HomeMy WebLinkAboutForester UpdateMEMORANDUM
DATE: September 12, 2008
TO: Deschutes County Board of Commissioners
FROM: Joe Stutler, Deschutes County Forester
RE: Forester Update
Since the last update the following identifies significant accomplishments:
1. Completion of hazardous fuels treatment in Deschutes River Woods, Woodside
Ranch, Riverbend, Skyliners, Ponderosa Pines, Lower Bridges Estates, and near
completion of work in Starwood and Newberry Estates. Total treated is 700
acres for approximately $300,000 for an average cost of $430/acre which is
significantly less than the $1000/acre average and attributed to the “qualified
pool” concept.
2. Completed the final draft of two ordinances (attached) which address defensible
space on unprotected lands in Deschutes County and the revision of an existing
ordinance for open burning on unprotected lands in Deschutes County. The
defensible space ordinance will be brought to the board for consideration for
adoption within the next two weeks and coincide with ODF efforts to re-classify
all lands within the county under ODF protection and will be Phase Two of
Senate Bill 360 implementation. The arrangement with ODF is Deschutes
County will implement the exact standards on unprotected lands and ODF will
track the certification with the remainder of private lands within the county at no
cost.
3. Completing the fuels program of work for fall, winter and spring which will
essentially treat all county owned lands south of Sun River to the county line
which will treat an additional 700 acres utilizing the FEMA Grant.
4. On November 12th, the next scheduled update will include participation from the
FS and possibly the BLM on activities on public lands in addition to County
Forester update.
Joe Stutler
Deschutes County Forester
Attachments
Chapter 8.XX.
HAZARDOUS NATURAL VEGETATIVE FUELS
8.XX.010. Definitions.
8.XX.020. Purpose and Intent
8.XX.030 Lands Subject to the Standards
8.XX.040 Standards
8.XX.050 Standard Waivers and Reductions
8.XX.060 Fuel Break Requirements
8.XX.010. Definitions.
The following words and phrases, when used in DCC 8.XX, shall mean the following,
unless the context otherwise requires:
A. “Developed” means lands which contains a structure.
B. “Driveway” means the primary, privately owned vehicle access road that serves a
dwelling, which is controlled by the owner of the dwelling, and which is longer than 150
feet.
C. "Dwelling" means a structure, or a part of a structure, that is used as a home, as a
residence, or as a sleeping place by one or more people who maintain a household in
the structure.
D. “Fire resistant roofing ” means roofing material that has been installed and is
maintained to the specifications of the manufacturer and which:
1. Is rated by Underwriter's Laboratory as Class A, Class B, Class C, or is
equivalent thereto; or
2. Is metal.
E. "Fuel break” means a natural or a human-made area immediately adjacent to a
structure or to a driveway, where material capable of allowing a wildfire to spread
does not exist or has been cleared, modified, or treated to:
1. Significantly reduce the rate of spread and the intensity of an advancing
wildfire; and
2. Create an area in which fire suppression operations may more safely occur.
F. “Ladder fuel” means branches, leaves, needles, and other combustible vegetation
that may allow a wildfire to spread from lower growing vegetation to higher growing
vegetation.
G. "Lands" means one or more tax lots.
H. “Non-fire resistant roofing” means roofing material that is not fire resistant including,
but not limited to, cedar shakes.
I. "Road" means a road over which the public has a right of use that is a matter of
public record.
J. “Standards” means the actions, efforts, or measures which owners of suburban and
urban lands shall take on their property, prior to a wildfire occurrence which originates
on the property.
K. "Structure" means a permanently sited building, a manufactured home, or a mobile
home that is either a dwelling or an accessory building, which occupies at least 500
square feet of ground space, and which has at least one side that is fully covered.
L. “Vacant” ” means lands which do not contain a structure.
M. "Wildfire" means an uncontrolled fire which is damaging, or is threatening to
damage, natural vegetation or structures.
8.XX.020 Purpose and Intent.
A. The standards set forth in DCC 8.XX.040 are designed to minimize or mitigate a
wildfire hazard or risk on property which arises due, singly or in combination, to the
presence of structures, to the arrangement or accumulation of vegetative fuels, or to the
presence of other wildfire hazards.
B. It is recognized that owners have a variety of objectives to achieve while applying
the standards, including objectives related to aesthetics, dust barriers, fish and wildlife
habitat, gardening, soil stabilization, sound barriers, and visual barriers. It is the intent
of the standards to allow owners to meet such objectives, provided there is no
compromise of the standards needed to mitigate wildfire hazards or risks.
C. The standards are considered to be minimum measures which are intended to
improve the survivability of structures during a wildfire, but which will not guarantee
survivability.
D. To the extent possible, the standards are the same as those required on lands
subject to the Oregon Forestland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Act of 1997, ORS
477.015 to 477.061.
8.XX.030 Lands Subject to the Standards.
A. Owners of the following lands shall comply with the standards set forth in DCC
8.XX.040:
1. Developed lands not classified as High, Extreme or High Density Extreme
under the Oregon Forestland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Act of 1997.
B. Owners of the following lands are not required to comply with the standards
set forth in DCC 8.XX.040, however, they are encouraged to review their individual
situation and to apply those standards which may be appropriate:
1. Developed lands classified as High, Extreme or High Density Extreme under
the Oregon Forestland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Act of 1997.
2. Vacant lands classified as High Density Extreme under the Oregon
Forestland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Act of 1997.
3. Lands within the city limits of Bend, Redmond La Pine and Sisters.
4. Lands receiving fire protection from a rural fire protection district or from a
county service district.
8.XX.040 Standards.
A. On developed lands, the landowner shall:
1. Provide and maintain primary fuel breaks which comply with the requirements
of DCC 8.XX.060 and which are:
a. Immediately adjacent to structures, for a distance of at least 30 feet, or
to the property line, whichever is the shortest distance. The distance shall be measured
along the slope and from the furthest extension of the structure, including attached
carports, decks, or eaves.
b. Immediately adjacent to driveways, for a distance of at least ten feet
from the centerline of a driveway, or to the property line, whichever is the shortest
distance. The distance shall be measured along the slope. Including the driving
surface, a fuel break shall result in an open area which is not less than 13½ feet in
height and 12 feet in width or to the property line, whichever is the shortest distance.
2. Provide and maintain secondary fuel breaks which comply with the
requirements of DCC 8.XX.060 and which are immediately adjacent to primary fuel
breaks, for the distance necessary to comply with the total fuel break distance specified
in DCC 8.XX.040.7, or to the property line, whichever is the shortest distance. The
distance shall be measured along the slope and from the furthest extension of the
structure, including attached carports, decks, or eaves.
3. Remove any portion of a tree which extends to within 10 feet of the outlet of a
structure chimney or a stove pipe;
4. Maintain the portion of any tree which overhangs a structure substantially free
of dead plant material;
5. Maintain the area under decks substantially free of firewood, stored
flammable building material, leaves, needles, and other flammable material; and
6. During times of the year when wildfire may be a threat, locate firewood,
flammable building material, and other similar flammable material:
a. At least 20 feet away from a structure; or
b. In a fully enclosed space.
7. Total fuel break distance requirements:
a. Where lands contain a structure which has fire resistant roofing, a total
fuel break distance of 50 feet is required.
b. Where lands contain a structure which does not have fire resistant
roofing, a total fuel break distance of 100 feet is required.
B. On vacant lands less than five acres in size, the landowner shall provide fuel breaks
which comply with the requirements of DCC 8.XX.060 and which are immediately
adjacent to all:
1. Property lines, for a distance of twenty feet or an adjacent property line,
whichever is the shortest distance. The distance shall be measured along the slope;
and
2. Roads, for a distance of at least thirty feet from the center of a road, or to the
property line, whichever is the shortest distance. The distance shall be measured along
the slope.
8.XX.050 Standard Waivers and Reductions.
A. The ???? may, in writing, reduce or waive any standard or requirement of DCC
8.XX if they find that conditions so warrant. Reductions or waivers made under this
provision:
1. May be made only after a written request from the owner;
2. Are intended to be few in number;
3. May be approved only where there exists a site specific condition, such as a
conflict with the requirements of another code, law, ordinance, or regulation, which does
not allow compliance with DCC 8.XX.040.
8.XX.060 Fuel Break Requirements
A. The purpose of a fuel break is to:
1. Slow the rate of spread and the intensity of an advancing wildfire; and
2. Create an area in which fire suppression operations may more safely occur.
B. A fuel break shall be a natural or a human-made area where material capable of
allowing a wildfire to spread:
1. Does not exist; or
2. Has been cleared, modified, or treated in such a way that the rate of spread and
the intensity of an advancing wildfire will be significantly reduced.
C. A primary fuel break shall be comprised of one or more of the following:
1. An area of substantially non-flammable ground cover. Examples include asphalt,
bare soil, clover, concrete, green grass, ivy, mulches, rock, succulent ground cover, or
wildflowers.
2. An area of dry grass which is maintained to an average height of less than
four inches.
3. An area of cut grass, leaves, needles, twigs, and other similar flammable
materials, provided such materials do not create a continuous fuel bed and are in
compliance with the intent of subsections A. and B. of this rule.
4. An area of single specimens or isolated groupings of ornamental shrubbery,
native trees, or other plants, provided they are:
a. Maintained in a green condition;
b. Maintained substantially free of dead plant material;
c. Maintained free of ladder fuel;
d. Arranged and maintained in such a way that minimizes the possibility a
wildfire can spread to adjacent vegetation; and
e. In compliance with the intent of subsections (1) and (2) of this rule.
D. A secondary fuel break shall be comprised of single specimens or isolated
groupings of ornamental shrubbery, native trees, or other plants, provided they are:
1. Maintained in a green condition;
2. Maintained substantially free of dead plant material;
3. Maintained free of ladder fuel;
4. Arranged and maintained in such a way that minimizes the possibility a
wildfire can spread to adjacent vegetation; and
5. In compliance with the intent of subsections (1) and (2) of this rule.
Chapter 8.20. OPEN BURNING
8.20.010. Open Burning Prohibited-When.
8.20.020. Burning Permits-Conditions.
8.20.030. Violation-Penalty.
8.20.010. Open Burning Prohibited-When.
No person, outside the boundaries of a rural fire protection district or a forest protection district, shall cause
or permit to be initiated or maintained on his own property, or cause to be initiated or maintained on the
property of another any open burning of commercial waste, demolition material, domestic waste, industrial
waste, land clearing debris or field burning from July 1st through November 1st of each year unless weather
conditions require earlier termination of burning, or permit earlier resumption of burning, as determined by
the County Fire Defense Board.
(Ord. 88-013 §1, 1988; Ord. 84-027 §1, 1984; Ord. 84-009 §1, 1984)
8.20.020. Burning Permits-Conditions.
Notwithstanding DCC 8.20.010, burning permits may be issued by the County Commissioners, or their
designees, if all three of the following conditions are met:
A. Evidence is presented that the material must be disposed of prior to November 1st, and that no
satisfactory alternative to burning is available;
B. Appropriate fire-control measures are provided by the permittee as specified by the burning permit to
prevent unwanted spread of the fire;
C. The appropriate permit is obtained from the State Department of Environmental Quality, if under their
jurisdiction.
(Ord. 84.027 §2, 1984; Ord. 84.009 §2, 1984)
8.20.030. Violation-Penalty.
Violation of DCC 8.20 is a Class A violation.
(Ord. 2003-021 §18, 2003; Ord. 84-027 §3, 1984; Ord. 84-009 §3, 1984)