in the Applegate Fire Plan.
Amount: Survivable space for 200 homes, plus an additional 200 acres of hazardous fuels reduction
Environmental, cultural and historical resource requirements: A portion of the project focuses on areas
immediately around homes and driveways. No environmental, cultural and historical resource requirements
are anticipated in these areas. Larger, landscape level projects that are being planned for the Applegate and
that might involve these interests would, of course, meet all NEPA requirements prior to implementation.
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:
Grant funds will be used as an incentive for more and more Applegate landowners to mitigate
hazardous fuels around homes and adjacent forestlands. Approx. 200 homes have been or will be funded this
year under the same type of program; this snowballing participation only increases community knowledge
and capacity of fire issues, thereby decreasing some of our fire risk.
Much of the watershed’s interface is checker-boarded with BLM and Forest Service lands, and the Applegate
Fire Plan’s fuel reduction efforts are being partnered with those of BLM & FS, to realize larger and more
effective fuel breaks. (note: this work would not be funded via this grant) Mitigating hazardous fuels around
homes and strategy areas will improve the survivability of the structures, public and firefighter safety, and
reduce acres burned by allowing firefighters to focus resources on controlling the fire.
This project focuses on implementation of the Applegate Fire Plan throughout the communities of the
watershed. Many of the partners and community membersattended a regional FireWise Workshop, held in
Grants Pass last fall. The first step in restoring a fire-adapted ecosystem is to gain the understanding,
acceptance, and support of the local communities, and the Applegate Fire Plan, plus our current incentive
project has increased the level of awareness among interface residents by drawing them into the planning
effort and by demonstrating strategies in their neighborhoods. This project also helps reduce the risk to
homes when federal agencies conduct ecosystem restoration burning nearby.
A condition of the landowner rebate is that they agree to maintain the fuel treatment area.
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:
The landowners themselves will complete some of the work. The Applegate Fire Plan provides listings of
local work resources available for hire; therefore it is anticipated that this grant will provide work for many
local contractors. Many of the traditional contractors are already heavily committed to work on adjacent
federal lands. This project is anticipated to create work for small crews and contractors better adapted to
home-site work and smaller projects. There is strong evidence that the workload will continue after this grant
is complete due to the increased awareness of landowners resulting from the whole community fire planning
process.
This project provides an excellent opportunity to further demonstrate to other communities the value of local
community fire planning because it funds projects that were identified in the planning process. The
Applegate Fire Plan is being documented as a model community collaborative effort, and national as well as
local media interest has been high.
Due to the species and scattered nature of the biomass, it’s not likely that much of the material generated will
be utilized off site. Other partners are targeting projects to utilize biomass.
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:
The Applegate Fire Plan brought 24 partners together this past year to develop a fire protection strategy for
the Applegate Watershed. It addresses fuel reduction, fire suppression and emergency communications
systems, as well as providing resource listings in several areas such as building regulations, emergency
services and forestry workers. Community outreach meetings have reached over 30 neighborhoods, creating
tremendous interest in all of these areas, but especially regarding fuel hazard mitigation on private lands. This
project is vital to the success of the implementation of the Applegate Fire Plan by providing both an incentive
for landowners to become more involved in the fire plan, and as well as the means to accomplish projects
identified through the planning process.
The level of cooperation among federal, state, and local government, and private individuals and groups has
created nationwide interest. The various project ID teams were all inter-agency, and proved very instrumental
in the project’s success.
The list of partners beyond the local communities participating in the plan: Applegate Partnership, Applegate
River Watershed Council, Applegate Fire District #9, BLM (Ashland and Grants Pass Resource Areas),
Jackson County (Building Dept, Emergency Services, GIS, and Sheriff), Josephine County (Building Safety,
Forestry, Planning, and Sheriff), NMFS, Oregon State (Fish and Wildlife, Forestry -Medford and GP Units,
Environment Quality), Rural Metro Fire Dept, USFWS, US Forest Service (Rogue River and Siskiyou NF),
Williams Creek Watershed Council, and Williams Fire Department.
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:
This proposal was coordinated primarily with the Core Team of the Applegate Fire Plan, including
BLM, USFS, Applegate Fire Dist #9, Lomakotsi Restoration, REACH, Rural/Metro Fire Dept. and the
Applegate Partnership.
Support for this program has been tremendous in FY 2002; hence our request to continue. The $18,000 SFA
pilot project in the China Gulch area reached 42 households in just a few months. In January 2002, ODF
expanded the program to the entire watershed using the 2001 Applegate Fuel Project Community Assistance
grant. It’s anticipated that these funds will be committed by this summer, reaching an additional 200+
households with the rebate program and treating an additional 200-300 acres of community fuel reduction
using the 75% landowner cost share program. Due to the high cost of fuel reduction work in the Applegate,
landowners will likely match at least 25% of the project cost.
As stated in item #1, the first step in restoring a fire-adapted ecosystem is to gain the understanding,
acceptance, and support of the local communities. The current project has and will continue to increase the
level of awareness among interface residents of the challenges of true stewardship of the land. It provides
one-on-one education. While the implementation, effectiveness and validation monitoring components of
the Applegate Fire Plan are still being formulated, they will definitely involve all parties, with all agencies as
well as local residents of all ages following our efforts to reduce fire hazard in the watershed.
This project also helps reduce the risk to homes when federal agencies conduct ecosystem restoration burning
nearby.
Enclosure 3C - Project Work Form
Tasks
Time Frame
Responsible Party
Consult with BLM and Forest Service
regarding the location of current and
planned work
Spring 2002 through June 2004
ODF, cooperators
Consult with Applegate Fire Plan to
identify landowners to be targeted for
participation.
Spring 2001 through June 2004
Applegate Fire Plan
cooperators, ODF
On-site consultation to generate site
plan, and cost share agreement
October 2002 through June 2004
ODF, Applegate Fire District
#9
Completion of individual projects
October 2002 through June 2004
Landowners/contractors
Final inspection of completed work
for approval.
October 2002 through June 2004
ODF, Applegate Fire Dist #9
Rebate payment to landowner
October 2002 through June 2004
ODF
Prepare final project report
June 2004
ODF
Enclosure 3D - Project Budget
Cost Category
Description
Federal
Agency
Personnel
Rebates: on-site consultation
Cost-share: on-site consultation
Subtotal
Applicant
Josephine Co
Fire Districts
Landowner
10,000
10,000
20,000
10,000
10,000
10,000
Total
10,000
Fringe Benefits
Subtotal
Travel
Subtotal
Equipment
Subtotal
Supplies
Subtotal
Contractual
Rebates 200@$500
Cost-share 200A@$500
Subtotal
100,000
100,000
200,000
Other
Local Administration (15%)
Agency Administration
Subtotal
31,500
7,500
39,000
Total Costs
$249,000
Project (Program) Income1
33,000
33,000
66,000
133,000
133,000
266,000
31,500
7500
39,000
$10,000
$66,000
$325,000