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Flagstaff
Interface Treatment Prescription
Results
in the Wildland/Urban Interface
Maintenance
Once
the thinning, slash treatment, and first underburning
have been completed, the treated area constitutes an
effective fuelbreak for at least the next three to four
years. Follow-up
thinning and maintenance burns are scheduled as necessary
to ensure long-term reduction of the risk of destructive
fire.
Typically,
thinning is rescheduled every 10-15 years, while broadcast
burns are on a 3-7 year cycle.
Smoke management concerns are much less during
such maintenance burns.
Community
Involvement
Throughout
the entire operation, the project manager must maintain
contact with potentially affected residents. We routinely gather input from such persons, consider their concerns
and beliefs, and where possible, incorporate their desires
into the overall effort (Figure 6).
We commonly go door to door to each residence
that borders the proposed project to explain the project
and gather first-hand comments.
Follow-up visits are paid to those people who
have questions or concerns.
If necessary, a "case-officer" is assigned so
the resident deals with the same person from the start
of a project to the end.
Some
might believe that people would prefer their privacy
and ask for no or limited treatments next to their property
line. However, we have rarely found this to be the
case. In fact,
most often the opposite is true: property owners want
the work carried onto their land, or onto other adjacent
or nearby property.
Figure 6. Project
managers routinely meet with nearby residents prior
to initiating treatments.
Photo by Allen Farnsworth USFS
We
have made a concerted effort to involve local businesses
in our thinning efforts.
Prior to 1998, no more than 10 contracts per
year were issued. Since 1998, approximately 60 have been issued
each year.
Although
it takes considerable time and commitment, we believe
this one-on-one community involvement is essential for
the success of our program.
Costs
Individual
project expenses vary tremendously from site-to-site
based on ownership, size, complexity, and need. It is
difficult to compare one site to another, especially
initial treatment vs. maintenance requirements.
What
should be considered is the cost of doing nothing.
For our area, it is no longer a question of "if"
a wildfire will occur, but "when", "where", and "how
much damage" will result.
We want to work with the residents before the
wildfire, not during or after it.
Benefits
We
have experienced wildfires in several of our treated
areas and have noticed the following:
§
Improved access for fire fighters and apparatus.
§
Increased ability to utilize barriers when locating
and constructing line.
§
Easier detection and suppression of spot fires.
§
Decreased mop up time and effort.
§
Reduced torching and mortality.
§
Expanded options for a modified suppression response.
§
Improved public safety
In
addition, we have realized reduced trash accumulation
through elimination of hiding cover necessary for transient
camps and party spots.
We also clean-up existing trash during operations.
Recommendations
Our
level of expertise with the program has led to the development
of the following guidelines:
1.
Involve those potentially impacted or affected from
the very beginning.
2.
Once the project is started, commit to complete it in
a timely manner.
3.
Use signs, news releases, and other appropriate methods
to update people on the status of the project.
4.
Avoid stone-walling.
When mistakes happen, immediately notify each
adjacent resident, explain what happened and why, and
advise them of what is being done to correct the situation.
Assume full-responsibility: allow on-site personnel
to make commitments to address a problem.
5.
Document and follow-up special concerns or small details
that may be important to a concerned individual. Personal "client" service is an absolute necessity.
We must always strive to maintain the professionalism,
integrity and credibility that have been established.
6.
Stay focused on the ultimate objective. Reduction of
fire risk requires us to produce stumps and smoke.
If we are not doing that, we are not successful.
7.
Success leads to success. Many landowners throughout the community have seen the ongoing and
completed treatments and have implemented similar treatments
on their own land.
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