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The national database of state and local wildfire hazard mitigation programs
serves as a clearinghouse of information about nonfederal policies and
programs that seek to reduce the risk of loss of life and property through
the reduction of hazardous fuels on private lands. If
you would like to submit a program to the national wildfire programs database,
please complete the following form (MS
Word).
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Title: |
Perry Park, CO -- A Firewise Community Wildfire Mitigation Program
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Type: |
Homeowner assistance
Fuelbreaks
Firewise community recognition programs
Education
Demonstration projects
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Jurisdiction: |
Subdivision
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State: |
Colorado
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Program Description: |
A Firewise Community/USA
Located between the cities of Colorado Springs and Denver in Douglas County, Colorado, the Perry Park neighborhood is a wildland/urban interface community, abutting the Pike National Forest. Most of the 580 homes are located on treed sites consisting of ponderosa pine, gambel oak, Rocky Mountain juniper or Douglas fir. Aware of the danger of catastrophic wildfire, the board of directors of the Perry Park Metropolitan District (PPMD) began the Wildfire Hazard Mitigation program with the goal of making Perry Park a Firewise Community under the auspices of Firewise Communities/USA. Perry Park applied for a State Fire Assistance (SFA) grant under the National Fire Plan in 2001 and 2002.
Community Survey
Perry Park project leaders raised awareness of the project by conducting a survey of residents. The goal of the survey was to identify homeowners' values relating to the environment and their awareness of the fire hazard problem. With 500 surveys mailed, 125 were filled out and returned. Respondents felt there was a need for educational efforts to protect community values such as wildlife habitat, maintaining a "natural looking" landscape, and privacy between the houses. Many respondents felt that cutting brush was against their environmentalist philosophy. Respondents identified a need to be trained in how to implement defensible space, and a need for an adequate slash disposal program.
The survey results led to the creation of the Extreme Gardening Class, focusing on thinning, pruning, crown separation, ladder fuel treatment, oakbrush treatments, and landscaping. Additionally, it became evident to organizers that in many cases 100% mitigation was an unrealistic goal considering the need to balance mitigation activities with other homeowner values.
Mitigation Program Activities
Perry Park Metropolitan District created two committees to oversee the program:
- the Education/Information Committee,
- the Mitigation Committee.
The Education/Information Committee created a property owner database and conducted the survey. They established a program for tracking in-kind services to match the SFA grant funding. Homeowners fill out a form showing hours spent doing fuels reduction work or dollars spent on professional labor. The Education Committee supplied articles for the Perry Park Sentinel newspaper and reported on program progress.
The Mitigation Committee established a working plan for implementation, beginning with fuel treatment on the emergency access corridor. They arranged for home fire hazard risk inspections conducted by Fire department personnel, and training of homeowners. They selected sites for defensible space and shaded fuel break demonstration projects. And the Mitigation Committee created the slash pickup program using a hauling contractor and a slash disposal site. Mulch from slash disposal is available free to partcipants for use in their yards. Excess mulch is shipped to the City of Denver where it is used on drought-stressed trees. The committee also handled grant administration, budgeting and reporting.
Perry Park Metropolitan District partnered with many groups to create its comprehensive program for fire hazard education, risk assessment, fuels reduction, and slash disposal. The partners are: USFS, Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS), Sheriff's Department, Fire Department, the Water and Sanitation District, Douglas County Building Department, Douglas County GIS/Mapping Department, the County Assessor, and the Perry Park Country Club.
Program Successes
Perry Park began its 2001 program with an announcement in the May, Perry Park Sentinel. The neighborhood was divided into four compartments for potential project areas. The first Extreme Gardening Class was held in August, with 45 participants. Curbside pick-up of slash began in August. The Demonstration Sites were completed in July and August, and the work on the shaded fuel break begun. Open Space fuel treatments were accomplished in September and October, and the grant was closed out on October 15. In 2001 the SFA grant of $45,000 was matched with over $160,000 worth of in-kind services in the form of fuels reduction work. Work on the 2002 SFA grant is on-going.
Contact Information
For more information, contact Keith Worley at 303-681-3485 or by email at [email protected], or Don Korinek at 303-681-0847, or email [email protected] or write to:
Perry Park Metro District Firewise Education Committee
PO Box 183
Larkspur, CO 80118
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