Enclosure 3C - Project Summary Form 113 NATIONAL FIRE PLAN COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE AND WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE PROJECTS Application for Prevention & Education Projects Applicant Applicant/Organization: Don Matlick Oregon Department of Forestry Phone: Type of Applicant: (enter appropriate letter in box) 50394574444 FAX: 5039457454 Email: A Dmatlick@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): Richard Gibson, Fire Policy and Prevention Manager Organization/Jurisdiction: Oregon Department of Forestry Phone: 5039457440 FAX: Email: 5039457454 rgibson@odf.state.or.us Project Information Project Title: Assist in statewide implementation of the Oregon ForestlandUrban Interface Fire Protection Act / Senate Bill 360 Proposed Project Start Date: Proposed Project End Date: March 2005 March 2008 Federal Funding Request: Total Project Cost: $209,440 $314,160 Are you submitting multiple projects? If so, please prioritize, and explain if the projects are stand alone, sequential, or other: Yes, this is State priority # 13 Brief Project Summary: Who, What, Where, Desired Outcomes in relation to NFP Goals and Community Risk Assessment and Mitigation Plans (This should summarize page 2) The outcome of this project will be the implementation of the Oregon ForestlandUrban Interface Fire Protection Act / Senate Bill 360 across the majority of the fire prone portions of Oregon, by the end of March 2008. Components of this project include providing policy and technical assistance in the identification and the classification of the wildlandurban interface (WUI) followed by assistance in the delivery of comprehensive education initiatives where individual WUI landowners will be informed about wildfire problems associated with the WUI and how they can take measures to prevent fires and mitigate against the risk of wildfire damaging their property Project Location (latitude/longitude of project): County: Congressional District: Statewide Multiple Second and Fourth Name of Federal, State or Tribal contact with whom you coordinated this proposal: Telephone number of Contact: Nancy Orr, Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office 5033731540 x209 Enclosure 3C (Page of 3) - Project Narrative Description Applications for funding must include a narrative response that describes the proposal Please not submit responses longer than one page, single space, and 12-pitch font Describe project, including, but not limited to: type of project to be delivered method of delivery target audience timeliness projected timelines and cost estimation project location project relationship to community or natural landscape fire plans tools and/or skills needed to complete project monitoring and evaluation procedures For this project, explain the level of cooperation, coordination or strategic planning, through a “Local Coordination Group.” If you haven’t worked with a local coordination group, why not? Response: Since the early 1970's, Oregon's rapidly growing population and spreading wildland-urban interface (WUI) have pressured existing structural and wildland fire protection systems beyond their original design and capacity As a result, people, property and resources in and near the WUI are at increasing risk from destructive and difficult to suppress interface fires Pressures on local government to deal with property tax system changes in recent years has compounded the problem In addition, most property owners in the interface have failed to develop an awareness of the situation nor the threat from wildfire that they face As a result, many owners have done little to mitigate fire hazards or risks on their property, even in high threat, fire prone regions of the state Such a situation exits in portions of Baker, Crook, Douglas, Grant, Jefferson, Lake, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, and Wheeler counties, where this project will take place In response to the growing WUI problem, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), the Oregon State Fire Marshal, county governments and others, proposed a comprehensive plan to address the issue from a variety of perspectives: policy, operations, coordination, education, funding, and statutory The result was passage of the Oregon Forestland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Act of 1997, more commonly known as "Senate Bill 360." The Act is unique legislation which calls for the definition and classification of interface areas, requires that interface property owners make 'reasonable efforts' to protect their property, and provides the means for establishing adequate, integrated fire protection systems in these areas However, the Act was passed without accompanying funds for implementation The 'reasonable efforts' required of landowners under the Act have been defined in standards which landowners will be required to apply on their lands These standards were developed over a four year period, in cooperation with a broad based coalition of organizations and individuals, from across the state They represented wildland-urban interface homeowners, industrial forest owners, local government, state government, and the federal government In most situations, individual landowners will be required to establish and maintain a 30 foot wide fuel break around structures located in the WUI In these fuels breaks, hazardous and ladder fuels must be substantially eliminated Additionally, in some situations, fuel breaks of up to 100 feet in width and along driveways will be required Landowners must also remove portions of trees which extend to within 10 feet of a chimney or stove pipe, must maintain the areas under decks substantially free of flammable materials and must store firewood supplies at least 30 feet away from structures Implementation in each county will start with the formation of a local County Classification Committee, made up primarily of members appointed by the county governing body After the committee has identified and classified the WUI areas within the county, individual landowners will be notified of their status These landowners will be provided with information concerning the standards they are to apply Once notified, a landowner has two years to apply the standards and to file certification that they have done so If, after that time, they have failed to apply the standards, they assume a potential liability of up to $100,000, for the reimbursement of certain ODF firefighting costs, for any fire that starts or spreads due to their failure to comply Maintenance is assured by the requirement to renew their certification at five year intervals ODF has been in recent discussions with insurance industry representatives, about possible industry reliance on the Act's certification provisions to qualify homeowners for fire insurance coverage Enclosure 3C (Page of 3) - Project Evaluation Criteria Prevention of Wildland Urban Interface Fire (40 points) Describe how the proposal will lead to: A Reduction of wildland urban interface fire B Reduction of structural losses C Homeowner action and personal responsibility to reduce fire loss of private land Response: Reduction of wildland urban interface fire: This project will result in a reduction of both the incidence and the severity of interface fires, for several reasons Individual landowners in the WUI will develop a heightened awareness of their situation and the threat from wildfire that they face Owners who have previously done little to mitigate fire hazards and risks on their property, will receive instructional materials on what they need to and how they should it In addition, there will be legal incentives for them to take the necessary actions and a timeline in which they must act The end result will be more WUI structures surrounded by fuels breaks, less hazardous and ladder fuels and less sources and risk of fire ignitions Reduction of structural losses: This project will reduce the number of structure losses because of the standards that homeowners will be required to apply and to maintain adjacent to most structures located in the WUI The application of these standards will result in less fire ignitions When ignitions occur, or when wildfire spreads toward a structure, the application of the standards will significantly lessen the opportunity for a fire to spread, either along the ground or into ladder fuels Rate of wildfire spread will also be reduced All of these factors will enhance the ability of structures to withstand a wildfire without fire service intervention and will, if it is available, aid in the delivery of much more effective fire service action Homeowner action and personal responsibility to reduce fire loss of private land: One of the primary outcomes of this project will be the actions that homeowners will be required to take and the personal responsibility that they must actively demonstrate, in order to apply and maintain the required standards and to successfully qualify for the needed certification of compliance Enclosure 3C (Page of 3) - Project Evaluation Criteria Community Participation (30 points) Detail the community participation and collaboration for this project. Define clearly why you believe your group will be successful in delivering the proposal to the target audience. How will the project be sustained or carried forward beyond project timelines? How will the project be monitored and evaluated? Response: Detail the community participation and collaboration for this project: The Act itself calls for the promotion, encouragement, involvement and interaction of all levels of government and the private sector The standards which WUI owners are required to apply were developed with the active involvement of many governments, organizations and individuals This collaboration is continued by the requirement that the majority of members of the local County Classification Committees be appointed by the county governing bodies In addition, the standards have additional provisions for local community involvement, in the application of several different provisions and requirements Define clearly why you believe your group will be successful in delivering the proposal to the target audience: In the end, landowners who fail to apply the standards assume a potential liability of up to $100,000, for the reimbursement of certain ODF fire fighting costs In addition, recent discussions with insurance industry representatives, indicate an interest in industry reliance on the Act's certification provisions to qualify homeowners for fire insurance coverage How will the project be sustained or carried forward beyond project timelines: Landowners are required to maintain the standards on their property and to complete the certification process once every five years How will the project be monitored and evaluated: Through the initial and periodic certification requirements Partnerships (40 points) Detail the level of involvement of any local multiagency, emergency services, nonprofit coordination group, and provide a list of partners for this project with their current and expected level of involvement, including any kind of contributions or matching funds. What is the project relationship to a community risk assessment or mitigation plan? Include the name of the plan, date it was prepared, and local contact to get a copy of the plan if requested Response: Detail the level of involvement of local multiagency, emergency services, nonprofit coordination groups, etc: Successful implementation of the Act relies heavily on the involvement of local agencies and groups, beginning with the county governing bodies which will appoint the members of County Classification Committees It is expected that members of the committee with represent additional local agencies, emergency services and civic organizations To achieve success in this project, a wide variety of organizations and agencies need to be drawn together in a unified effort and organization What is the project relationship to a community risk assessment or mitigation plan? Include the name of the plan, date it was prepared, and local contact to get a copy of the plan if requested. At the time of this application, community risk assessments and mitigation plans in most Oregon counties have not yet been completed This project has the potential to become the cornerstone of such efforts, because of its board application across a major percentage of the WUI lands in the project counties Enclosure 3C - Project Work Form Tasks Time Frame Responsible Party Assist in the appointment and establishment of County Classification Committees March 2005 County governing body State Forester State Fire Marshal Provide policy and technical assistance, in the identification and classification of the WUI lands, to County Classification Committees March 2005 to November 2005 Oregon Department of Forestry Assist in the public review of County Classification Committee identification and classification decisions December 2005 Oregon Department of Forestry Assist in the notification, to all affected individual WUI landowners, of County Classification Committee identification and classification decisions and the standards they must apply adjacent to their structures December 2005 to March 2006 Oregon Department of Forestry December 2006 to March 2008 Oregon Department of Forestry, with assistance from other fire service and local government agencies, homeowner organizations and additional cooperators Assist landowners in the application of the standards adjacent to WUI structures Enclosure 3D Project Budget Cost Category Description Federal Agency Applicant Partner 1 Partner 2 Total Personnel Subtotal 108,000 54,000 108,000 54,000 46,400 23,200 46,400 23,200 15,000 7,500 15,000 7,500 30,000 15,000 30,000 15,000 5,000 2,500 5,000 2,500 $7,500 5,000 2,500 $7,500 $209,400 $104,700 $314,100 $162,000 Fringe Benefits Subtotal $69,600 Travel Subtotal $22,500 Equipment Subtotal $45,000 Supplies Subtotal Contractual Subtotal Other Subtotal Total Costs Project (Program) Income (using deductive alternative) 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 ... November 2005 Oregon? ?Department? ?of? ?Forestry Assist in the public review? ?of? ?County Classification Committee identification and classification decisions December 2005 Oregon? ?Department? ?of? ?Forestry. .. Include the name? ?of? ?the plan, date it was prepared, and local contact to get a copy? ?of? ?the plan if requested Response: Detail the level? ?of? ?involvement? ?of? ?local multiagency, emergency services, nonprofit coordination groups, etc: Successful implementation of the Act... problem, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), the Oregon State Fire Marshal, county governments and others, proposed a comprehensive plan to address the issue from a variety of perspectives: