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Title: |
Yavapai Communities Wildfire Protection Plan
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Type: |
Homeowner assistance
Education
Designation of high risk areas
Community Planning
Regulatory
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Jurisdiction: |
Multi-level
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State: |
Arizona
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Program Description: |
Background
During the last century natural fire return intervals have been interrupted across most of the Prescott Basin and surrounding area. The current fire environment can be characterized by an overgrown complex fuel profile, moderate to steep terrain, poor ground access, increasing percentage of standing-dead (beetle-killed) trees, extended drought climate and a rapidly expanding wildland/urban interface.
In 1990, the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors and the Prescott Mayor and City Council passed a joint resolution forming the Prescott Area Wildland/Urban Interface Commission (PAWUIC). This Commission is a collaborative group of over twenty community volunteers supported by cooperating agencies, including USDA Forest Service, Arizona State Land Department, Yavapai County Emergency Management, City of Prescott Fire Department, Central Yavapai County Fire District, Groom Creek Fire District, and the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe.
The PAWUIC has developed the Yavapai Communities Wildfire Protection Plan (YCWPP) to systematically address its mission of identifying, developing, and implementing wildland/urban interface defensible space and citizen fire safety awareness programs for �at risk� communities in the Prescott Area. The YCWPP has been developed within the guidelines of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003. In addition to being a stand-alone management tool, the YCWPP will be a significant annex to the Yavapai County DMA 2000 Mitigation Plan.
The PAWUIC has several active committees with missions directly related to the YCWPP objectives � the Interagency Fire and Emergency Management Group (IFEMG), the Healthy Forest Economic Development Team (HFEDT), and the Community Education/Wildfire Awareness. The IFEMG Chairman was given the responsibility for the development of the YCWPP. A core team, consisting of the IFEMG Chair, PAWUIC Vice-Chair, private forester/PAWUIC member, and County Assessor representative, was formed to develop the Plan.
Boundary and Management Area Delineation
A team of fuels managers from PAWUIC agencies defined the YCWPP boundaries by analysis of the contiguous hazardous fuel and combustible vegetation conditions and �at risk� communities within the Prescott Basin and surrounding area. The YWCPP is represented by thirteen fire organizations and covers over 960,000 acres, and more than 100 communities/neighborhoods/camps with an assessed value of over 6.6 billion dollars.
In order to better control and facilitate the Plan�s risk assessment process, remediation priorities, and mitigation implementation, the overall Plan area was divided into 7 Management Areas. These Management Areas were developed based on changes in fuel types and fires district borders. Within each Management Area, the wildland/urban interfaces were defined as communities (separate or standalone residential areas), neighborhoods (adjacent residential areas within a community), camps, tribal, and critical infrastructures (roads, overhead power, telecom sites, railroads, and water/gas utilities).
The Yavapai County Assessor�s and GIS Office have mapped each community/neighborhood/camp identified. Risk assessments for each of these areas are being performed.
Planning Methodology
The planning and preparation for developing the YCWPP has followed the guidelines in �Preparing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan� (NASF, 2004), as well as the review of other Community Wildfire Protection Plans. The following planning methodology was used:
Convene Decision Makers and Involve Agencies � the PAWUIC, which is a combination of volunteer citizens and Federal. State, County, and Municipal Agencies, has taken the lead in developing the YCWPP. A core team has been established and the IFEMG is participating in the risk assessments, evaluations, and implementation of the Plan.
Engage Interested Parties � In determining the YCWPP boundaries, interested parties in all communities and fire districts were contacted to agree on the extent of the boundaries. Upon completion of community risk assessments, recommended actions will be communicated to each community and progress updates provided.
Establish a Community Base Map � The County GIS and Assessor�s Office has developed extensive layers of maps from the overall Plan boundaries down to individual communities, neighborhoods, camps, tribal land, and critical infrastructures. These maps will be used as references for implementing the Plan�s priorities and will be updated to show progress achieved.
Establish Community Priorities and Recommendations � The assessment form �Standard for Protection of Life and Property from Wildfire�, 2002 Edition (NFPA 1144) is being used for conducting the area risk assessments. Recommendations for each assessment form will be developed and used to determine recommended priorities within each Management Area. As of April, 2005 wildfire risk assessments had been conducted on about 90 percent of the area within the Plan boundaries. Mapping of the assessed areas was also about 90 percent complete.
Develop an Action Plan and Assessment Strategy � A mitigation plan and implementation action plan will be developed as well as an on-going monitoring and evaluation process.
Finalize Community Wildfire Protection Plan � Community feedback and action plans will be communicated to key community partners and organizations. An Administrative Oversight Team will be assigned to monitor the progress of the Plan�s implementation and to update the plan�s accomplishments.
Plan Approval and Implementation � The Plan was reviewed and approved by the Arizona State Forester and 13 Fire District Chiefs within the Plan boundary. Endorsements of the Plan have been given by the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors, City of Prescott Mayor and City Council, Prescott National Forest Supervisor, and Bureau of Land Management Regional Field Manager. A citizen�s review and awareness process will be provided. The Plan will be submitted to the State and Federal Fire Agencies for endorsement. Upon completion and approval, the Plan�s Oversight monitoring and implementation process will commence.
Progress on the preparation of the YCWPP has been published on the local web site for all local emergency alerts � www.regionalinfo-alert.org. This web site will also publish the completed Plan for community review and comment. Members of each �at risk� community within the Plan area will be informed of the risk assessments and recommended actions to be taken to reduce wildfire risks in their community/neighborhood. Homeowner Questionnaires will be distributed and responses compiled by Management Area.
Mapping Methodology
Yavapai County Assessor�s Office is assisting the plan project by mapping out the 7 Management Areas of the project and specific areas designated by the Plan boundaries under the direction of Emergency Management. The Assessor�s Office has provided maps showing buildings as of 2000, as well as corresponding satellite imagery maps that will aid in identifying topography and vegetation.
An alpha spreadsheet corresponding to each area by neighborhood, community, and camp has been created to denote the number of parcels, the number of houses, the number of improvements (all buildings including houses), as well as acreage and full cash value of the properties.
In addition to the Assessor� Office assistance, the Yavapai County GIS Office working with the State of Arizona and Prescott National Forest GIS departments, has been generating GIS data layers for the YCWPP core team. This has included creating wall size maps for display, which have 3D or Terrain Analysis of the Plan area. Maps have been generated to show the critical infrastructures within the Plan area, including well/towers, power stations, pumping stations, and utility lines. Maps have also been developed to show the history of fire ignition points. The GIS Office has also assisted in training volunteers to use a GIS computer with software to help create data layers and analysis of the demographic and topographic mapping of the Plan segments.
Pre-suppression Planning
The IFEMG members collaborate to discuss wildfire issues, conduct drills and exercise and to produce the annual �Prescott Basin Wildfire Operations and Evacuation Plan�. The plan spells out all authorities, responsibilities, communications and procedures that would be associated with a major wildfire. The plan is designed to streamline operations from initial attack to mop up, evacuations through re-entry, by eliminating �turf wars�, politics and any other potential obstruction to the efficient, effective response to a wildfire.
Administrative Oversight
An Administrative Oversight Committee will be formed to monitor the implementation of this Plan, assist in seeking funding to support the Plan�s recommendations, and evaluate the progress of this Plan�s implementation. The Committee will consist of a cross-section of community representatives with Federal, State, and County advisors.
The Oversight Committee will provide progress reports at the monthly PAWUIC meetings. In turn, the PAWUIC will report the progress of the Plan�s implementation to the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors. A component of the progress report will be a compilation of quarterly progress reports submitted by each community�s Fire District. A semi-annual review of the Plan�s progress will be performed to update the Plan and to indicate further recommendations for action.
Adaptive Management Processes
The YCWPP strategy to reduce fuel hazard is adaptive in design. The process may be described as establishing targets, taking action, measuring results, establishing targets, and continuing to take action. The following strategic components are used in this adaptive management process.
- Establish on-the-ground capability to implement fuels reduction and disposal projects in areas with the highest values at risk.
- Obtain permission from the owner or manager of the vegetation. On federal land this process may be a formal Categorical Exclusion or Environmental Assessment conducted by the Agency. On private property this process may be a formal written agreement between the land owner and the local fire department or district. Without permission work cannot be accomplished.
- Support the hierarchical relationship among agencies that accomplish a reduction and modification of combustible vegetation. For example, the USFS will continue to emphasize work activities at the landscape level among at risk neighborhoods and communities.
- Enable private land owners to remove and dispose of excess combustible vegetation, such as offering chipping and disposal services.
A high priority is improving the awareness and education of the private property owner that the combustibility of their property is their responsibility. Improved understanding will encourage the property owner to give permission to for mitigation work to be done. But, this priority must be supported by the means to get the work done. Establishing an accomplishment presence in at risk communities and neighborhoods with demonstrated results will serve to influence change among private landowners. Incremental accomplishments can be made by agencies being easily accessible and capable of doing the necessary work.
Fuel Reduction and Fire Loss Mitigation
Preventative measures will be applied to combustible vegetation and structures in order to reduce fuel and mitigate the losses from fire. On Federal and State lands these measures may be presented as silvicultural prescriptions and on private property as recommendations to the land owner.
Area fire organizations offer a variety of services for homeowners including residential defensible space assessments, fuels removal; and reimbursement to residents conducting their own fuels treatment.
Fuel Modification Guidelines
The Plan recommends the following measures with regards to defensible space:
- Combustible vegetation will be retained so that the primary fuel layer is discontinuous and so that vertical continuity from ladder fuel arrangements is uncommon and isolated. Species variety will be represented by healthy trees, bushes, and cacti. Accumulated surface fuels will be light and grass ground fuels will be moderate.
- In many situations a majority of the woody vegetation will need to be removed in order to reduce fuel loading and modify fuel composition to grass ground fuels. Mechanical approaches include the use of chainsaws and thinning and mowing machines. Disposal options include piling and burning on site, chip and broadcast on site, and removal from site. Maintenance options may include prescribed broadcast burning in the ponderosa pine and grazing goats in the chaparral.
- Fire safe access/egress routes must be maintained.
- The combustibility of the structure may be reduced by using fire resistive construction materials for the roof, siding, and deck. Architectural design modifications may include enclosing crawl ways, decks, and eaves.
- The proper maintenance of combustibles around the structure may include covered storage of wood piles and maintained out buildings. Utilities should be located underground. Fire safe areas around above ground LPG tanks and overhead power lines should be maintained.
Defensible Space Zones
The �defensible space� or the �home ignition zone� extends at least one hundred feet in all directions. This area may be subdivided into treatment zones, as follows:
Zone 1. 0-15 feet from the edge of the structure. The goal is to reduce a creeping ground fire. Maintain non-combustible ground material adjacent to the structure such as pathways, planter beds and rock belts. Maintain the area free of accumulated surface fuels such as needles and leaves. Native woody plants should be occasional and only partially within this zone. Limbs of trees should not touch or hang over the structure. Living plants should be free of dead wood and arranged irregularly so that fuel arrangement is discontinuous.
Zone 2. 15-50 feet from the structure. The goal is to reduce radiant heat and short-range spotting. Maintain low combustible ground cover and accumulated surface fuels at less than one inch in depth. Native plants should be free of dead wood, lightly stocked, and irregularly arranged. Space between plants or groups of plants should be clear of woody vegetation and typically greater than fifteen to twenty feet.
Zone 3. 50-100 feet from the structure. The goal is to reduce radiant heat and mid-range spotting as well as minimize crown fire. Retain native trees and bushes at combined densities from twenty to seventy per acre.
Economic Utilization Planning
A Prescott Basin Fuel Reduction and Economic Development Plan was completed in May 2004. This Plan proposed the formation of a Healthy Forest Economic Development Team (HFEDT) within PAWUIC that oversee the implementation of the following recommendations:
- Develop marketing programs to promote expansion of existing local sawmills and wood products/biomass businesses;
- Assist county and tri-city community development departments in setting up incentives and programs to bring additional woods products and biomass businesses (such as bioenergy generators, wood pellet products, and biomass materials for landscaping, road maintenance, and erosion control) to the Prescott Basin;
- Seek community support for establishing a multi-use woods/biomass industrial park(s);
- Assist in establishing a materials removal operation to transport the harvested biomass materials from the forests to the industrial park(s);
- Assist in the development of training courses to support the increase forestry and woods product industries workforce requirements;
- Conduct local community awareness programs to encourage citizens and businesses to use products produced from local sources.
- Evaluate and predict future biomass yields from fuels treatments on public lands to encourage the establishment of new businesses.
- Assist communities in obtaining grants and economic assistance for the development of local commercial development.
Education and Community Outreach
Educational outreach is coordinated through PAWUIC to limit duplication of effort among agencies and to deliver a consistent message. Two posters, one on defensible space zoning and the other on PAWUIC and landscape level fuels treatments, have been created and are used at public events.
Educational outreach programs have varied in size and scope to engage a range of audiences. These range from public events where people stroll through and pick up information to courses where professionals learn about new research and techniques. The most popular programs are those that are timely (when risk is highest).
Specifically, educational efforts include: 1) town hall meetings each spring, to develop community awareness about wildfire safety and the various �firewise� programs available to homeowners, prior to the start of fire season, 2) booths at county fairs and community events, 3) K-12 and homeowner association education programs, 4) distribution of publications, such as Living with Fire, and Firewise landscaping publications, courses, and videos.
Fuel Reduction Accomplishments and Future Needs
PAWUIC has received over one million dollars (two million dollars in total project cost) from grants over the past three years. With this funding, more than 25% of the homes in the original interface have been treated. The expansion of the interface has reduced that completion percentage to 16.9%. This remains a significant achievement and will continue to be a motivation. Logically, it will take an additional twelve million dollars and 17 years to complete the initial project.
The treatment of the Prescott National Forest areas is more daunting as they have a much larger area to contend with, over 900,000+ acres. They have initiated the �Boundary Project�, a ten year project that will treat approximately 34,000 acres directly south of the most inhabited area of the interface. The cost for the first year is over $400,000.
Role of Regulation
PAWUIC recognizes the responsibility of homeowners in the solution to the challenges. PAWUIC has and will continue to use its public education assets, including the public participation aspect of this plan to encourage homeowners to accept that responsibility.
The PAWUIC, however, is well aware that it will take the enactment of interface fire laws requiring defensible space and the use of combustion resistant building material to achieve the desired level of compliance. This is not an unreasonable expectation. Fire departments, fire hydrants and sprinkler systems are but a few of the fire reduction systems that are in place as a result of legislation. Interface legislation is the next necessary step that our elected leaders must soon take.
Contact Information
For more information, contact Ken Iverson, Chairman PAWUIC, via email at [email protected].
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