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HomeMy WebLinkAboutForester UpdateMEMORANDUM DATE: April 13, 2009 TO: Deschutes County BOCC FROM: Joe Stutter, Deschutes County Forester RE: Forester Update For the last two months the following projects and issues have either been accomplished or addressed: 1. Grant Applications—we have applied for two National Fire Plan Grants @ $200,000 each and have received news that we are the recipient of one entitled "Sweat Equity" which will allow us to remove treated fuels throughout the county on private lands, the fuel will be cut and hauled to the roadside by the property owners. We estimate treating approximately 500 properties to Senate Bill 360 Standards. Additionally we have submitted another grant application to FEMA for approximately $560,000 for education and prevention activities for Project Wildfire. We are working with Crook County and expect to expand our collaboration with both Jefferson and Klamath Counties to apply for a significant FEMA grant this fall for fuels treatment, more details later. 2. Existing Grants—Utilizing a FEMA grants we have treated over 350 acres this winter on county owned and private lands with three contracts awarded to local vendors for approximately $500,000. We expect those contracts to run through the calendar year. Additionally we have awarded three additional contracts for marketing, Beyond the Flames publication and FireFree Campaign. We have an additional contract to be awarded, all told we will spent approximately $435,000 in the areas on fire prevention and education all going to local contractors. 3. Project Wildfire/FireFree Programs—in addition to our monthly meetings for coordination, the FireFree Campaign involves three counties and begins May 2-10 @ Knott Landfill and a west side location, Black Butte Ranch, all transfer stations, Alfalfa, both Crook and Jefferson Counties and a special FireFree weekend @ Camp Sherman. We expect 40,000 cubic yards of defensible space debris this year. Additionally, Monterey County requested a presentation regarding Community Fire Plans, Project Wildfire and FireFree Programs in late February. We still offer advice and counsel to their efforts. The County plans to hire a County Forester and model their program from our. 4. I was invited and participated in three Incident Command System (ICS) courses at the Redmond Regional Training Center to assist with the training of approximately 100 federal, state and local government personnel this winter for upcoming emergencies and wildland fire events. 5. I have served as a member of the Central Oregon Community College and OSU Campus Advisory Council for the last three years. In March, met with college officials to review current course curriculum for natural resources and forestry. I will continue to serve on the advisory council in this capacity. 6. The COCC "Capstone Course" is in full swing and the class will be completing a monitor and plan revision for the county property on Wilt Road. The class will be making a formal presentation to the BOCC and County Staff in early June as the final exam for the course. This is a continuation of our M.O.U. with the college to provide hands on training/education for the students and provide quality work on county owned lands. 7. I have been actively participating with the South County "Listening Sessions" dealing with ground water, wildland fire and other resource issues. Project Wildfire and the Upper Deschutes River Coaltion have signed on as co-sponsors. Not too surprising is the high interest in wildland fire and defensible space. The feedback we receive will guide our deliberations in future Comprehensive Plan endeavors. 8. We have submitted a $2 million request as part of the Presidents Stimulus Package to continue our efforts to put people back to work and continue with our fuels treatment efforts on private lands. We are still awaiting a final determination of our requests. 9. We completed a Memorandum of Agreement with Oregon Department of Forestry for assistance by their employees to serve as contract inspectors on our upcoming fuels contract works. 10. We are completing a Fire Evacuation Signing Plan for many of our neighborhoods and will order and install approximately 350 signs in our unincorporated neighborhoods, approximately 90%of the work will be completed by volunteers from the maps we produce. That information will update our Community Fire Plans. 11 In conjunction with the Central Oregon Fire Chiefs, Project Wildfire is co- sponsoring the annual fire season coordination meeting scheduled for June 12, 2009. The location will be the Deschutes County Fairgrounds and we our honored to have Dr. Noreen Kruse! from Australia attending to provide Lessons Learned from their most recent fire season including the controversial policy of "prepare, leave early, or stay and defend." 12. The Senate Bill 360 classification process is ongoing and we have most of the current ODF lands reviewed and will begin the fire districts and unprotected lands next. We plan on announcing public meetings in June/July for areas throughout the county for review of our work. Joe Stutler Deschutes County Forester 2009 Capstone Proposal For the 2009 Capstone Class I propose two opportunities to utilize the cumulative skills of the group for the following projects: (1) In 2005-2007 Capstone Classes developed a Land Management Plan for Deschutes County property on Wilt Road and assisted with the development of the contracts to complete the work. This project would consist of the following tasks/objectives: • Review Land Management Plan and Contracts along with the work on the ground and complete a "plan in hand" report comparing what was planned versus what was actually accomplished. • For those differences, explore and explain why that happened. • Utilizing monitoring techniques, provide a report on average basal area for the properties, wildlife populations survey, wildland fire fuels survey (did the treatment make a difference?), dispersed recreation survey including OHV issues. • Present the "Three Most important" issues/opportunities or follow up tasks to be performed the next five years on the properties. (2) Since 2004 there have been seven Community Fire Plans created for every acre in Deschutes County and in some cases the plans have been revised. This project would consist of the following tasks/objectives: • Identify how many acres of fuels have been treated on private lands and public lands within each CWPP. • Identify how many properties both with homes and vacant lots have complied with Senate Bill 360 defensible space standards. • Identify how much money (grants, appropriated $'s and cost share) have been spent within each CWPP the last 5 years and a total amount. • Identify the "hard and soft match" of time/dollar contributions to these efforts • Prepare a report summarizing the above mentioned accomplishments with any recommendations for future updates or priorities of CWPP's I will be available to assist with these efforts as necessary.