chelan county fire plan draft - cascadia...

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DRAFT Chelan County, Washington

Community Fire Plan

January 2008

Prepared by Cascadia Conservation District

in cooperation with concerned citizens of Chelan County, Chelan County Fire Districts,

and Washington Department of Natural Resources with technical assistance from United States Forest Service

_______________________________ Vicki Christiansen Executive Director of Regulatory Programs Washington State Forester

_______________________________ Keith Goehner, Chelan County Commissioner

_______________________________ Ron Walter, Chelan County Commissioner

_______________________________ Buell Hawkins, Chelan County Commissioner

_______________________________

_______________________________

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Acknowledgements This Community Fire Plan represents the efforts and cooperation of a number of organizations, private citizens and agencies working together to improve the preparedness for hazard from wildfire while reducing factors of risk. This report was produced in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service. Chelan County Fire District Chiefs (Randy Johnson, Arnold Baker), County Commissioners (Keith Goehner, Buell Hawkins, and Ron Walter) all provided valuable support and information. Supporting agency staff members consisted of Joe Weeks, WDNR and USFS staff, such as Mick Mueller and Janeen Tervo. Members of the various landowner steering committees also provided valuable time and effort in support of the planning efforts during the development of the CWPPs. To obtain copies of this plan contact: Cascadia Conservation District Phone: 509.664.0275 301 Yakima Street, Room 307 Fax: 509.664.0255 Wenatchee, WA 98801 Website: www.chelancd.org

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Table of Contents 1. OVERVIEW OF THIS PLAN AND ITS DEVELOPMENT...................................................

Introduction........................................................................................................................... Vision and Goals .................................................................................................................. Community Awareness ........................................................................................................ Values .................................................................................................................................. State and Federal Guidelines ................................................................................................ National Fire Plan ................................................................................................................. Healthy Forests Restoration Act ........................................................................................... Washington Statewide Implementation Strategy.................................................................. Local Guidelines and Integration with Other Efforts............................................................ Chelan County Multi-Jurisdictional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan .................................. Chelan County Comprehensive Plan ....................................................................................

2. PLANNING PROCESS ...............................................................................................................

Initiation................................................................................................................................ Description of the Planning Process ..................................................................................... Process and Partners ............................................................................................................. Public Involvement ...............................................................................................................

Public Meetings Steering Committee Meetings Direct Mailings, News Releases, Radio Spots 3. PLANNING AREA DESCRIPTION .........................................................................................

General Description of the Area ........................................................................................... General Description of Incorporated Cities ..........................................................................

4. ASSESSMENT .............................................................................................................................

Existing Information ............................................................................................................. Vegetation............................................................................................................................. Fire Ecology.......................................................................................................................... Fire History ........................................................................................................................... General Fire Behavior Potential............................................................................................ Fuels/Hazards........................................................................................................................ Protection Capabilities .......................................................................................................... Key Contacts.........................................................................................................................

5. RISK EVALUATION..................................................................................................................

Access ................................................................................................................................... Evacuation ............................................................................................................................ Staging Area for Tactical Resources..................................................................................... Command Post Locations ..................................................................................................... Water Supplies ...................................................................................................................... Fuel Breaks and Safety Zones...............................................................................................

6. CURRENT ACTIVITIES ...........................................................................................................

Existing Projects ................................................................................................................... Project Proposals................................................................................................................... Coordination with Forest Service Activities.........................................................................

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Landowner Committees ........................................................................................................ 7. ADMIINSTATION AND IMPLMENTATION STRATEGY .................................................

Plan Maintenance.................................................................................................................. Initiation................................................................................................................................ Prioritization of Mitigation Activities................................................................................... Prioritization Process ............................................................................................................

8. POSSIBLE MITIGATION ACTIVITIES .................................................................................

Fuels Reduction .................................................................................................................... Education/Outreach............................................................................................................... Improve Prevention/Suppression Capabilities in the Wildland/Urban Interface ..................

List of Maps

Chelan County Planning Area ............................................................................................... Chelan County CWPP Area Historic and Potential Natural Vegetation ............................... Chelan County CWPP Area General Fire Causes ................................................................. Chelan County CWPP Area Planned and Proposed Projects ................................................

List of Appendix’s Union Valley Community Wildfire Protection Plan Squilchuck Valley Community Wildfire Protection Plan Peshastin Creek Drainage Community Wildfire Protection Plan Manson Community Wildfire Protection Plan Leavenworth Area Community Wildfire Protection Plan South Shore Lake Chelan Community Wildfire Protection Plan Lake Wenatchee/Plain Area Community Wildfire Protection Plan Monitor, Cashmere, Dryden and Peshastin Area Community Wildfire Protection Plan Ponderosa Area Community Wildfire Protection Plan (Draft) Stehekin Valley Community Wildfire Protection Plan (Draft) Entiat Valley Community Wildfire Protection Plan (completed?) Wenatchee Area Community Wildfire Protection Plan (in prep)

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1. OVERVIEW OF THIS PLAN AND ITS DEVELOPMENT Introduction The Chelan County, Washington Community Fire Plan is the result of analyses, professional cooperation and collaboration, assessments of wildfire risks and other factors considered with the intent to reduce the potential for wildfires to threaten people, structures, infrastructure, and unique ecosystems in Chelan County, Washington. To means to accomplish this has involved the development of specific Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP’s) for portions of Chelan County. The Cascadia Conservation District was the primary group responsible for coordinating the development of this plan. Agencies and organizations that participate in the planning process included;

Chelan County Fire Districts

Washington State Department of Natural Resources

USDA Forest Service Bureau of Land Management

United States Fish and Wildlife

Citizens of Chelan County

Chelan County Commissioners entered into a contract agreement with the Cascadia Conservation District to provide the service of leading the development of and writing the Chelan County Wildland-Urban Interface Wildfire Mitigation Plan. The Cascadia Conservation District is a natural resource planning and implementation sub-division of State government located in Wenatchee, WA. The project manager from the Conservation District was Michael Rickel. Sarah Rudback provided substantial GIS support, meeting assistance and various other tasks too numerous to list. The project began in July 2004. At that time it was determined that the Community Wildfire Protection Plan structure would enable the project goals to be met. However, the scale of the CWPPs and the timeline did not allow all areas of the county to have CWPPs developed for them. As a result, approximately half of the county has a CWPP currently in place. Efforts to complete CWPPs for the remaining areas of the County will be pursued by the Conservation District. The CWPPs that have been developed are attached to this plan in the Appendices. Since 1984, wildland fires have burned an average of more than 850 homes each year in the United States and, because more people are moving into fire-prone areas bordering wildlands, the number of homes at risk continues to grow (National Interagency Fire Center, 2003). The primary responsibility for ensuring that preventive steps are taken to protect homes lies with homeowners and state and local governments, not the federal government. Although losses from wildland fires made up only 2 percent of all insured catastrophic losses from 1983 to 2002, fires can result in billions of dollars in damages.

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Citizens of Chelan County have been concerned about the effects of wildfire for some time. In fact, recent fires have occurred through out Chelan County. Most recently the Dirty Face Fire burned approximately 1,150 acres and forced about 300 people from their homes in 2005. The Fischer Fire in 2004 burned approximately 16,439 acres and forced the evacuation of about 600 people from their homes. As a result of frequent large scale wildfires severely impacting the tourist economy of several communities in County, the Chelan County Commissioners obtained funds to proactively plan and implement actions to protect lives, the community and reduce the risk of future wildfire related disasters. Vision and Goals The overarching aim of the Chelan County Community Fire Plan is to protect life and property of Chelan County, its members, and essential infrastructure from fire through outreach, strategic planning and action. The primary goal is to identify and implement projects that will protect people in the CWPP areas, including residents, and firefighters and emergency personnel, from injury or loss of life. The secondary goal is to minimize or eliminate damage or loss of property and essential infrastructure due to wildfire. Community Awareness Chelan County businesses and community members have been dramatically impacted by large scale wildland fires, particularly the towns of Leavenworth, Cashmere, Entiat, Chelan and Wenatchee over the past 20 years. Nearly every year fires of some scale have impacted the towns and communities of Chelan County. The frequency of fires occurring near cities and communities of Chelan County has increased in the last 20 years. Values The citizens of Chelan County value their homes, the environment and want to improve the safety of their community. Many individuals have already conducted work to reduce fuels around their homes and have participated in efforts to develop local Community Wildfire Protection Plans. Large fuels reduction projects have already been implemented in portions of Chelan County. This Community Fire Plan and the Community Wildfire Protection Plans developed concurrently desire to provide input on land management decisions for adjacent Federal and State lands while providing resources to landowners to implement fuel reduction projects on their own. State and Federal Guidelines The Chelan County Community Fire Plan is intended to adhere to the guidelines proposed in the National Fire Plan, the Washington Statewide Implementation Plan, and the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (2003).

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National Fire Plan The National Fire Plan; A collaborative Approach for Reducing Wildland Fire Risks to Communities and the Environment 10-Year Comprehensive Strategy Implementation Plan, May 2002. The National Fire Plan identifies a three-tiered organization structure including 1) the local level, 2) state/regional and tribal level, and 3) the national level. This plan adheres to the collaboration and outcomes consistent with a local level plan. Local level collaboration involves participants with direct responsibility for management decisions affecting public and/or private land and resources. Participants in this planning process include local representatives from Federal and State agencies, local governments, landowners and other stakeholders, and community-based groups with a demonstrated commitment to achieving the strategy’s four gals (1. Improve Fire Prevention, 2) Reduce Hazardous Fuels, 3) Restore Fire-Adapted Ecosystems, and 4) Promote Community Assistance. Existing resource advisory committees, watershed councils, or other collaborative entities may serve to achieve coordination at this level. Local involvement, expected to be broadly representative, is a primary source of planning, project prioritization, and resource allocation and coordination at the local level. The role of the private citizen is not to be under estimated, as their input and contribution to all phases of risk assessments, mitigation activities, and project implementation is greatly facilitated by their involvement. Healthy Forest Restoration Act The enactment of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA) of 2003 created the opportunities for Counties to participate in community based forest planning and vegetation treatment project prioritization. This landmark legislation includes the first meaningful statutory incentives for the US Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to give consideration to the priorities of local communities as they develop and implement forest management and hazardous fuels reduction projects. In order for communities to take full advantage of this opportunity, a Community Wildfire Protection Plan must first be prepared. The Chelan County Wildfire Mitigation Plan is meant to conform to the intent and letter of HFRA and consistent for Chelan County which is an at risk community of catastrophic wildfire. In addition, CWPP have and continue to be developed for communities in Chelan County that also conform to HFRA. The process of developing a CWPP is intended to help the communities of Chelan County clarify and refine priorities for the protection of life, property, and critical infrastructure in the wildland-urban interface (WUI). It can also lead community members through valuable discussions regarding management options and implications for the surrounding watersheds. The language of in the HFRA provides maximum flexibility for a community to determine the substance and detail of CWPPs and the procedures used to develop them. Because the legislation is general in nature, a Chelan County is providing assistance in the preparation of several CWPP. Currently, CWPPs are being developed on the County Fire District boundary scale in coordination between the landowners of the county, County Fire District staff and representatives of the United States Forest Service and Washington State Department of Natural Resources are providing assistance to the effort. There are nine Fire Districts in Chelan County and the CWPPs being developed for them will form the basis of the Chelan County Community

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Wildfire Mitigation Plan. Priorities developed for each Fire District will be ranked for the County. Updates and edits to the CWPPs developed for Chelan County will be performed yearly and will be coordinated by the Cascadia Conservation District. It is expected that updates will be necessary in order to reflect recent work done to address issues identified in the CWPPs. Another important aspect of these plans will be the monitoring of effectiveness of projects implemented under these plans. The wildland urban interface (WUI) is commonly considered s the zone where structures and other human development meet and intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels. This WUI zone poses tremendous risk to life, property, and infrastructure in associated communities and is one of the most dangerous and complicated situations firefighters face. Both the National Fire Plan and the Ten-Year Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Wildland Fire Risks to Communities and the Environment place a priority on working collaboratively within communities in the WUI to reduce their risk from large-scale wildfire. The HFRA builds on existing efforts to restore healthy forest conditions near communities and essential community infrastructure by authorizing expedited environmental assessments, administrative appeals, and legal review for hazardous fuels projects on federal land. The Act emphasizes the need for federal agencies to work collaboratively with communities in developing hazardous fuel reduction projects, and it places priority on treatments identified by communities themselves in a CWPP. The HFRA provides communities with a tremendous opportunity to influence where and how federal agencies implement fuel reduction projects on federal lands and how additional federal funds may be distributed for projects on nonfederal lands. A CWPP is the most effective way to take advantage of this opportunity. The HFRA requires that three entities must mutually agree to the final contents of a CWPP: • The applicable local government (County or Cities) • The local fire departments; and • The state entity responsible for forest management In addition, these entities are directed to consult with and involve local representatives of the USFS, USFWS and BLM and other interested parties or persons in the development of the plan. The process is intended to be open and collaborative, as described in the Ten-Year Strategy, involving local and state officials, federal land managers, and the broad range of interested stakeholders. In the absence of a CWPP, the HFRA limits the WUI to within ½ mile of a community’s boundary or within 1½ miles where mitigating circumstances exist, such as steep slopes or the presence of a critical evacuation route. At least 50 percent of all funds appropriated for projects

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under the HFRA must be used within the WUI as defined by either a CWPP or by the limited definition provided in the HFRA where no CWPP exists. Washington Statewide Implementation Strategy The Strategy adopted by the State of Washington is to provide a framework for an organized and coordinated approach to the implementation of the National Fire Plan, specifically the national “10-Year Comprehensive Strategy Implementation Plan”. Emphasis is on a collaborative approach at the following levels: ● County ● State Within the State of Washington, the Counties, with the assistance of State and Federal agencies and local expert advice, will develop a risk assessment and mitigation plan to identify local vulnerabilities to wildland fire. A Statewide group will provide oversight and prioritization as needed on a statewide scale. This strategy is not intended to circumvent any work done to date and individual Counties should not delay implementation any National Fire Plan projects to develop this county plan. Rather, Counties are encouraged to identify priority needs quickly and begin whatever actions necessary to mitigate those vulnerabilities. It is recognized that implementation activities such as; hazardous fuel treatment, equipment purchases, training, home owner education, community wildland fire mitigation planning, and other activities, will be occurring concurrently with this County wide planning effort. Local Guidelines and Integration with Other Efforts It is the intent of the Chelan County Community Fire Plan to include the integration of the National Fire Plan, the Washington Statewide Implementation Strategy, and the Healthy Forests Restoration Act. This plan will utilize the best and most appropriate science from all partners, the integration of local and regional knowledge about wildfire risks and fire behavior, while meeting the needs of local citizens, the regional economy, and the significance of this region to the rest of Washington. Chelan County Multi-Jurisdictional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan The Chelan County Multi-Jurisdictional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan was developed to meet the requirements of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 which requires local governments to develop and submit mitigation plans as a condition of receiving future Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program Funds. The Chelan County Emergency Management Council and its member jurisdictions led the development of the plan and contributed significant staff time towards its development. This plan included comprehensive, detailed evaluations of the vulnerabilities of the community to all types of future, natural hazards in order to identify ways to make the communities of the planning area more resistant to their impacts.

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Mitigation planning is a dynamic process that can be adjusted when warranted to account for changes in the community and to further refine the information, judgments, and proposals documented in the local mitigation plan. Chelan County Comprehensive Plan The Chelan County Comprehensive Plan provides a vision for the County that indicates how it wants to develop and make public investments over the next 20 years. It analyzes land use, natural resources, public facilities, local services, population, economics, and housing to identify local issues and devise appropriate policies that will address those issues in a manner consistent with this vision. It provides the long-range focus to help decision-makes set priorities and evaluate whether development proposals are consistent with this vision. It is a tool to coordinate with other government agencies and to communicate to citizens and developers the vision of the community. The Plan provides the framework for regulatory updates, land use decisions, and the public investments and will be an invaluable resource for the County as it enters the next century. The Plan is a dynamic document that represents a continuous process of setting goals and establishing priorities on actions to achieve those goals. The Comprehensive Plan provides for periodic updates and review. These updates will allow the County to reflect changing conditions and take advantage of new opportunities. 2. PLANNING PROCESS Initiation Documentation of the planning process, including public involvement is imperative for any plan to be successful. This section includes a description of the planning process used to develop this plan, including how it was prepared, who was involved in the process, and how all of the involved agencies participated. Description of the Planning Process The Chelan County Community Fire Plan was developed through a collaborative process involving all of the organizations, agencies and citizens detailed in Section 1.0 of this document. These organizations and agencies were contacted directly and invited to participate in the process. The planning process included 4 distinct phases which were in some cases sequential and in other cases intermixed.

1. Collection of Data about the extent and periodicity of wildfires in Chelan County. 2. Field Observations and ratings about risks, access, and potential treatments. 3. Mapping of data relevant to wildfire mitigation control and treatments. 4. Facilitation of Public Involvement from the formation of the planning committee and

steering committees to news releases, direct mailings, public review of draft documents, and acknowledgments of the final plan.

5. Drafting of the Report to integrate the results of the planning process, provide review and integration of committee and public input, followed by signature of the final document.

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Process and Partners This planning process began with the development of Community Wildfire Protection Plans for areas of Chelan County serviced by Fire Districts. These areas included the Fire District protection areas as well as the surrounding areas that are subject to fires. The CWPP efforts involved representatives from County Fire Districts, USFS, WDNR and concerned citizens of those areas of Chelan County. The Chelan County Community Fire Plan is the result of the CWPP locally-led efforts and partnerships between private, local, state and federal interests and they make up the bases of the County-wide Plan. By basing the county-wide plan on individual CWPP’s the goals, objectives and recommended projects are developed by and remain specific to each community (See Mitigation Action Plans, Section 7 of each CWPP). Specific members of local government that were involved in the development of CWPP included local Fire District Chiefs, Randy Johnson, Arnold Baker, Dennis Ashmore, Kelly O’Brien, Keith Goehner, and Ron Walter. Supporting agency staff members consisted of Joe Weeks, WDNR and USFS staff, such as Mick Mueller and Janeen Tervo. Public Involvement Public involvement in the development of the CWPPs was made a priority from the beginning of the project. There were a number of ways that public involvement was sough and facilitated. In some cases this led to members of the public providing information and seeking an active role in protecting their own homes and businesses, while in other cases it led to the public becoming more aware of the process without becoming directly involved in the planning process.

Public Meetings Public meetings were scheduled in a variety of communities in Chelan County during the development of each CWPP. Public meetings were scheduled to share information on the planning process, provide details of existing information, and discuss potential mitigation treatments. Announcements (Figure ##) were advertised through direct and bulk mailings to landowners within and adjacent to the specific Fire District boundaries and/or planning area boundaries. These meetings were advertised as an opportunity to learn more about making homes FireWise and how to get involved in local wildfire planning effort. From these public meetings, steering committees were developed to form the bases of review and comment to the Community Wildfire Protection Plans being developed. A total of eleven public meetings were held in the CWPP planning areas. Public meetings were held in Chelan, Manson, Leavenworth, Valley Hi and Squilchuck Valley (Beehive Grange). Public meetings were broadly advertised through radio, newspaper and direct mailings. They were used as an official “kick-off” of the CWPP process and were often followed up with FireWise workshops. Three FireWise workshops were held as separate public meetings. FireWise workshops were held at the Beehive Grange (Squilchuck CWPP, 9/9/2004), the Manson Grange (Manson CWPP, 8/27/05) and in Leavenworth (Leavenworth CWPP, 7/2/05). WILL UPDATE TO INCLUDE RECENT MEETINGS

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Figure ##. Public meeting notice mailed to landowners in the Squilchuck Valley area.

Meeting Notice Attention residents of the Squilchuck Creek drainage, including;

Wenatchee Heights

Pitcher Canyon

Forest Ridge

Halverson Canyon There will be a meeting on August 17th at 6:30 p.m. at the Beehive Grange to discuss and begin developing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan for your area.

The objective of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan will be to educate the community about wildfire risk, improve public safety and to identify and implement steps to reduce your risk from wildfire. Your participation is essential to capture community concerns and priorities for wildfire protection, prevention and identify actions that will help make your community safer from wildfire. You should attend if you are concerned with fire in your community and to learn simple steps that can be done around your home immediately to reduce your risk from wildfire. For more information please contact the Chelan County Fire District #1, Chief Randy Johnson at 662-4734 or the Cascadia Conservation District, Mike Rickel at 664-0268.

Steering Committee Meetings

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Steering committees were developed from willing participants/homeowners at public meetings to help develop the CWPPs. Most often the willing participants were community leaders. The steering committees provided the bulk of landowner feedback during the development of the CWPP and helped create the initial list of mitigation action items. A total of 14 separate steering committee meetings took place in support of the various CWPP efforts. These meetings allowed the steering committee members to provide local knowledge and experience of the planning area into the CWPP.

Direct Mailings, News Releases, and Radio Spots Another means of getting information out on the development of CWPPs utilized was direct mailings, news releases and radio spots. Direct mailings accompanied the request for landowners in each of the CWPP areas to review the current draft plan at the Conservation District web site. News releases, articles and radio spots were developed in coordination with local papers (Leavenworth Echo, Chelan Mirror, and Wenatchee World) and radio stations (KOHO, KPQ, KOZI) about CWPP efforts and encouraging people to participate in the effort.

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3. PLANNING AREA DESCRIPTION General Description of the Area Chelan County is located in the north-central part of Washington State (see map), between the crest of the Cascade Mountains to the west and the Columbia River to the east. The County is approximately 2,996 square miles (1,1917,440 acres) in size. Chelan County is the third largest county in the state. It contains three primary watersheds (Chelan, Entiat and Wenatchee) and several smaller drainages that drain to the Columbia River. An extremely diversified topography and climate exists within the county. The higher elevations of the Cascade Mountains receive over 160 inches of precipitation annually, but the climate along the Columbia River (600 feet elevation) is semi-arid, with annual precipitation of approximately 10 inches. Temperatures reflect similar patterns. Vegetation also varies greatly throughout the county. The high western portion of the county abounds in dense pine, fir, and cedar forests, whereas the arid eastern portion is covered primarily by sagebrush and native grasses. In addition, fruit orchards are located in the irrigable lands along the rivers and stream bottoms. Within Chelan County, about ##% (## acres) of the area is federally managed, 3% (1,813 acres) state owned lands, 16% industrial timber lands (Longview Fibre) and 31% (16,964 acres) private lands of the 1,917,440 total acres. New residential development on private lands within the county is predominately rural in nature. In fact many orchards are being replaced by housing. Residential development is concentrated along the valley bottoms, but is increasingly pushing deeper into the forest environment. Incorporated cities in Chelan County include; Cashmere, Chelan, Entiat, Wenatchee, and Leavenworth. Several communities/towns are located in the county also and they include: Dryden, Peshastin, Monitor, Malaga and Chelan Falls. Very few home sites outside of existing city limits or developed communities have adequate defensible space. Fuel types are generally grass and trees in the lower slopes grading to open pine stands and then to mixed conifer types, with mature Douglas fir/Ponderosa pine on the ridges and upper slopes. There is a mixture of overhead and underground power service throughout the county. Main power line corridors that carry power from local hydroelectric projects on the Columbia River to the west side of the state traverse the county. State and County highways provide access into and through out the county. The Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad runs along the Wenatchee River, up Chumstick Creek and then along Nason Creek before existing the county.

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General description of existing incorporated cities Cashmere – Cashmere is located along the Wenatchee River about 9 miles west of Wenatchee. Approximately 2,975 people live in the city limits and the fruit industry is the primary employer. Chelan - The city of Chelan sits at the south end of Lake Chelan, a 51 mile glacier fed lake. The communities of Manson and Stehekin are also located along the lake (Stehekin at the north end of the lake, and Manson about 11 miles north of Chelan also along the lake. The population of the valley consists of 10,000 year round residents and several hundred more part-time residents. The population of the city of Chelan is approximately 3,600. The principle economic base is from recreation, tourism and agriculture. Entiat – The city of Entiat sits along the Columbia River approximately 25 miles north of Wenatchee near the confluence with the Entiat River. Approximately 1,000 people live in the city, but population growth is increasing rapidly. The principle economic base is from agriculture, recreation and tourism. Wenatchee – The city of Wenatchee is located at the confluence of the Wenatchee River with and the Columbia River. Approximately 28,000 people live in Wenatchee and that number is slightly increasing. The principle economic base is commercial/retail, residential and industrial. Leavenworth – The city of Leavenworth is located along the Wenatchee River about 22 miles west of Wenatchee. Approximately 2,100 people live in the city and population is growing slightly. The principle economic base is from recreation and tourism.

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4. ASSESSMENT Existing Information A substantial amount of data is already available from several sources. Primary fire planning information/GIS data used in this plan came from Chelan County Fire Districts (structure protection plan and evacuation plan, etc.), USFS-Wenatchee-Okanogan National Forest (large fire history, some vegetation information), and WDNR (historic/potential vegetation, topography, fire cause statistics). Note: Portions of this document include intellectual property of the Department of Natural Resources and are used herein by permission. Copyright 2004, Washington State Department of Natural Resources. All Rights Reserved. Vegetation Chelan County is located towards the eastern edge of the Wenatchee National Forest in north central Washington. The planning area varies in elevation from 9,511' of Bonanza Peak in the upper reaches of the Lake Chelan drainage to 653' near Wenatchee. The large majority of the planning area (80%) is dominated by ponderosa pine stands and mesic sites of Douglas-fir and grand fir within the Dry Forest Vegetation Group (ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir and the drier associations within the grand fir series). More moist vegetation groups such as moist grand fir and more moist montane meadows exist in higher reaches of side drainages with general elevation gain. Historically, the planning area supported both pure stands of open canopy ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and some mixed conifer (ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, and dry grand fir) dominated stands of age classes ranging from seedling to very large diameter. The Douglas-fir and grand fir stands were primarily located on higher north slopes and directly in the creek bottoms. Currently, the primary vegetation type for the planning area is dense ponderosa pine forest with large amounts of Douglas-fir regeneration and intrusions of grand fir. Ponderosa pine is a shade intolerant species naturally adapted to survive in areas that experience fire on a regular basis. This frequent fire regime with a fire interval every 2-20 years was standard for the entire lower Wenatchee River valley. Fire plays a major role in how ponderosa pine is established and sustained on the landscape. Regular burning allows pine stands to flourish by removing underbrush and smaller competing trees. As the pines mature their bark thickens and their lower branches are self-pruned, which also makes them better adapted in a fire environment. Older, pure ponderosa pine stands subjected to frequent fire often have a wide, open, park-like feel with scattered large trees (12-25/acre) with a grass and scattered brush species understory. Fire also provides benefit by providing a mosaic of microhabitats across the landscape by creating openings, snag patches, and opportunities for a variety of plant species. In addition, these naturally occurring low intensity frequent fires would keep insects and plant diseases in check. The resulting increase in vegetative diversity benefits wildlife, as well as forest health/disease resistance. Conversely, the exclusion of fire over the last 60-90 years has allowed for the continuous horizontal and vertical fuel profiles of ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir to develop and increase the susceptibility for high intensity, stand replacement fires.

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Fire Ecology When the natural fire regime is altered (primarily through fire exclusion) ponderosa pine stands become denser. Shading and competition will inhibit the growth of pine and allow more shade tolerant species, such as Douglas fir and grand fir, to become established along with other understory brush species. This overstocked condition will produce vertical and horizontal fuel profile continuities which often result in high intensity stand replacement fires Additionally, denser stands are often more susceptible to the spread of insects and disease which provide more dead standing and down fuels. Vegetation within frequent fire regimes (with fires at intervals of 0-35 years) become unstable as fire frequency is disrupted (e.g. by fire suppression or fire exclusion). These forest types rely on the dynamics of fire to lower competition amongst species, keep areas of disease and insects in check and clean up the dead and downed materials (fuel). If there are no fires in a 0-70 year period to manipulate the dry forest, the forest is considered in a Condition Class II (Condition Class I is considered a normally functioning and structured forest community). No fires over a longer period produce a densely stocked stand of pines and shade tolerant species. This Condition Class III situation will result in the loss of forest cover, damage to watersheds, altered wildlife habitat, and potential soil damage when the inevitable uncharacteristic high intensity fire occurs. Most of the forested areas in Chelan County are in Condition Classes II and III. Thinning may be warranted in an effort to emulate fire as a process (that is, to consume and break up the pattern of fuels) and increase the area conducive to lower intensity fires that allow access to fire suppression forces. Thinning and prescribed burning activities can take place within or adjacent to the planning area in an attempt to lower the trend of increasing fuels. Fire History Since 1970, over two hundred fires have occurred within Chelan County (See Fire History map on page xx for summary and location of fire starts). Fires are started naturally by lightning nearly annually and are typically concentrated along ridge tops though random strikes may occur anywhere. In addition, human caused fire starts are also occurring (and increasing) as a result of other activities, such as recreation (campfires) and debris burning. Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad tracks have been a frequent source of fire starts in the past but that concentration has diminished somewhat with new maintenance practices employed by the railroad. The size of the fires may vary, but typically small fires of a few to several acres occur on a 5-10 year interval. Large fires (those greater than 1000 acres) have occurred in 1994 (Rat-Hatchery Creek Fire, 43,000 acres), 2001 (Icicle Complex Fire, 6,400 acres), and 2004 (Fischer Fire, 16,400 acres). Conditions are still conducive for a large, high severity fire, particularly in the Chumstick drainage. Large fires have been experienced near the planning area and conditions are conducive to large, high severity fires. General Fire Behavior Potential Weather, topography, and fuels affect wildfire behavior. Chelan County is prone to severe weather conditions in late summer that can support extreme fire behavior. The terrain is an extremely important aspect of expected fire behavior in this area. Drainages with varied topographic conditions and side canyons often funnel winds across the watershed where the velocity increases as air is forced into confined areas.

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The landscape has many valleys with steep slopes and dense stands dominated by ponderosa pine and thickets of Douglas-fir, with the largest trees primarily less than 18 inches in diameter. Stands in the area are dense and continuous, a perfect setting for large, lethal wildfire. Many stands have closed canopies and abundant ladder fuels. Continuous, tall underbrush also predominates. Insect infestations of western pine beetle and/or fir engraver beetle are becoming more prevalent. Many residences in Chelan County are adjacent to areas of grass, brush and thick pine fuels on the lower slopes. The mid to upper slopes are more heavily forested. Fire may move rapidly through these common areas with the potential for spotting highest in the adjacent forested areas and could be difficult to manage if wind is a factor. These brush and dense forest fuel types could produce fast moving fires especially in areas of steep slopes or with sustained winds. The threat would soon be in all areas of the communities with fire potential to involve all adjacent structures. Areas less susceptible to rapid rate of spread wildfires are the areas consumed by recent fires and the diminishing area of existing agricultural lands, although unregulated vegetation growth will soon make this area conducive to fire as well. Since the weather and topography of a community cannot be changed, the best approach to minimize the risk to people and potential property losses is to modify and/or reduce fuels surrounding the home, as well as at the landscape level. Fuels treatments within and adjacent to a community can improve safety for fire fighters, help overall fire suppression efforts be successful, and reduce potential risk/damage to individual structures/property. Wildlife habitat benefits can also gained through fuels reduction and natural vegetation restoration projects. Fuels/Hazards The WDNR has classified many areas of Chelan County as a ‘high risk’ Wildland/Urban Interface community (See MAP, Page #). Past activities such as logging and fire suppression have altered the normal fire regime, stand species composition and forest health. Dense, overstocked stands of trees are increasing the fire hazard in many areas of Chelan County. Many stands of ponderosa pine are dominated by trees less than 18 inches in diameter. Pockets of trees are being affected by low level (~0.3 to 4.5 trees/acre) infestation by mountain pine beetle and/or fir engraver (WDNR GIS; see previous Vegetation map). Trees often have contiguous crowns and adjacent ladder fuels, and continuous tall underbrush also predominates on the landscape. All of these variables provide a continuous fuel profile which can create conditions for an intense and fast moving fire. Protection Capabilities Chelan County Fire Districts are responsible for protection of private property in the each Fire Protection District area (MAP, PAGE #). In some cases incorporated cities are within Fire Protection Districts. The WADNR is primary agency for fire protection on forested private and public lands and USFS is the primary agency responsible for management of fires on federal lands. Most Chelan County Fire Districts maintain mutual aid agreements with WDNR, and all other Fire Districts within Chelan and Douglas Counties. The vast majority of Chelan County Fire District staff is volunteers. Chelan County Fire District employs # career employees and estimated 300 volunteers. Chelan County Fire Districts have stations located through the County

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Current Equipment:

• 3 type 1 structure engines • 2 type 3 wildland engines • 1 type 6 brush truck • 1 type 2 2,000 gallon tender • 1 85’ aerial platform • 2 Command vehicles

Most of the Chelan County Fire Districts have a structure protection plan for the purpose of safely and efficiently managing resources to protect life, property and resources in the event of an approaching wildfire. Strategy decision takes into account the following tactical considerations.

1. Bottomlands are commonly grasslands with some scattering of timber, and creek beds. Slopes are steep and heavily timbered. Fire may move rapidly through bottomlands igniting slopes where spotting, torching, and crowning can occur. Slopes and bottomlands are both heavily populated with structures.

2. Most homes will require maximum effort to defend, requiring prompt implementation of this plan and the need for triage structures.

3. Access to areas differs in locations. Bottomlands are commonly accessed by county road or state highway. Slopes are accessed by long private drives in varying conditions. Access to localized structures is critical in completing structure triage.

4. Homes range from small trailer homes to very large stick frame dwellings in the district to multistory commercial.

5. Water access is not consistent through out the various Fire Protection Districts. 6. Chelan County Fire Districts and its cooperators cannot assemble enough structure

protection capabilities to protect all the resources within a given District. Successful defense from wildfire will depend upon structural triage, and time for pre-treatment with mobile tactics. Resources from state and federal agencies will be necessary to implement the strategies described.

Structural Vulnerability Residences within Chelan County Fire Protection Districts are wildly dispersed and are somewhat entwined into the forest landscape. Access, topography, slope and fuels all play a role in each structure’s fire risk. Structures within residential areas and the bottomlands along the streams and rivers are primarily concerned with widespread spotting potential as their primary risk.

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Key Contacts Organization

Contact

Phone Number

Chelan County Sheriff Sheriff Mike Harum RiverCom

(O) (509) 667-6851 (C) (509)630-1700

911 or (509) 667-6851

Chelan County Fire District #1

Chelan County Fire District #3 Chelan County Fire District #4


Chelan County Fire District #6 Blewett Pass

Cashmere Dryden Monitor Peshastin




Randy Johnson

Chief Kelly O’Brien

Bruce Merighi (retired)

Arnold Baker

Need name Dean Hills

Phil Guthrie Troy Stevens Mike Spies

Dennis Ashmore

Mike Asher

Rod Fountain

(O) (509) 662-4734 (C) (509)679-9799

(O) (509) 548-7711 (H) (509)548-7995

(O) 763-3581

(O) (509) 687-3222 (C) (509) 670-2775

(O) (509) 548-4385 (C) (509) 433-1113

(USFS) Wenatchee River Ranger District Entiat Ranger District Chelan Ranger District

Keith Satterfield Michelle Ellis Marsh Haskins

(O) (509) 548-6977 (O) (509) 784-1511 (O) (509) 682-2576

Central WA Interagency Comm. Center (CWICC)

(O) (509) 884-3473

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5. RISK EVALUATION An area risk assessment was completed by WDNR (NFP-299 area risk assessment) that grouped the area rather than analyzing risk to individual structures. The fire risk assessment for Chelan County ranges from extreme to moderate (map, page #). However, most of the areas that have been classified by WDNR are designed high. As part of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan development and other fuels reduction/fire education projects in the County that have taken place beginning in 2003, more refined risk evaluations of individual structures have been performed (map of 299 evaluations? From Chumstick, Leavenoworth and Manson/Chelan evaluations possibly). The WDNR is primary agency for fire protection on forested private and state lands and USDA Forest Service is the primary agency responsible for management of fires on federal lands. Chelan County Fire Districts provide first response with mutual aid resources available throughout the county. These resources may respond to a pre-designated staging area. Access Several main County and State highways provide access through Chelan County. The main State Highways are 97 and 2. Main County access routes include; 371 (Entiat Valley), 150 (Manson), Chumstick and Lake Wenatchee Highways. All these roads serve as designated emergency evacuation routes. Most all of these roads access side canyons or valleys that then have dead end roads. Not all roads in the County are paved or in suitable condition for fire equipment, especially in winter. Therefore, road access has been identified as a concern. The lack of improved roads that could serve for two access roads for emergency evacuations has been identified as a concern in some areas. Evacuation Chelan County Emergency Management Program administers the evacuation of the area surrounding Leavenworth in the event of a wildfire. Staging Area for Tactical Resources Staging area options include; If wildfire threatens any Fire District in Chelan County, the Districts will respond with mutual aid resources throughout the Chelan and Douglas County. These resources may use any one of the following locations can be pre-designated as a staging area.

• CCFD #1, Station 14, 4852 Squilchuck Road • CCFD #1 Station 13, 1836 South Mission • Beehive Grange, 4000 block Squilchuck Road • CCFD #3, Station 1 228 Chumstick Highway • CCFD #3, Station 2, 7miles north along Chumstick Highway • Cascade High School, 10190 Chumstick Highway • Leavenworth Fish Hatchery at 12790 East Leavenworth Road • CCFD #5, Station 1 250 West Manson Boulevard(509) 687-3222 • CCFD #5, Station 2 2010 Wapato Lake Road, (509) 687-9041 • Manson High School, 1000 Totem Pole Road, (509) 687-9585

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• CCFD #6, Blewett Pass Fire Hall, Allen Lane, Valley Hi,(509) 548-7706 • CCFD #7, Station 7,

Command Post Locations Chelan County Fire District #3, Station #1, 228 Chumstick Road Mainline (509) 548-7711 Second line (509) 548-4091 Fax line (509) 548-0307 Chelan County Fire District One Main Station, 206 Easy Street Main Office (509) 662-4734 Second Line (509) 662-4735 Third Line (509) 662-3247 Fourth Line (509) 662-9717 Main Fax (509) 663-3967 Secondary Fax (509) 663-9640 Mission View Elementary School, 60 Terminal Avenue Mission View Elementary School (509) 663-5851 Wenatchee School District (509) 663-8161 Beehive Grange 4000 block Squilchuck Road Leavenworth Fish Hatchery, 12790 East Leavenworth Road, (509) 548-7641 Dryden Gun Club, Saunders Road, Peshastin, WA (509) 782-2105 Peshastin-Dryden Elementary School, 1001 School Road, Peshastin, School (509) 548-5832 Cascade School District #228, Superintendent’s Office (509) 548-5885 Cashmere School District #222, Superintendent’s Office (509) 782-3355 Chelan School District #129, Superintendent’s Office (509) 682-3515 Entiat School District #127, Superintendent’s Office (509)784-1800 Manson School District #19, Superintendent’s Office (509) 687-3140 Water Supplies The location of water sources available for fire fighting efforts has been identified as limiting in some areas of Chelan County. Water sources are primarily surface water withdrawal sites located on private land and right-of-ways at stream crossings. Efforts to improve existing draft sites and establish new drafting sites and constructing water tanks will be pursued by the Fire Districts.

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Fuel Breaks and Safety Zones An immediate primary fuels reduction treatment goal in Chelan County is the creation of strategically-placed fuel breaks adjacent to federally managed lands in the planning area and along roads to allow for safe ingress and egress. In the event of a fire, the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society will work with landowners to find a safe location for livestock as well as domestic animals for homeowners who can not take their animals with them. Additionally, Chelan County Fairgrounds in Cashmere has been identified as a location that can accommodate livestock in the event of a wildfire. 6. CURRENT ACTIVITIES Existing Projects Three groups of landowners in Chelan County have organized themselves to address fire issues by working with either WDNR, Cascadia Conservation District and/or local Count Fire District’s to obtain state and federal funds for fuels reduction and fire education efforts in the county. A group of landowners from the Union Valley area outside Chelan obtained state funds to implement fuels reduction efforts in their community in coordination with WDNR. The USFWS, under the National Fire Plan Community Assistance and Wildlife Urban Interface Projects, funded a fuels reduction and fire education project for the Mountain Home area outside Leavenworth. Working with the Cascadia Conservation District (CCCD), Chelan County Fire District #3 (CCFD#3), the US Forest Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), a group of 15 neighbors drafted a grant proposal for $72,000 to assess fuels loading in an area southeast of the town of Leavenworth. An additional $100,000 was awarded to this project in July 2003 and yet another $125,000 was awarded for more work in September 2005. To date, approximately 100 acres were treated around 64 homes in the Mountain Home Road, Dempsey Road and Copper Notch Road areas. Additionally, another 15 acres of “demonstration sites” have been completed that reflect the three levels of fuels reduction that is being done around area homes as part of these efforts was implemented in the Chumstick Creek watershed at Red Tail Canyon Farm. This effort has also involved education. Education has been provided through radio interviews, public meetings, direct mailings, and one-on-one contacts. Education has also taken place as a result of CWPP efforts to date in Chelan County. FireWise workshops that talked about the benefits of defensible space and videos of the philosophy were shared with many property owners as part of the CWPP efforts. Plans to create defensible space around homes was initiated by individuals and through grant applications. The homeowners in the specific planning areas were urged to clean up around their homes and driveways and forest lands. Specifically, homeowners were provided with FireWise information on how to create defensible space around their homes. In 2005 the Bureau of Land Management awarded a group of landowners in the Chumstick Creek area outside Leavenworth $38,000 for assessment and planning for fuel reduction and fire education efforts. Working with the Cascadia Conservation District (CCCD), Chelan County Fire District #3 (CCFD#3), the US Forest Service and the WDNR this group of landowners have

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begun assessing the fire risk to structures in the Chumstick Creek watershed and expect to send out recommendations to reduce the fuel loads around approximately 600 homes. Project Proposals Project proposals are expected to result from this plan and the completed CWPPs. A project proposal submitted by the CCCD on behalf of the Leavenworth Neighborhoods group for implementing larger scale fuel reduction projects has been awarded. Locating this project will most likely be in the planning area of that effort, but it is expected to benefit the CWPP effort. Additionally, the CWPP effort expects to prioritize where future project proposals will be take place. Coordination with Forest Service Activities In order to maximize the fuels reduction work planned for private land, it highly desirable for complementary projects to take place on adjacent USFS managed lands in and adjacent to private lands. The USFS considers local needs as they evaluate where to locate fuels reduction projects. The Chelan County Community Fire Plan and local, more specific CWPPs are recognized as the instrument necessary to identify and help locate those areas and projects that are of highest local priority. Opportunities to participate in USFS planning efforts will be pursued. Landowner Committees Multiple landowner committees were established during the development of the various CWPPs in Chelan County to provide feedback for the development of those plans. Members of the various area specific groups were very interested and knowledgeable about wildfire and local conditions. In some cases, these groups were made up of people who were already involved with fuel reduction and fire education efforts in those areas. These landowner committees provided the bulk of feedback from community members during the development of the CWPPs and the Chelan County Community Fire Plan. It was decided by the landowner committee that the focus of the CWPPs and this plan is to help insure human safety and protecting structures on private land. Based on this, the committee members decided to have the Mitigation Action Plan concentrate on safety issues in the following categories: education and outreach, fuels reduction, evacuation, and improved protection capabilities. Projects that address human life issues will be of a higher priority then projects that benefit homes. Education and outreach was identified as one of the most important tools to be included in the plan. It was recognized that landowners will need to be informed of the need and means of how to “FireWise” their property and ensure safety. In addition, education and outreach of fire issues will reach people who visit but may not live in the planning area. Several items were identified as a means to get fire information out to the public (See 8. Mitigation Action Plan). The objective of this portion of the plan is to provide information to landowners, developers, new residents, and visitors to increase knowledge and understanding of fire related issues. Some things considered to accomplish this include hosting future “FireWise” presentations and workshops and work to support the volunteer firefighter program. In addition, the landowner committee felt that the focus of the projects should be around insuring human safety (such as escape routes) and protecting homes and structures on private land. Projects that address human life issues such as escape routes should be of higher priority than projects that benefit homes. No home is worth a life.

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Fuels reduction, both around homes and across the landscape was the second priority of the landowner committee. The landowner committee agreed that implementing defensible space around homes was the first priority for fuels reduction and the second priority was the general landscape. Landowners will be encouraged (and information provided on how to do it) to all work to create a defensible space around their own homes, but financial assistance should be provided to assist those landowners that do not have the funds or ability to do it all on their own. While the shaded fuel breaks maybe the first line of defense and should be pursued to be implemented, the scale of this work will not return the immediate benefits that come from creating defensible space (or “FireWise”) around individual homes. Benefits from creating defensible space will provide immediate benefits. Creating defensible space and maintaining it to protect structures will provide a type of “back-up” if in the future fire escapes the shaded fuel breaks. The most important thing about the shaded fuel breaks is that they are located where appropriate based on geographic features and vegetation type and do not stop and start due to public/private ownership. The location should be based on terrain, fuel conditions, etc. and the treatments take place where needed regardless of ownership. In general, projects will be prioritized based upon their location in the planning area. The focus will first be on in the neighborhoods contained within the planning area and work outward toward adjacent public lands. Communication was identified as another item that would benefit a coordinate emergency response. Specifically, communication of accurate and immediate information to landowners and appropriate emergency personnel in the event of a fire related emergency is very important. Through this planning effort, the best a means of developing a defined method of communication between landowners will be pursued. The rugged topography and steep valley walls that is common in many parts of Chelan County limits most roads to valley bottoms and ridge tops. Limited roads, particularly secondary access roads into populated areas of the planning area were identified as a substantial concern to safety. Means to improve/upgrade existing roads to provide for secondary access during emergency evacuation conditions should be pursued with the appropriate landowner. 7. ADMIINSTATION AND IMPLMENTATION STRATEGY Critical to the implementation of this Community Fire Plan will be the identification of, and implementation of, an integrated schedule of treatments targeted at achieving an elimination of lives lost, and reduction in structures destroyed, infrastructure compromised, and unique ecosystems damaged that serve to sustain the way-of-life and economy of Chelan County. Due to several land management agencies and thousands of private landowners in Chelan County, it is reasonable to expect that differing schedules of adoption will be made and varying degrees of implementing projects will be observed. It is most cost effective to instilling fire disaster resistance in normal day-to-day operations. By implementing plan activities through existing programs and resources, the cost of mitigation is often a small portion of the overall cost of a program.

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The USFS and Washington State DNR participated in the development of the CWPPs in Chelan County and this plan. Where available, the schedule of land treatments by these agencies have been considered in the CWPP process to better facilitate a correlation between State and Federal identified planning efforts and the efforts identified in the CWPP. Plan Maintenance The Chelan County Community Fire Plan will be evaluated on an annual basis by the Chelan Local Coordinating Group (LCG) to determine the effectiveness of mitigation projects, programs, or other related activities and to reflect changes in land development or programs that may affect mitigation priorities and/or strategies. Any recommended updates should be reviewed by the Chelan County Commissioners during a regularly scheduled Commissioner meeting. The plan will be updated when funding and time allows. Prioritization of Mitigation Activities The prioritization process should include an emphasis on cost-benefit analysis review. The process should reflect that a key component in funding decision is a determination that the project will provide an equivalent or more in benefits over the life of the project when compared with the costs. Projects are expected to be primarily administered by various entities in the county and overall coordination by the Chelan County Chelan-Douglas Local Coordinating Group and County Commissioners. The committees that assisted with the development of each CWPP effort in Chelan County have evaluated and established their own unique priorities to accomplish mitigation activities where existing funds and resources are available. However, it is recognized that in order to be more competitive for federal and state funds to implement fuels local reduction projects, a formalized County-wide prioritization process will be helpful. If federal funding is not used in these situations, the prioritization process may be less formal. Often the types of projects that the County can afford to do on their own are in relation to improved codes and standards, department planning and preparedness, and education. These types of projects may not meet the traditional project selection criteria or cost-benefit analysis. The prioritization of projects will occur annually and be facilitated by the LCG (which includes the County Commissioners Office, Fire District Chiefs, and agency representatives (USFS, WDNR, BLM, etc). The prioritization of projects will be based on the selection of projects which create a balanced approach to fire mitigation which recognizes the ranking of treating in order the following:

1. People and structures 2. Infrastructure 3. Local economy 4. ecosystems

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Prioritization Process This needs to be determined with the help of the Local Coordinating Group or LCG. The goals of the National Fire Plan are to ensure sufficient firefighting resources for the future, to rehabilitate and restore fire-damaged ecosystems, to reduce fuels (combustible forest materials) in forests and rangelands at risk, especially near communities, and to work with local residents to reduce fire risk and to improve fire protection. 8. POSSIIBLE MITIGATION ACTIVITIES As part of the implementation of fire mitigation activities in Chelan County, a variety of management tools may be used. Management tools include but are not limited to the following: ● Homeowner and landowner education ● Policy changes for structures and infrastructure in the WUI ● Home site defensible zone through fuels modifications ● Community defensible zone fuels reduction ● Access improvements ● Access creation

● Emergency response enhancements (training, equipment, locating new fire stations, new fire districts) ● Regional land management recommendations for private, state, and federal landowners There are three main categories of mitigation actions identified through extensive community outreach. Categories include fuels reduction, education and outreach, and fire prevention and suppression in the WUI area. Natural vegetation and habitat restoration activities are incorporated into fuels reduction projects. Recommendations are organized into categories and listed in order of priority. • Fuels Reduction

1. Implement “FireWise” recommendations within 200 feet of all private homes and essential infrastructure. Actions include the establishment of defensible space, adequate turn-around space for emergency equipment, and clear consistent address signs.

2. Create 200 foot wide shaded canopy fuel breaks in the planning area on strategically

located areas that will have the greatest benefit for the entire project area. The objective

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of the proposed project is to help reduce the potential of a wildfire moving from public to private lands and vice versa across the landscape.

3. Encourage the USFS to continue current fuels reduction activities at the landscape scale

with an emphasis of creating strategic fuel breaks that will enhance local fire suppression efforts and utilize “natural” fuel breaks where feasible (such as orchards, ridge tops, highways, rock outcrops and irrigated pastures). Encourage similar activities on other Forest Service lands adjacent to private ownership within the CWPP area as risk assessment and prioritization process continues.

4. Encourage the USFS to continue permitting sheep grazing allotments in Chelan County

and align grazing routes with strategic fuel breaks (such as ridge tops). 5. Treat vegetation within 100 feet of roads and driveways. This can include shaded canopy

defensible space on both sides of the road, road signs, and clearly marked evacuation routes.

6. Develop and maintain a safe areas, shelters, and staging location as a base for fire

fighting operations. 7. Encourage adjacent landowners and agencies to perform complementary treatments on

their land by being more involved in the public planning process and inviting neighboring private landowners to participate in annual “FireWise” workshops to be held locally.

8. Current County regulations on riparian management and set back along streams are

problematic for implementing effective fire orientated vegetation management. Many homes along streams may not be able to do the needed vegetative work and still comply with these rules. Thus, for the short term, request a waiver or special standard could be established for this type of work. Alternatively, a more comprehensive solution for County management consideration that accommodates ecological and social values may be a better long term solution for all interests. Accurately mapping specific high value areas for streamside protection rather than a one size fits all.

9. Acquire chipper(s) that can be used by folks in the CWPP area to dispose of brush

generated through fuels reduction efforts rather than burning.

10. Investigate biomass conversion technology for opportunities to implement biomass utilization technology in the CWPP area and County wide as part of fuel reduction projects.

• Education and Outreach

1. Conduct risk assessments of individual structures and essential infrastructure for the entire planning area and implement identified recommendations.

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2. Utilize existing billboard on highway to provide fire-related information such as fire danger level, burn ban regulations, informational messages or reminders (i.e. “No campfires” or “use your ashtray”), and/or what to do if smoke or a fire is detected. (i.e. “Report signs of smoke or fire immediately Call 911”.

3. Compile essential “FireWise” information and distribute it to landowners in and adjacent

to Chelan County. Information presented should cover landowner responsibilities and residential security options (i.e. creating defensible spaces and fire breaks, “FireWise” construction materials, etc.), and individual preparedness (i.e. how to create a Personal Emergency Action Plan, what to do and what not to do in the case of a wildfire, etc).

4. Participate in Forest Service and State Forest Management policy issues during

amendment processes to provide input to insure local land/home owner interests are considered. Input to the Forest Plan revision is a good conveyance of community concerns for all aspects of forest management. There are land allocations in the drainage that are not conducive to effective fire prevention or control. It is hoped that through the development of the CWPPs and WUI designations for areas of Chelan County, that this will allow for fuel reduction management in areas that would not normally allow for it due to the land allocation identified in the Forest Plan. Existing allocations may limit the degree and extent of fuels reduction treatment in areas that may need it the most

5. Incorporating burn bans, campfire closures etc into the CWPPs Chelan County

Community Fire Plan is highly appropriate based on community concerns. This would require special orders or dictate closer interagency communication (Forest Service, DNR, and Fire Protection Districts) which is a desired outcome of the process. Potentially could propose campfire closures to coincide with the appropriate Fire Precaution Level and County burn bans.

6. Provide information to non-residents who own property and/or vacation homes on steps

they can do to reduce the threat of fire to their homes and property.

7. Produce emergency evacuation route maps - Provide maps of emergency evacuation routes and emergency contact information to landowners in the CWPP area

8. Work with the County planning department - to get FireWise building materials

information provided to developers and home builders during the permitting process. • Improving Protection Capabilities/Human Safety

1. Emergency Safety Issues o Address coordination o Road Signs o Evacuation Escape routes

Develop warning systems and safe escape routes, including the following: o Mark exit routes on maps. (Emergency Management may already have)

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o Make directional emergency exit signs. (may require State and County involvement)

o Procure and install warning siren. o Contact radio station for possible help with emergency information.

2. Address coordination – Properties need to be renumbered in a logical, sequential way. This should be completed anywhere this is a problem. After completion of address assignments we suggest the following.

o Standardize location of address signs. o Standardize appearance of signs

• Contact person at Chelan County responsible for assigning addresses to assist and verify correct information.

• Road signs - Develop uniformity of all road signs and install signs at strategic locations. Sign design will meet County and State (if appropriate) requirements. o Location o Size and type of lettering. o Mounting heights. o Special signage (i.e. dead ends, curves, fire risk area, FireWise block watch

community etc.).

3. Develop a water source for fire fighting efforts - Identify and improve water sources in the CWPP planning area.

National Interagency Fire Center. 2003. Information posted on the Agency’s Internet web site at http://www.nifc.gov/

chelan county fire plan draft - cascadia...

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