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Title: |
Montana - Administration of Cost-Share Hazardous Fuel Treatment Programs
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Type: |
Homeowner assistance
Fuelbreaks
Education
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Jurisdiction: |
Subdivision
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State: |
Montana
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Program Description: |
Byron Bonney, an experienced wildfire program administrator in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana, describes from start to completion, how to administer a cost-share Hazardous Fuel Treatment grant program.
Applying for the Grant
Your first step should be to secure the services of a grant writer to apply for hazardous fuels treatment grants. Review the grant application period, and apply for grants. Understand the specifics of all grants you are applying for, timeframes, cost-share percentages and specifications of each grant to ensure those specifications will meet the need and purpose for the hazardous fuels program for an area.
Receiving Grant
Once the grant is approved and funding is known, it is important to review the grant timeframes and specifications in order to build a strategy for implementing the grant. Hopefully, the strategy is well thought out prior to receiving the grant.
Fuel Treatment Costs
Establish fuel treatment costs per treatment (thinning, pruning, slash treatment; i.e., hand pile and burn, under-burn, chipping, etc.). Establish a maximum amount and range of cost for each treatment depending on the amount of work an area needs (i.e. stems per acre basis). These costs will be the basis for what individual landowners will receive to treat fuels on their lands. (For sample of fuel treatment costs contact Bitter Root RC&D;, via email, at [email protected], or call at (406) 363-1444 ext. 5).
Priority Areas
Establish where highest priority areas are located for receiving hazardous fuel treatments in the area of consideration (i.e., Valley, County, etc.). This can be done a number of ways including but not limited to: Condition Class mapping, fire planning efforts with protection agencies, wildland urban interface delineation, etc. (Maps available in PDF format at www.bitterrootfireplan.org.)
Landowner Applications
Develop landowner grant application form that people can fill out to apply for the grant program. Advertise well through various media to let landowners know about the available grant, how to apply, deadline for application, purpose of the grant, grant specifications and selection process. (For sample of landowner applications used on previous programs contact Bitter Root RC&D;, via email, at [email protected], or call at (406)363-1444 ext. 5).
Approval Criteria
Develop criteria for how to judge landowner applications for a specific grant. The purpose of this will be to document the process used to make choices on who will receive grant dollars and why. Address criteria like:
1) Priority of area,
2) Adjacent landowner involvement,
3) Opportunity for joint projects,
4) Values at Risk,
5) Wildland Urban Interface,
6) Previously treated fuels surrounding area,
7) Community Support, etc.
(For sample of criteria used on previous programs contact Bitter Root RC&D;, via email, at [email protected], or call at (406)363-1444 ext. 5).
Selection Process
After application deadline, convene a panel to go over applications and apply criteria. After decision is made on which landowners are accepted into the program, develop a letter to send to the accepted landowners to inform them of their selection. Also develop a letter to send to landowners who were not selected, explaining the reasons why they were not accepted into the program.
Program Commitment
You will need to make sure that you don't over commit yourself in terms of acres to treat and dollars available to treat the lands accepted under the program. You can always shave back the number of acres to treat if necessary to stay within budget.
Initial Landowner Meeting
A Community Forester needs to contact each landowner that has been accepted into the program and set up a meeting with them on their property to explain the requirements of the grant, treatments needed, cost-share requirements, record keeping and other important aspects of the program. This meeting will be key in explaining and showing landowners what the treatments will look like on the ground by walking their property, pointing out forest health and fire risk issues related to their specific property.
Mapping
The Community Forester needs a good map of the property (Plat map, Topo map, etc.). This will be used as a base map in figuring out the acreage to treat and to include in the landowner agreement. A handheld GPS unit would also be helpful to establish acres for individual units. If a GPS unit is not available, dot gridding from a base map or pacing and figuring acreage this way is acceptable.
Landowner Agreement
After landowner acceptance of all explanations and showing the landowner on the ground what the results may be like, the Community Forester needs to work up a landowner agreement that is signed by the landowner and approving official from where the grant dollars are given. The agreement should address what the agency/organizations responsibilities who are giving the grant money and the landowners responsibilities are in terms of fulfilling their obligations of receiving the grant money. The agreement should address the technical and financial assistance to be given; the individual payment units with treatments to be conducted and costs to be given for each unit; access by Community Forester anytime during the treatment to make sure treatments are being done according to specifications, and any other important factors needed for the success of the project. The agreement will need to be signed by the landowner and organization/agency giving the grant money for the project. (For sample of landowner agreements used on previous programs contact Bitter Root RC&D;, via email, at [email protected], or call at (406)363-1444 ext. 5).
Setting up Land for Treatment
The Community Forester will need to go back to the landowner's property to flag payment unit boundaries, possibly mark trees (leave or cut trees, whichever is easier), measure acreage, re-explain portions of the program and generally get things ready for beginning the hazardous fuels treatment. A decision will need to be made as to how many payment units and how big the payment units should be prior to layout. These would be displayed on the map included with the agreement. Laying out payment units will allow the landowner to receive payment for each unit completed rather than having to complete the whole acreage in the agreement before payment.
Finalizing Landowner Agreement
After the agreement and map are completed, the Community Forester gets back with the landowner, sits down and goes over the information so the landowner understands it. If the landowner agrees to the program at this point, have the landowner sign the agreement. You will then need to take the agreement back to the approving official for the agency/organization responsible for the grant and get the signature of that official. After all signatures are obtained, make a copy of all the information (signed agreement, map, treatment specifications, list of prospective contractors that the landowner can consider contacting to do the work for them and a letter explaining the payment process to them and thanking them for being a part of the program.
Contractor Services
It is important to point out to the landowners that they are responsible for securing the services of a contractor to assist them in completing the work, if they so choose to not do the work themselves. It is not the responsibility of the Community Forester or responsible agency/organization giving the grant to do this for them. The Community Forester is responsible for ensuring that the work gets done to the grant treatment specifications and the landowner is paid for the work once it is completed in accordance with the agreement. The Community Forester can work with landowner contractors to ensure the work is being done to treatment specifications but does not have the authority to direct the contractor. Technically and legally, the contractor is working directly for the landowner. Most contractors work well with the Community Forester and welcome the help in understanding what needs to be done. It is a good idea, when meeting with contractors to have the landowner present so both hear the same thing and have a common understanding of what needs to be done.
It is important that the agency/organization providing the contractor list to the landowners not endorse any contractor over another. It is the landowner's responsibility to contact a contractor and select one that will accomplish the work to the standards set forth in the agreement. It is recommended that landowners evaluate the past work of contractors before entering into a contract with a contractor on their project. This can be done by asking for references and calling other landowners who have had work done by a specific contractor. It is also important to ensure the contractor is licensed, bonded and provides for OWCP benefits for all employees if needed. (For sample of contractor lists used on previous programs contact Bitter Root RC&D;, via email, at [email protected], or call at (406)363-1444 ext. 5).
Patience and Endurance
It takes a lot of patience and endurance by a grant administrator to work with landowners. There is much contact and going back and forth with landowners to ensure the work is getting accomplished according to the specifications and done in a timely manner. This entails calling them every couple of weeks just to see how they are doing and visiting the site occasionally to check on their work.
Record Keeping
It is critical that records are kept throughout the life of the grant to assist you in keeping track of all landowners, status of individual projects, payment units, progress of treatments, dollars obligated, dollars expended, etc. This is very important to make sure you are staying within budget. These records should be kept in some kind of spreadsheet and updated regularly as payments are made and work gets done. At times, landowners drop out of the program and new landowners get added. These changes also need to be kept up regularly, preferably as they occur. (For sample of spreadsheets used on previous programs contact Bitter Root RC&D;, via email, at [email protected], or call at (406)363-1444 ext. 5).
Payment for Work Accomplished
Payment units are set up to assist the landowners with payment for work accomplished as work progresses to project completion. This will help landowners with timely payments to contractors who do work for them. An important part of the program is payment for completed work, not partial work. A requirement that is standard is for landowners to complete all treatments (thinning, pruning and slash disposal) in a payment unit before being paid for those services. Do not pay for one treatment getting completed in a payment unit but require that all treatments be completed before payment. The reason for this is because there is no assurance that the other treatments will get accomplished after the landowner gets paid for one treatment. If thinning is completed but no other treatment is done then the fire hazard is actually higher than before, thus not accomplishing the goal of the grant program.
Landowner Commitment
If a landowner drops out of the program for some reason, that's okay. Keep track of those obligated acres and dollars. You can apply them to another landowner or increase the acres on another landowner who is already in the program. Encourage landowners to stay with the program until it is completed. You should remember that it is the landowners choice whether they stay in the program or not so don't take it personal if they decide to drop out.
Final Inspection
When a project gets completed, it is important for the program administrator to visit the site and inspect the area to ensure all requirements have been met. Nobody likes surprises so hopefully the program administrator has been visiting the site throughout the life of the project and making sure requirements have been met as work progresses. As projects become completed, send the landowner a final inspection letter that thanks them for being a part of the program.
(For a sample of the final letter used on previous programs contact Bitter Root RC&D;, via email, at [email protected], or call at (406)363-1444 ext. 5).
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