WRSC Newsletter #7

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WRSC Newsletter #7 10/28/2013

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Island Park Sustainable Fire Community Project, Idaho

Island Park, ID is located west of Yellowstone National Park, and is a major winter and summer resort destination. Idaho’s Forest Action Plan identifies this area as high priority to reduce wildfire risks and to improve forest health. Island Park Sustainable Fire Community Project is one of three Cohesive Strategy pilot projects in the West. The project will restore and maintain resilient landscapes, create a fire adapted community, and improve agency and local response. The collaborative group has developed and begun implementation of a dynamic long-term strategy to achieve these goals by establishing management objectives, techniques, and prioritized treatment areas. The project partners will update the county CWPP, create an evacuation plan for at-risk subdivisions, work with private landowners to reduce hazardous fuels on public and private lands, and improve access roads in high risk residential areas. The project implements Actions 1.1.A. of the Western Regional Action Plan, "Promote collaborative planning and management", and 1.1.E. "Expand the use of collaborative landscape restoration efforts".

Wildfire Threatens Sage Grouse Habitat

Sage grouse need large expanses of sage brush rangeland for their habitat. Eleven western states have sage grouse habitat, much of which is threatened by invasive species and an increased threat of wildfire due to the invasives. The Sage Grouse Initiative was formed in 2010 by the Natural Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS) to improve conditions for the sage grouse. Many WRSC partners are also involved in the Sage Grouse Initiative. Reducing threats to sage grouse habitat is consistent with the Cohesive Strategy resilient landscapes goal and Action 1.3. "Expedite restoration of damaged landscapes." Read more here >

The WRSC newsletter is our primary communication tool with our partners and members of the public. Feel free to contact us with ideas for articles or comments.

“A Roadmap for Collaboration Before, During and After the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Process”

National Forest Foundation has released a new guide to collaboration and NEPA. Working through a NEPA process is a major hurdle to be crossed before any environmental project can be accomplished. This new guide clearly explains how to use collaboration as one element of NEPA. The guide provides information on what collaboration can and cannot do, how to go about collaborating and learning from each other, and getting commitment to the process from members. This relates to Action 1.4. "Work with the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) in developing more efficient NEPA processes for landscape restoration." Read more here >

Social Science Holds Key to Homeowner Action

One of the most confounding aspects of fire adapted communities is the question of how to motivate homeowners to reduce fuels and harden their homes to wildfire. Debate continues whether ordinances, insurance mandates, education programs, or something else is most effective. Researchers at the Rocky Mountain Research Station and the University of Colorado, Boulder have found that informal, local discussions are more effective than institutional information sources for promoting action. The firewise message is received best if it comes from neighbors, local fire personnel, or county land managers.This research is very important for Action 2.2 of the Western Regional Action Plan. "Coordinate and support activities to achieve and maintain fire adapted communities." Read more here >

21^st Century Technology for Fire Spotting

Scientists at University of California, Berkeley are working on plans for a satellite that could spot fires from outer space. The satellite would be able to report fires before they are observed by humans, leading to faster fire response and smaller fires. This is consistent with one of the guiding principles of the Cohesive Strategy: "Safe aggressive initial attack is often the best suppression strategy to keep unwanted wildfires small and costs down." Read more here >

Upcoming Learning Opportunities

October 30th Webinar: The Network Effect: Connecting the Dots of Crisis Communication

November 6th and 7th Webinar: The Forest Service’s Partnership Paradigm - A Virtual Partnership Network Conference

November 12&13 WRSC Face to Face Meeting, Salt Lake City

November 14-16, Backyards and Beyond, Salt Lake City

Katie Lighthall
Coordinator, Western Region
National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy
Klighthall@bendcable.com

Ann Walker
Co-Chair Western Region
Western Governors' Association
awalker@westgov.org

Tony Harwood
Co-chair Western Region
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
tonyh@cskt.org

Kent Connaughton
Co-Chair Western Region
US Forest Service
kconnaughton@fs.fed.us

WRSC e-Newsletter produced by Renner Associates LLC