1         GREATER  FLAGSTAFF  AREA           COMMUNITY  WILDFIRE     PROTECTION  PLAN             REVIEW  &  REVISION   May  2012   2       PURPOSE   In  the  summer  of  2011,  the  Greater  Flagstaff  Forests  Partnership  (GFFP)  and  Ponderosa  Fire  Advisory   Council  (PFAC)  initiated  a  project  to  “review”  the  “Community  Wildfire  Protection  Plan  for  Flagstaff  and   Surrounding  Communities  in  the  Coconino  and  Kaibab  National  Forests  of  Coconino  County,  Arizona”   (CWPP).    First  approved  in  2005,  the  CWPP  review  is  designed  to  assess  the  status  of  implementation   activities  and  evaluate  progress  towards  desired  goals.    Although  not  required  per  the  authorizing   legislation  (Healthy  Forest  Restoration  Act  of  2003  -­‐  HFRA),  nor  by  the  CWPP  itself,  this  was  intended  to   analyze  activity  within  the  CWPP  area  that  addressed  goals  or  was  influenced  by  the  plan,  and  to   develop  a  report  for  local  government  and  land  management  agencies  on  findings    -­‐  it  was  not  designed   to  revise  the  text  or  intent  of  the  CWPP.      Primary  emphasis  was  placed  on  summarizing  treatment   activity  to  date  and  reviewing  the  “Improved  Protection  Capabilities”  section  included  on  pages  40-­‐43  of   the  Plan.     INTRODUCTION   The  Greater  Flagstaff  Area  Community  Wildfire  Protection  Plan  was  approved  by  the  Arizona  State   Forester,  Coconino  County,  City  of  Flagstaff,  and  Ponderosa  Fire  Advisory  Council  (representing  local  fire   departments  and  fire  districts)  in  January  of  2005.    Jointly  developed  by  the  GFFP  and  PFAC,  the  plan   covered  a  939,736-­‐acre  area  centered  on  Flagstaff.    Working  closely  with  US  Forest  Service  staff  and  the   NAU  Forest  Ecosystem  Restoration  Analysis  (Forest  ERA)  program,  the  CWPP  was  designed  to  address   the  following  Goal,  Objectives  and  Principles  (quoted  form  the  CWPP):     GOAL To protect Flagstaff and surrounding communities, and associated values and infrastructure, from catastrophic wildfire by means of: a) An educated and involved public, b) Implementation of forest treatment projects designed to reduce wildfire threat and improve long term forest health, in a progressive and prioritized manner, and c) Utilization of FireWise building techniques and principles. OBJECTIVES • Create a healthy and sustainable forest and protect communities by implementing forest treatments designed to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire. • Engage the public by providing opportunities in both preparedness and mitigation efforts. • Support efforts to establish effective and sustainable methods to utilize small-diameter wood and other forest biomass. • Promote FireWise building materials and construction techniques, as well as creation and maintenance of defensible properties and neighborhoods. • Attract necessary funding (appropriations, contracts, donations, grants, etc.) to successfully reduce fire threat.   PRINCIPLES Fuel Management: Reduction of target hazardous fuels is based upon known fire risk, fire behavior, and threats to values-at-risk. Social and Political: Social and political concerns play a major part in defining treatments and their locations. Operational: Due to financial, infra-structure, and personnel constraints, emphasis must be placed on strategically located fuel treatments designed to protect key values-at-risk, and that can serve as anchor points for larger, landscape-scale treatments. Ecosystem: Reduction of hazardous fuels should be integrated with overall ecosystem conservation, restoration and management goals. Economic: Implementation and maintenance of fuel treatment benefits greatly outweigh their 3     costs because they: save money by avoiding suppression expenditures, rehabilitation costs, and compensation for property damage; are an investment in protecting firefighter and civilian lives; present new opportunities for rural economic development; and may help address issues related to the availability of homeowner’s insurance in fire prone forest ecosystems Ethical: The continuing decline in forest health and the increasing probability of catastrophic fires, and their potential impact on the greater Flagstaff region, is a reality. The need to act now to restore forest health and reverse this dangerous downward spiral is of utmost importance.   CWPP’s  have  been  developed  for  two  adjacent  areas  –  the  Williams  area  in  2005  (west),  and  the  Blue   Ridge  area  in  2010  (southeast).    Authorized  by  the  Healthy  Forests  Restoration  Act  of  2003,  these  plans   formed  the  basis  for  community  wildfire  protection  planning  as  implemented  through  fuel  reduction   and  forest  restoration  treatments  on  public  lands,  through  private  land  treatments,  through  various   emergency  planning  and  management  efforts,  and  through  extensive  public  outreach  and  education   efforts.             The  Schultz  wildfire  in  June  2010  represents  the  type  of  dangerous   wildfire,  and  the  damaging  post-­‐fire  effects,  that  can  develop  if   actions  in  a  CWPP  are  not  implemented  on  a  wide-­‐scale  basis.         The  Greater  Flagstaff  area  CWPP  can  be  found  at  the  GFFP   (www.gffp.org)  ,  City  of  Flagstaff  Fire  Department  Wildland  Fire   Management  Division  (www.flagstaff.az.gov/wildlandfire)  ,  or   Arizona  State  Forestry  Division  (www.azsf.az.gov)  web  sites.         TREATMENT  ACTIVITY   Significant  treatment  activity  has  been  ongoing  under  various  programs  for  addressing  public  and   private  land  throughout  the  CWPP  area.    GFFP  has  maintained  and  annually  updated  a  “treatment  map”   for  a  large  portion  of  the  CWPP  area  that  is  posted  on  their  web  page:  www.gffp.org/about_gffp/map.     It  provides  the  best  overview  of  accomplishments  to  date.    Summary  statistics  over  the  past  15  years   include  approximately  116,500  acres  of  forest  treatments  implemented  (including  48,500  within  GFFP   and  12,300  within  the  City  of  Flagstaff)  by  at  least  a  dozen  different  programs.             Future  activity  in  the  area  includes  continuation  of  fuel  reduction  and  forest  health  treatments  through   the  State  Forestry  Division,  GFFP,  City  of  Flagstaff,  Fire  Districts,  Rural  Communities  Fuels  Management   Program  (RCFMP),  and  other  local,  non-­‐federal  projects,  and  treatments  under  projects  with  approved   NEPA  and  “shelf  stock”  associated  with  the  Four  Forest  Restoration  Initiative  (4FRI)  first  analysis  area  on   federal  land.     Nine  FireWise  neighborhoods  have  been  established,  and  Sedona  Fire  District  has  been  designated  a   FireWise  ArcView  Community.     IMPROVED  PROTECTION  CAPABILITIES   4     This  section  of  the  CWPP  is  included  below  with  information  on  the  status  of  the  20  items  identified.     For  several  years  after  approval  of  the  CWPP,  a  local  “review  team”  tracked  some  activity.    The  results  of   these  unpublished  reports  are  included  in  this  updated  review.    The  20  “activities  and  efforts”  are   identified  verbatim  from  how  they  were  identified  in  the  plan  (in  italicized  and  bold  text)  and  then  their   status  is  updated  (Status:).     Activity 1. Survey existing neighborhoods. Identify, map, and prioritize neighborhoods for neighborhood-wide home ignitibility reduction.       Status:  Completed  for  City  of  Flagstaff  with  map  at  www.flagstaff.az.gov/wildlandfire  ;  local  fire   districts  addressing  some  other  areas  –  Highlands,  Summit,  Pinewood,  Mormon  Lake,  Sedona;   RCFMP  also  targeting  certain  areas;  systematic  approach  to  areas  not  covered  should  be  considered.       Activity 2. Establishment of a regional fuels crew. This would involve many different partners and require sufficient funding. Principle among the partners would be PFAC members, but it could also involve NAU-ERI and GFFP as well. The consolidated crew, larger than current separate efforts, would be under single leadership with standardized training, equipment, and treatments standards. In addition to mitigation and prevention efforts, the crew could be available within the local area for fire suppression needs throughout the year.       Status:  Flagstaff  Fire  and  regional  Fire  District   fuel  crews  continue  their  activities;  Arizona   Department  of  Corrections  crew  works  on  State   Land  and  assists  with  other  work  as  needed;  the   Bear  Jaw  Fire  and  Fuels  Module  was  established   in  2008  with  staff  from  Highlands,  Summit  and   Pinewood  Fire  Districts.       Activity 3. Increased public education activities: Utilization of new outreach methods to prepare the community to receive fire. Currently, there are a number of education initiatives and outreach methods underway by area partners. These include public meetings, presentations to service clubs, civic organizations and homeowner associations, media notices, periodic workshops and symposia, development and distribution of material, and participation in community events such as the Forest Festival, Science In-The-Park, and the County Fair. Future activities might include involvement in the Northern Arizona Home Show, public service announcements, airing of informational videos on Public Access TV and public service announcements on commercial TV, recognition of FireWise communities by the national FireWise program, and development and maintenance of a joint-agency website devoted to this issue.       Status:  Several  new  approaches  utilized,  including  newspaper  articles  and  inserts,  field  trips,  web   pages,  staffed  booths  at  public  events,  etc.;  FireWise  process  very  active  –  several  neighborhoods   accepted/approved  (Forest  Highlands  -­‐  04,  Pine  Canyon  -­‐  09,  Continental  Country  Club  -­‐  07,   Pinewood/Munds  Park  -­‐  11,  Flagstaff  Ranch  -­‐  06,  Lockett  Ranches  -­‐  07,  Westwood  -­‐  08,  North  Slopes   5     -­‐  08,  Boulder  Point  -­‐  08,  The  Meadows  –  08);  outreach  at  Festival  of  Science  continued;  “Yellow  Belly   Ponderosa”  developed  &  presented  to  middle  schools;  4FRI  project  generating  new  interest;     significant  interest  in  forest  treatments  and  potential  cost  sharing  options  following  Hardy  &  Schultz   fires  locally  and  Wallow  Fire  in  White  mountains;  Flagstaff  Omnibus  Survey  indicating  public   acceptance  of  forest  treatment  and  use  of  prescribed  burning  (see  results  in  Appendix  II);  Flagstaff   Fire  &  Summit  Fire  District  have  established  social  media  outreach  efforts.       Engaging  the  public  is  key  to  success     Activity 4. Develop/adopt/implement Legislation & Appropriations (State/Federal) – Adequately fund and/or support, with sufficient oversight to ensure proper and timely application. Items of current interest include: FEDERAL: National Fire Plan (particularly those areas having to do with assistance to local government via the State Fire Assistance grants and other mechanisms)      Status:  Continue  coordination,  including  with  Western  Governors  Association       Healthy Forests Restoration Act (chiefly to ensure professional planning and an increased level of forest treatment implementation, tied to appropriate plans)      Status:  No  appropriations  approved;  several  Coconino  NF  projects  done  under  HFRA;              4FRI  partially  resulted  from  this.       Forest Landowner Enhancement Program (a highly effective forest treatment cost-share program for private landowners)      Status:  Not  emphasized  now  with  RCFMP  &  other  cost  share  programs  in  effect.         Ecological Restoration Institute of Northern Arizona University (provides the 6     scientific foundation and academic credibility to our efforts, as well as a source of student interns and seasonal employees)    Status:  ERI  still  heavily  engaged  in  all  aspects  of  CWPP  related  activity.   Local Community Partnerships/Collaboratives (provide interface for federal agencies to address community needs)      Status:  Several  efforts  here:  Analysis  of  Small  Diameter  Wood  Supply  in  Northern        Arizona,  Kaibab  Forest  Health  Focus,  Four  Forest  Restoration  Initiative  and  associated          Collaborative  Forest  Landscape  Restoration  proposal     STATE: Implementation of HB 2549, comprised of the following five actions: Healthy Forest Enterprise Assistance Program (Incentives for wood-based businesses) State Forester (establishes office w/associated duties) Biomass Energy (Directs State to purchase) Urban-Wildland Fire Safety Committee (establishes 12-member committee w/associated duties) Interface Code (Permits adoption of code, per Wildland Fire Safety Committee)        Status:  Most  actions  considered  were  adopted  and  implemented;  extension  of  the   legislation  and  potential  revisions  to  Enterprise  Assistance  Program  being  considered  in   2012  legislative  session.     Adopt the remainder of the Governor’s Arizona Forest Health Advisory & Oversight Councils recommendations, provided spring 2004. Among others: Increase local planning & zoning authority Require real estate disclosure        Status:  Annual  recommendations  made  by  combined  Forest  Health  Council  (FHC),  some   adopted;  Statewide  Strategy  to  Restore  Arizona’s  Forests  prepared  and  adopted;  Forest   Health  Council  extended  under  Governor  Brewer;  land  use  &  wildfire  report  issued;   smoke  management  issues  are  becoming  important  and  potential  need  for  “right  to   burn”  legislation  being  discussed.     Revise the current Environmental Portfolio Standard (AZ Corporation Commission) to eliminate the expiration date, include a larger total percentage of renewable energy, and emphasize use of biomass energy production.        Status:  New  Renewable  Energy  Standard  &  Tariff  (REST)  rule  approved  in  2006;  no   revisions  requested  or  anticipated  since  adoption;  utilities  striving  to  reach  targets;   American  Recovery  &  Reinvestment  Act  (ARRA)  grant  funding  secured  for  biomass   studies  in  2009;  Drake  Cement  plant  near  Pauldin  considering  partial  conversion  of   cement  kiln  feedstock  from  coal  to  forest  biomass,  may  apply  to  ACC  in  2012;  Forest   Health  Council  briefed  AZ  Corporation  Commissioners  on  renewable  energy  potential   from  forest  biomass  in  January  2012;.   Activity 5. Recruitment of small-diameter, sustainable wood-based industry. Utilization of 7     the large amounts of biomass that must be removed from area forests is critical to success. This issue is covered elsewhere in this Section (See Utilization.)             Status:  No  forward  movement  on   proposed  Camp  Navajo  industrial  park  ;   Wood  Supply  Study  identified  potential   supply;  no  progress  on  NAU  biomass   plant;  The  USFS  has  recently  selected  a   contractor  as  a  result  of  the  4FRI  RFP  –   with  an  anticipated  outcome  of  30,000   acre/year  for  10  years.       Activity 6. Fire District formation. Some outlying homes within the CWPP are outside existing fire districts. Owners within these areas should seriously consider formation of Fire Districts – via the County – to facilitate emergency response, prevention, and mitigation efforts.       Status:  Expansion  of  Mt.  Elden  Fire  District  into  Ft.  Valley  area  and  then  consolidation  with  Summit   Fire  District;  Highlands  Fire  District  expanded  into  Lake  Mary  area.     Activity 7. Compatible data-layers for the Sedona and Winona area to facilitate analysis of the entire CWPP area. Key information used in the development of this plan is lacking for the Sedona and Winona areas and/or not in the same format as that for the remainder of the area. This somewhat complicated our use of the work of the NAU-Forest ERA project. Comparable data for areas with gaps should be developed to make future revision of this plan easier. Status:  No  progress  here;  data  layers  and  treatment  recommendations  for  pinyon/juniper   woodlands  still  not  developed.                                 Activity 8. Develop a standardized Neighborhood Wildfire Assessment format. The City of 8     Flagstaff has recently received a donation from Allstate Insurance Foundation for just such an effort. Once developed, it can be readily transferred to other jurisdictions within the CWPP area. The information derived from this effort can augment the threat matrix data contained in this plan, as well as become an educational outreach tool to residents.     Status:  Process  completed  and  format   developed  for  City  of  Flagstaff;  available   for  use  by  other  jurisdictions         Activity 9. Incorporation of CWPP into on-going activities and established land- management and agency plans. Both PFAC and the GFFP intend to utilize this document to prioritize actions, secure funding, coordinate activities, implement treatments, and monitor desired outcomes. The CWPP also provides guidance to private citizens in their effort to reduce their exposure to wildfire.     Status:  Several  USFS  projects  completed  under  HFRA  as  consistent  with  CWPP  (Railroad,  Marshall   Lake,  Hart  Prairie,  A-­‐1  Mountain)  and  commented  on  by  GFFP  and  other  Partners;  thinning  &  pile   burning  in  Oak  Creek  Canyon  where  slope  allows;  GFFP  used  approved  CWPP  as  basis  for  securing   additional  grant  funding  to  cost-­‐share  fuel  reduction  and  forest  health  treatments  on  non-­‐federal   land:  $105,000  in  SFA  08-­‐006  (50%),  $210,000  in  WBBI  08-­‐025  (50%),  $376,000  in  WFHF  10-­‐001   (90%);    City  of  Flagstaff  used  CWPP  to  develop  Issue  Papers  for  Congress  &  State  Legislature;  local   fire  departments  &  districts  targeting  specific  properties  with  cost-­‐share  funds;    CWPP  treatments   strategies  incorporated  into  4FRI  planning  &  project  design;  Blue  Ridge  area  CWPP  completed  on   southeast  border;  State  Forestry  Division  completed  the  Statewide  Forest  Resource  Assessment  and   Strategy,  which  was  used  during  City  of  Flagstaff  Land  Development  Code  revision  and  adoption  in   2011.     Activity 10. Identification of additional resource and equipment need. Individual agencies are responsible to provide appropriate administration and planning for their respective organization. In addition, and to facilitate joint discussion and interoperability, PFAC, on an annual basis and with any needed assistance from GFFP, will host a multi-party discussion of current fire response capability within the CWPP area. Centered on the goal of reviewing and revising the PFAC Operations Plan (Appendix 4), the discussion will include all facets of fire management resources and other topics that may be appropriate. Status:  PFAC  acquired  cache  of  radios  and  equipped  trailer  with  hoses/sprinklers/equipment  for   9     regional  use;  mutual  aid  agreement  in  place,  but  not  for  wildland  fire  because  goes  through  State;   Sedona  has  mutual  aid  identified  for  all  fire  boxes  and  is  evaluating  WILDCAD  software  for   identifying  what  resources  to  send  to  a  fire  in  any  given  polygon     Activity 11. Funding. This plan, and implementation of the identified activities, is intended to demonstrate our intent to implement and provide general information to appointed and elected officials and grant-funding organizations and agencies. Our coordinated effort to protect the greater Flagstaff community is a key ingredient to attracting additional funding to further implementation efforts. Status:  Cost-­‐share  funding  identified  above;  GFFP  funding  from  City  &  County  and  covers  most   operations;  Flagstaff  Cultural  Partners  funded  the  Yellow  Belly  Ponderosa  program  (and  recently  the   “More  Kids  in  the  Woods”  program  of  the  US  Forest  Service);  AZSFD  secured  additional  $1M  for  fire   suppression  on  top  of  existing  $3M;  Resource  Advisory  Committee  (RAC)  created  for  Coconino  NF  to   fund  specific  programs;  initial  4FRI  funding  within  USFS  secured  for  project  planning,  NEPA  analysis   and  development  of  first  analysis  area  (938,000  acres)  in  Kiabab  and  Coconino  National  Forests,  as   well  as  Collaborative  Forest  Landscape  Restoration  Program  (CFLRP)  funding  for  4FRI   implementation;  preliminary discussions are currently underway within the City regarding establishment of a “Payment for Watershed Services” program to partially assist with treatment costs in the Lake Mary and Dry Lake Hills watershed areas and provide funds for long-term maintenance of treatments.     Activity 12. Wood distribution networks. Establishment of on-going relationships with individuals and organizations on both the Hopi and Navajo Reservations, as well as with large charity organizations with interest and capability in wood delivery/distribution efforts, is an important utilization initiative. There is tremendous need for wood products – primarily firewood and posts-and-poles throughout both areas. It is estimated that over 75% of all homes on the Reservations have no electricity and require wood for heating and cooking. Creation of a steady “wood-pipeline” will not only benefit those who receive the wood, but also assist in reducing fire threat in our area by removal/utilization of excess small-diameter trees. 10     Status:  Flagstaff  Fire  Dept.  organizes:    1)  efforts  at  Tuba  City  Church  of  Christ  for  distribution  to   tribal  elders  (250-­‐400  cords  each  year)  on  reservation;  2)  provides  15  cords  to  Federal  prison  in   Phoenix  each  year;  and  3)  advertises  free  firewood  give-­‐a-­‐ways  at  some  fuel  reduction  treatment   sites;  Bear  Jaw  Fire  Module  distributes  wood  to  Northern  Arizona  Food  Bank,  Navajo  Nation,  and  to   Fire  District  residents  in  need  of  emergency  firewood,  and  provides  free  wood  pick-­‐up  at  various   project  sites  throughout  the  year.         Activity 13. Statewide mapping effort. The "Arizona Fuels, Information, Restoration, and Education Mapping and Assessment Program" or ARIZONA FIRE MAP, is designed to establish and maintain a GIS-based mapping system that will document forest treatments, CWPP status, grant receipts, etc. Forest treatments within the Flagstaff area have been used to develop a prototype map. Involvement with this effort, as it develops, will ensure our area remains at the forefront of statewide activities.    Status:  Arizona  FIREMAP  maintained  on  AZ  State  Forestry  Division  web  site,  but  updates  sporadic.     Activity 14. Coordination with adjacent areas during development of their respective CWPP. Two adjacent areas where future plans may be developed are Sedona/Verde Valley and Williams/Parks-Bellemont. Both Sedona and Parks-Bellemont are included in this plan: inclusion in another plan is encouraged, but synchronization will be required to ensure management conflicts do not occur. Status:  Blue  Ridge  area  CWPP  completed  in  2010  on  southeast  border  (551,180  acres);  Yavapai   County  recently  completed  one  for  area  on  south  border.     Activity 15. Adoption/implementation of the Coconino County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) and the Coconino County Emergency Management Plan (EMP). Wildfire has been identified as one-of-five priority hazards within the County. The MJHMP, upon approval by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) opens- the-door for pre-disaster mitigation funding and facilitates post-disaster mitigation and recovery efforts. The all-risk EMP, currently under development, will ensure consistency in emergency prevention, mitigation, response (including evacuation protocols), and recovery efforts throughout the entire county.     Status:  These  plans  adopted;  new  plan  being   developed  –  Tactical  Interoperable   Communications  Plan;  focus  going  forward  is   training  of  selected  personnel  to  staff   functions  of  the  joint  City/County  Emergency   Operation  Center,  with  activation  of  EOC   during  LaBarranca,  Woody,  Brins,  Schultz  &   Hardy  fires.             11     Activity 16. PFAC Operations and Smoke Management Plans – On an annual basis, a review and revision of each plan will occur. Status:  No  recent  activity;  need  to  determine  appropriate  level  of  review  and  revision.     Activity 17. Development of a PFAC Prevention Plan. On an annual basis, a comprehensive prevention plan, using and incorporating the existing Coconino National Forest plan as a template (see Appendix 7), will be developed to coordinate activities, messages, etc.       Status:  PFAC  has  not  updated  the  Prevention  Plan,  recommend  this  occur  on  an  annual  basis.     Activity 18. Adoption and enforcement of appropriate codes throughout the Greater Flagstaff Area. Such action will ensure consistency on fire resistive construction, access, water, and addressing requirements, hazard fuel mitigation efforts, etc. (The adoption of the remainder of the Governor’s “Arizona Forest Health Advisory & Oversight Councils” recommendations, identified in this plan, will assist with this need.) Status:  Sedona  adopted  the  2003  International  Urban  Interface  Code  in  2007;  the  International   Wildland  Urban  Interface  Code  (IWIC),  modified  to  the  local  environment,  was  adopted  by  City  of   Flagstaff  in  2008,  and  the  City’s  Land  Development  Code  was  revised  in  2011;  Forest  Health  Council   prepared  a  report  –  “Fire  on  the  landscape:  Planning  for  Communites,  Fire  and  Forest  Health”  -­‐  on   land  development  and  its  relationship  to  wildfire  in  2010.     Activity 19. Implement an appropriate monitoring program. Designed to track both accomplishments and effects of treatments, this will lend credibility to the effort and provide information necessary for the adaptive management of the plan. Perhaps this could be a project for an interested student or volunteer. Status:  Some  activity  through  GFFP  Monitoring  &  Research  Team,  including  NFF  funding  to  monitor   fire  behavior  under  several  treatments,  pre-­‐treatment  forest  structure  monitoring  at  Partner  Mark   sites  in  Mountainaire  Project  area,  report  generated  on  conducting  Partner  Mark  at  site  north  of  fire   station  in  Mountainaire;  fire  modeling  project  by  GFFP  and  NAU  School  of  Forestry  on  Flagstaff   Airport  treatment  units;  extensive  Aberts  squirrel  monitoring  on  GFFP  and  other  local  treatment   sites;  Flagstaff  Omnibus  survey  results  for  social  monitoring;  implementation  monitoring  on  USFS   treatments;  4FRI  has  initiated  monitoring  under  first  analysis  area.     Activity 20. Support the USFS in: a) Encouraging development and use of a Wildland Fire Use Plan for application in appropriate wildland areas     Status:  Incorporated  into  Coconino   NF  plan  –  approximately  60%  of   forest  is  open  to  WFU,  now  called   Wildfire  Managed  for  Resource   Benefit.       12     b) Application of the Appropriate Management Response for area wildfires Status:   “Appropriate  management   response”   is   a   term  no   longer   used,   part   of  Managed   for   Resource  Benefit  approach. c) Planning, preparation, and implementation of prescribed fire projects       Status:  Prescribed  fire  application  &  use   increasing;  implementation  of  4FRI  will   significantly  increase  needs  for  prescribed   fire.       OTHER  ACCOMPLISHMENTS   In  addition  to  the  activities  highlighted  above  that  are  tied  directly  to  the  CWPP,  several  other  actions   have  occurred  that  are  related  to  the  intent  and  Goals,  Objectives  and  Principles  of  the  CWPP.     1) Federal  and  State  politicians  have  visited  the  area  to  learn  about,  advocate  for,  and  evaluate   funding  needs  of  fuel  reduction  and  forest  restoration  treatments.     2) Under  the  4FRI:  Path  Forward,  Charter  and  MOU  with  the  USFS  completed;  Landscape   Restoration  Strategy  developed  and  CFLRP  proposal  adopted  and  funded;  1st  analysis  area   centered  on  Flagstaff  Area  CWPP  identified,  and  USFS  Team  created  to  design  a  Proposed  Action   (issued  in  2011)  and  complete  NEPA  analysis  of  alternative  actions;  extensive  monitoring  and   associated  adaptive  management  approach  identified;  large  thinning  and  forest  biomass   utilization  contract  proposed  using  NEPA  approved  shelf  stock  for  initial  treatment  areas;  levels   of  collaboration  expanded  significantly.     3) Forest  Health  Council  continues  efforts  to  affect  forest  restoration  and  management  in  line  with   CWPPs,  including  development  and  publication  of  the  “Statewide  Strategy  to  Restore  Arizona’s   Forests”  and  “Fire  on  the  Landscape:  Planning  for  Communities,  Fire  and  Forest  Health”.     4) Arizona  State  Forestry  Division  completed  the  “Statewide  Forest  Resource  Assessment  and   Strategy”.     13     5) GFFP  completed  several  reports,  including:  Smoke  &  Health  study,  Lessons  Learned  report,   Annual  Reports  and  this  CWPP  Review;  updates  website  quarterly.     6) Flagstaff  Fire  Department  received  the  National  FireWise  Leadership  Award  in  2007.     7) The  Rio  de  Flag  and  Lake  Mary  watersheds  were  proposed  and  accepted  as  priority  treatment   areas  under  4FRI  project  planning,  design  and  NEPA  analysis.     8) The  communications  tower  site  on  Mt.  Elden  was  thinned  for  fire  protection  through  GFFP  and   under  Eastside  Project  NEPA  with  funds  from  tower  owners  in  2008.     9) GFFP  released  funds  back  to  AZSFD  for  use  in  clean-­‐up  of  locations  damaged  by  the  Bellemont   tornado  episode  of  October  2010.     10) Sedona  Fire  District  hosts  annual  FireWise  weekend,  including  debris  disposal,  10th  year.     11) Annual  PFAC  wildfire  drill  held  in  May  and  annual  fire  training  courses  offered.     12) Restrictions  and  forest  closure  interagency  conference  calls  held  every  spring.     13) Smoke  management  conference  calls  held  with  ADEQ  in  spring  &  fall.     14) Home  Ignition  Zone  training  course  sponsored  by  GFFP  and  PFAC  and  hosted  by  FFD  twice  –  in   2009  and  2011.     15) GFFP  active  and  providing  leadership  in  4FRI  stakeholder  group;  sponsored  workshop  on   Payment  for  Watershed  Services;  made  presentation  to  SW  Fire  Ecology  Conference;  and   sponsored  individuals  to  attend  Smallwood  Conference  in  Flagstaff,  among  other  activities.     RECOMMENDATIONS   In  general,  this  review  indicates  that  since  approval  of  the  CWPP  in  early  2005:  fuel  reduction  and  forest   restoration  treatments  have  been  designed  and  implemented  at  a  steady,  if  not  increasing,  pace;  most   of  the  activities  identified  under  “Improved  Protection  Capabilities”  have  been  accomplished  and/or   addressed;  public  understanding  of  and  participation  in  CWPP  related  actions  has  increased;  the  shift  to   larger  scales  of  project  planning  advocated  in  the  CWPP  have  been  manifest  in  the  4FRI  and  associated   Collaborative  Forest  Landscape  Restoration  Planning  (CFLRP)  projects.     However,  there  are  several  issues  and  opportunities  that  were  not  covered  in  the  CWPP  and/or  have   become  apparent  since  CWPP  development  that  need  to  be  highlighted  and  addressed.    The   appropriate  mechanism  for  addressing  these  concerns  is  not  envisioned,  but  they  need  to  be   incorporated  into  current  and  future  planning.     1) The  recovery  and  re-­‐habilitation  of  forest  lands  after  severe  fire  needs  attention  and  additional   resources.    Re-­‐vegetation,  salvage  logging,  and  other  issues  need  to  be  addressed.     2) Post-­‐fire  watershed  impacts  also  need  more  attention  and  resources.    Increased  flooding  and   sediment/debris  movement  must  be  anticipated  for  critical  watersheds.    The  Schultz  fire  is  a   prime  example  of  past  need  and  the  Rio  de  Flag  watershed  an  example  of  the  potential  for   future  catastrophe.     14     3) More  basic  biophysical  and  socio/economic  monitoring  of  treatment  implementation  and   effects  needs  to  be  conducted.     4) Community  based  efforts  to  plan  and  implement  education  outreach  and  hazard  mitigation   treatments  must  continue.     5) Prescribed  fire  treatments  on  non-­‐federal  lands  must  increase,  with  the  twin  goals  of   neighborhood  protection  and  ecological  benefit.     6) Continue  engagement  with  USFS  and  AZ  State  Forestry  on  landscape-­‐scale  planning  and   implementation.     7) PFAC  should  review  the  status  and  need  for,  and  on  an  annual  basis  update  if  appropriate,  the   Prevention  Plan  and  the  Operations  and  Smoke  Management  Plans  identified  on  Page  7.     ADDITIONAL  RESOURCES  REFERENCED     Available  at  the  GFFP  web  site  -­‐  http://www.gffp.org/            Local  area  treatment  map:    http://www.gffp.org/about_gffp/map.htm            Results  from  Flagstaff  Omnibus  Surveys:       2001  &  2006    -­‐  http://www.gffp.org/monitor/Survey_Results_01_06.pdf       2007  &  2009  -­‐  http://www.gffp.org/monitor/Survey-­‐Results_07_09.pdf                                                                                                            Report  Prepared  by                                                                      Greater  Flagstaff  Forests  Partnership                                                                                                                              and                                                                              Ponderosa  Fire  Advisory  Council               For  additional  information,  contact:   Greater  Flagstaff  Forests  Partnership   1300  South  Milton  Road,  #209   Flagstaff,  AZ      86001   admin@gffp.org