Northern Blue Mountain Cohesive Strategy Steering Committee Meeting

Minutes/Assignments

November 26, 2013

The Pilot Project Action Plan was reviewed and many of the tasks outlined in the plan were discussed. Assignments were made that would further the progress towards completing the identified actions and tasks. For the most part completion of theassignments will not fully accomplish the identified task but will advance our progress towards its accomplishment. We are attempting to accomplish the Action Plan tasks in manageable segments that when take as a whole will advance the Cohesive Strategy.

GOAL: Improve Wildfire Response Effectiveness

Task

  • Establish county or regional level Liaisons/Coordinators to assist facilitating the development and implementation of Cohesive Strategy concepts in the Pilot Project area. Seek funding sources for establishing these coordinators.

Assignment: Gary Timm will forward to Mark Jacques the position description, budget, intergovernmental agreements and any other pertinent information for the Baker County position. These will then be forwarded to all County Steering Committee representatives. This concept will be discussed again at future Steering committee meetings. If a county(s) has support and desire (grass roots focus) for these types of positions the Federal and State agencies will look at how they can possibly assist in making them a reality.

Timeline: Send out the Baker County information package to the Steering Committee prior to January 30, 2014

Task

  • Explore opportunities to realign protection responsibilities to the organization that is best suited to provide efficient protection (e.g., exchange of isolated tracts, block protection areas, offset protection agreements, protection contracts, and intergovernmental agreements).

Assignment: Renae Crippen/BMIDC will be working on a map this winter that will display protection responsibility in the geo- region. Brian Goff will work with Renae/BMIDC on a draft for review at the March Steering Committee meeting. Renae/BMIDC will send out requests for information on obtaining each agency/departments protection district/area.

Timeline: Report progress at March Steering Committee meeting

Assignment: The BMIDC Board of Directors will review possible protection exchanges that could occur for the 2014 season.

Timeline: Prior to May, 2014

Task

  • Identify where unprotected lands exist in the Pilot Project for both wildland and structural. Explore annexation (extending jurisdictional responsibilities) by existing agencies (BLM/ODF/USFS/Rural Fire Departments/Rangeland Associations) or the creation of new organizations in an effort to minimize unprotected lands.

Assignment:Washington DNR –Matt Eberlein and Tom Schoenfelder will provide an update on any currently unprotected lands that the DNR may annex in SE Washington for the 2014 season.

Assignment:Joe Hessel/Bob Narus will provide an update on the new Lookout Mtn/GlasgowRangeland Fire Protection Association in Baker County at the next Steering Group meeting.

Assignment: Identifying unprotected lands in the georegion will be a component of the BMIDC mapping project mentioned above.

Timeline: Updates due at the next Steering Committee meeting in early March 2014

Task

  • Utilize this Geo Region fire collaborative in a Multi-Agency Coordination (MAC) role for the Pilot Project. Establish operating guidelines that outlines communication and coordination opportunities during critical fire situations (i.e. when and how).

Assignment: John Buckman will draft a geo region MAC operations plan that will outline the MAC role in specific large or multi-fire situations and under fire severity situations.

Timeline: A draft plan will be reviewed at the next Steering Committee meeting in early March 2014.

Task

  • Develop a Public Use Restriction (PUR) system that is more readily available, transparent and understood by the public. Seek opportunities to extend our Fire Danger Operating Plan beyond it current scope. Determine a test Fire Danger Rating Area (FDRA) where uniform Public Use Restrictions (PUR) could be enacted across all jurisdictions.

Assignment:The BMIDC Board of Directors will review existing interactive maps available in other areas that illustrate current fire restrictions.

Assignment: BMIDC will look at making an interactive fire restriction map available on the web site

Timeline:Renae/BMIDC will provide a recommendation to the Steering Committee on how to proceed by June 2014

Tasks

  • Develop all agency/interagency coordinated staffing and severity plans at high and extreme fire danger.Explore County Level Firefighting Task Forces and a mechanism to share this resource between Counties in the Pilot Project area.

Assignment:Renae/BMIDC will expand the use ofthe“REBOL” available firefighting resource database to Rural Fire Departments to daily/weekly update the firefighting resources that they may have available.

Timeline:REBOL will be available for use by all agencies/RFDs and an ordering protocol established by the 2014 Fire season.

Task

  • Explore opportunities for multi-agency funding/manning/procurement of critical fire fighting resources that maybe lacking in the geo-region that would improve response effectiveness.

Assignment: The BMIDC Board of Directors will develop a geo region draw down plan for critical resources, primarily aviation resources.

Timeline: Prior to the 2014 Fire season. Progress status check at the March2014 Steering Committee meeting.

Task

  • Explore cohesive opportunities in communication systems, aerial firefighting resources, and severity/move-up resources. Utilizing the Pilot Project as the geographical area, focus on expanding opportunities with non -traditional partners.

Assignment: The communications element of this task will be undertaken by forming a communications coordination sub- committee of Renae Crippen,Gary Timm, Jack Remillard, Paul Karvoski, JB Brock, and a SE Washington Rep(Rocky Eastman will look for a volunteer) that will look at opportunities to enhance/improve communication coordination and protocolamongst all the agencies.

Timeline: The subcommittee will meet during the winter/spring of 2014. Progress will be reported at the March 2014 Steering Committee meeting.

Task

  • Conduct County level “all agencies” wildfire simulations and training. Include local Law Enforcement, Search and Rescue and other entities that may be called upon in emergencies. Build capacity within the local fire/emergency services with collateral duty firefighters/personnel.

Assignment:JB Brock with assistance from State/Federal/RFD will develop a simulation for Union County to be conducted this coming spring. Brain Goff would help lead a simulation in Umatilla County if other agencies and RFDs are interested.

Timeline: A determination if a NIMO team will be requested to assist in the simulation by mid January 2014. Umatilla County needs to determine their desire/need for a simulation by the end of January 2014. Simulation(s) would occur in May/early June 2014.

Task

  • Develop a comprehensive, all agency inventory/database of firefighting resources in the Pilot Project.

Assignment: County Representatives (Gary Timm, Jack Remillard, Paul Karvoski, and JB Brock, Rocky Eastman, Rick Turner) will compile a resource list for all RFDs in their County and Renae/BMIDC will do likewise for the wildland fire agencies. BMIDC will develop a masterlist that will be made availableto all.

Timeline: A progress/status report will be provided at the March Steering Committee meeting with a complete listing available by May 1, 2014.

Task

  • Continue support of Interagency Type 3 Incident Management Teams and build capacity/membership of teams by reaching beyond traditional recruitment sources; such as soliciting participation from Rural Fire Departments and local governments.

Assignment: Bret Ruby/ Noel Livingston will be responsible for sending out information on the Interagency Type 3 Team recruitment announcement along with qualifications for the various positions to all agencies, Counties and RFDs.

Timeline: Recruitment announcements normally are distributed in winter for the coming season. Status check at next Steering Committee meeting in March 2014.

GOAL: Create Fire Adapted Communities

Tasks:

  • Seek grant sources which can be used to support development, updating, and implementation of new, all inclusive, comprehensive and robust CWPPs.
  • Research and develop a common CWPP template for Counties in Pilot Project to use in the revision of current CWPPs and outline a CWPP revision process to begin in the fall of 2013.
  • Involve all entities in developing/revising and updating CWPPs such as emergency management, county sheriffs’ offices, Rural Fire Departments, and forest interface homeowners and landowners. Use an inclusive approach by addressing other values at risk of fire such as scattered farm/ranch communities and dwelling and infrastructure improvements such as watersheds, communication sites, and critical habitats.
  • Develop “all agency” fire suppression plans for communities at risk of fire within the CWPPs.
  • Develop evacuation plans for each community at risk of fire and inform affected residents.
  • Develop guidelines for response criteria or trigger points for invoking the conflagration act for communities at risk of fire
  • Utilize West Wide Risk Assessment and other appropriate risk assessment models for identifying values at risk of fire in CWPP revisions.

Assignment: Funding is secured to complete at least one CWPP. Union County was picked as the pilot county for the initial CWPP . A common template/table of contents will be developed by a subcommittee. The subcommittee can include representatives from each of the Counties in the geo region. Funding to help offset County Representatives time and travel for participation on the CWPP subcommittee is available.

Timeline: Mark Jacques will send out a notice to solicitinterest in serving on the CWPP template subcommittee by January 15, 2014. Subcommittee will begin work in January 2014. Mark Jacques and JB Brock will chair the CWPP template subcommittee. The target for completion of the Union County Pilot CWPP is fall/winter, 2014. The chair person for the Union County CWPP will be determined at the initial meeting.

GOAL: Restore and Maintain Resilient Landscapes

Action: Promote collaborative forest management and restoration planning

Tasks

  • Work in a complimentary and supportive role with existing Forest /County Collaboratives, the National Forests and the Eastside Strategy.
  • Encourage large scale management, restoration and fuels treatment projects that embrace sustainability by recognizing the social, environmental and economic benefits derived through applying the three goals of the Cohesive Strategy on the ground across all ownerships.
  • Promote, coordinate and facilitate planning and implementation of forest management and restoration activities across jurisdictional and ownership boundaries.
  • Encourage core Cohesive Strategy Pilot Project stakeholders/partners to actively participate in Forest Collaboratives.
  • Seek new and redirect existing grants and/or incentives to complete work on non-federal lands that complements landscape restoration projects on Federal lands. This effort would include direct cost-share monies and technical assistance to landowners.

Assignment: The Steering Committee will collaborate with the Eastside Forest Restoration Strategy on developing strategic fuel breaks on a County by County basis with an emphasis on an “All Lands” approach to creating the fuel breaks and validating their location. Each County will form a work group on this project with representatives from applicable fire and emergency management organizations/agencies. Bill Aney will work with each of the County groups.

Timeline: County groups will form and meet in the winter/spring 2014. Validation of fuel break locations will occur during the 2014 field season. A final County map of fuel breaks locations will be prepared by the fall of 2014 and presented to the Eastside Forest Restoration Strategy team.

Assignment: Continue involvement with the Forest Collaboratives

Timeline: Ongoing

Assignment: Seek grant opportunities to complete work on non-federal lands that complements forest restoration projects on adjacent federal lands.

Timeline: Ongoing