FIRE-ADAPTED COMMUNITIES LEARNING NETWORK SECOND QUARTER WEBINAR – DEC 13, 2013
Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network
Welcome! Please sign in using the chat box.
Share your name, affiliation and which
pilot community you are working with.
Effective Communications and Partnership Engagement
Agenda
Network Business Update
Learning Topic
Presentation by Georgia partners
Presentation by Minnesota partners
Presentation by Lake Tahoe partners
Presentation by Colorado partners
Discussion about Communications and Partnership
Engagement will all webinar participants
Update on FAC Network Project Developments
Learning and Sharing Plans
Communications Materials
Technical Briefs/Quick Guides
Community Assessment Tool
Upcoming FAC Net Activities
Important dates:
December 31st mid-term project period ends
January 15th mid-term reports due (we will also handle any work plan
adjustments as part of the mid-term reporting process)
March 14th third quarter webinar – Learning Topic TBD…
June 2nd-6th Annual Meeting proposed dates. We’re working on securing a
location in Colorado. We’ll make more information about this available asap
June 13th fourth quarter webinar – Learning Topic TBD. Year 1 final reports
due
June 30th issue 2nd year awards based on negotiated proposals
Questions?
Chestatee-Chattahoochee RC&D Council
Towns County, Georgia Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network Pilot
Project-2013
Lake Chatuge, Towns County Georgia
Those we’ve engaged with:
Towns County Fire Rescue
Towns County Fire Corps (Volunteer organization)
Towns County Sole County Commissioner
Towns County Sheriffs Department
Towns County Planning
Towns County EMA
Towns County School Superintendent/School System
Towns County County-wide Homeowners Association
Georgia Forestry Commission
USDA Forest Service-Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests
The Nature Conservancy
Southern Governors Association
Georgia State Fire Marshal
Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corporation
Young Harris College
Local Libraries (2)
Firewise Communities (6 exist-5 more coming on board)
Various NE Georgia County Commissioners
Special events/meetings:
Eleven FAC meetings with collaborators to educate/plan activities-May-September
RC&D-Presentations to 13 individual County Commissioner(s) meetings-July-October
Collaborators-Georgia Mountain Fair-August
RC&D-Wildfire Safe, Sound, & Code Smart Conference-October
Collaborators-Firewise Communities Program Week-November
Collaborators-Various civic organizations presentations-November
RC&D-Georgia Mountains Regional Commission presentation-November
Collaborators-Development and formation of Citizens Coalition meeting-December
IAFC public service announcement filming in Hiawassee-December
http://townscountyfireprevention.wordpress.com/
Towns County FAC Website-designed by the Georgia Forestry Commission
Towns County Commissioner signs Firewise Communities Program Proclamation for the week of November 3rd-9th, 2013
Examples of electronic sign usage
1-Courthouse display with materials 2-Ingle’s Market event 3-Fieldstone Theater advertisement
1 2
3
Towns County Middle School Ag Class “Good Fire and Bad Fire”
Firewise Day Events-”Chipper Days” using Secure Rural Schools Title III funds-3 accomplished this week
Fire Learning Network involvement with The Nature Conservancy
This pilot project will be included as a goal for the expansion of the Southern Blue Ridge Fire Learning Network in the Southern Appalachians
What’s next?
• Citizens Coalition involvement
• Move forward with projects related to elements
• First quarter 2014-present to another location
Major learning event: Attended Minnesota-statewide Firewise meeting in early-October (first of it’s kind for the state and result of long-time leadership vision) Results: -Identified need to develop case studies to “tell the story” about what is working/needed with FAC/Firewise in the state (celebrate successes, influence others, build momentum, etc) -Identified opportunities to address needs & opportunities in Ely with specific activities:
- Explore local leadership potential to adapt county-CWPP to community
- Collaborate with Red Cross on training - Host panel presentation about FAC for
2014 Regenerate Ely Speaker Series - Investigate barriers to successful
recruitment of Level 2 assessors, follow-up opportunities, motivational activities
Great Lakes FAC Hub - Effective Communications and Partnership Engagement
FIRE ADAPTED
COMMUNITIES
LAKE TAHOE BASIN
•Neighbors for Defensible Space •Block Parties •Built grassroots support for a prescribed fire program
1989
•First prescribed fire in district
1995
•Angora Fire •3000 acres •250 homes destroyed •$160 Million costs
•Governors’ Blue Ribbon Commission
2007
•$5 Million in federal funding
2008
2008
TAHOE
FIRE &
FUELS
TEAM
Operations Finance Planning
2008
SUMMER 2011
•NVFSC federal funding •$15 Million since 2008 •$6 Million in reserves
SUMMER 2011
•Nevada Fire Safe Council: •60 Tahoe Fire Safe Chapters •Over 3000 members •Defensible space rebates •Annual conferences
SUMMER 2011
SUMMER 2011
•Multimedia ad campaigns •Mailers •Newspapers •TV and Radio Spots •Social Media •Op-eds
SUMMER 2011
Defensible Space and Fuels Treatment Databases
•Basin Fire Districts: •Five 20-person hand crews •2 chipping crews •4 foresters •Over 120 full-time personnel supported by NVFSC grant funding
SUMMER 2011
SUMMER 2011
Year 1 (08) year 2 (09) Year 3 (10) Year 4 (11)
Target Acres 1315 1755 2750 3225
Acres Treated 1585 2963 4126 4679
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
Cu
mu
latu
ve A
cre
s Tr
eat
ed
Fuels Reduction Treatments
2008 2009 2010 2011
Total 5413 10038 14035 18164
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
16000
18000
20000
Defensible Space Inspections
SUMMER 2011
BLM Tahoe Grants USFS Tahoe Grants
$8,000,000 $5,000,000
BLM Nevada Grants
$1,000,000
-$500,000 -$500,000
Indirect Costs
-$1,500,000 -$1,000,000
•NVFSC declares bankruptcy
•$2.5 Million owed
•Zero assets
2012
•Lost trust from residents •Chapter leaders without support •Fire districts without funding •Strained communication with federal agencies
2012
•Re-engaging the public: •Block Parties •Community Work Days •Community Forestry Guides
2013 AND BEYOND
•Maintaining Tahoe Fire & Fuels Team Structure •Preparing for new funding opportunities •Minimizing financial risk from grants
2013 AND BEYOND
“There are risks and costs to action. But they are far
less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction.”
-John F. Kennedy
Strategies, Successes and Challenges
Front Range Fire Adapted Communities
Different ways to tell the story - Photo Series, Picto Charts,
STUDIO M – METRO STATE UNIVERSITY
Innovation in Engagement
K-12
Neighbors
Fire Professionals
Local Businesses (Restaurants, Equipment Rental Shops)
Local Professionals (Architects, Landscapers)
Training Workshops
On-Site Customer
Workshops
Round Tables
Kick-Off Event NFPA
Community Day of Service
Coupons Fuels Mitigation
Kits
Saw Crews
Neighborhood Work Days
Education Scouts, Honor
Society, Service Projects
Explaining the Risk and Expanding the Impact
Governmental Immunity, Liability and the Use of Rx fire in Colorado
Colorado's government would no longer have immunity from lawsuits over prescribed fires that get out of control under the terms of an agreement state leaders announced - www.denverpost.com
Next steps
FRFAC Kick Off Event – March 1, 2014 Day of Service Event – May 3 2014
Continue Fighting the Good Fight!