Putting community first in the Community Wildfire Protection Plan

Over my 45 years in the Applegate, I’ve watched with concern as larger and more destructive wildfires fill our summers with increasing amounts of smoke. I’ve also seen a rapid escalation of conifer mortality—thick stands of red or gray trees that are easy to spot from almost anywhere in the valley. These dead trees will readily fuel the next wildfire. Conifer mortality is a significant issue across southern Oregon, but some of the most severe areas of mortality are right here in the Applegate. All these factors exacerbate the risk of an uncharacteristically severe wildfire, which would cause great disturbance to the residents and ecology of the Applegate. Addressing this threat poses a complex set of challenges, and the available resources are limited. Therefore, having a plan that details a strategic approach to wildfire risk reduction is essential.

The Applegate Partnership & Watershed Council (APWC), Applegate Fire District (AFD), and Southern Oregon Forest Restoration Collaborative (SOFRC) are partnering to develop just such a strategy to reduce the risk of uncharacteristically severe wildfires in the Applegate by updating the Applegate Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). APWC secured the essential funding for this effort through a US Forest Service (USFS) Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) and an Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) Stakeholder Outreach Grant.

We began our efforts this year with outreach at the summertime evening markets in Applegate and Williams, followed by the first round of public meetings in October. While tabling at the evening markets, APWC and SOFRC staff introduced the CWPP update process to the community, and we began asking folks about which areas would be most important to protect from wildfire. Then we hosted public meetings in five neighborhoods of the Applegate to ask residents about the needs and goals for each community. The next round of public meetings will take place in January from 6-8 pm at the following locations:

1. Ruch Fire Station Training Building, 1095 Upper Applegate Road (January 13)
2. Apricity Vineyard, 5719 Jerome Prairie Rd (January 15)
3. Applegate Community Church, 18960 N Applegate Rd (January 20)
4. Hidden Valley High School, 651 Murphy Cr Rd (January 26)
5. Williams Grange, 20100 Williams Hwy (January 29)

Part of the innovative approach we’re taking with this CWPP is directly integrating community input into the process. Through interactive mapping exercises, residents marked places they care about—like favorite swimming holes or recreation areas—on local maps. These place-based insights, along with responses to our community survey, will help guide how priorities are set in the plan. Please take the survey at tinyurl.com/avcwppsurvey.

The survey will ask you to rank eight factors (listed below) to inform how fuel-reduction projects should be implemented.

1. Assets: structures; transportation, communication, and utility infrastructure
2. Safety: WUI (wildland-urban interface) fuel reduction and defensible space, emergency service facilities, and ingress/egress routes
3. Recreation: public trails, boat launches, and recreation areas
4. Biodiversity: aquatic, forest, and shrubland habitats for animals and rare plants
5. Ecological commodities: timber assets and tree-seed orchards
6. Wildlands Health: forest vegetation, riparian vegetation, and woodlands
7. Water: surface-water quality and post-fire sedimentation mitigation
8. Science and Culture: historic features and monitoring stations

The survey will ask whether you are registered for one of the emergency alert systems, your evacuation preparation and related concerns, your perceived level of wildfire risk, and your views on types of fuel-reduction work. The participation of Applegate Valley residents is essential to ensure that the updated plan represents the goals and values of the residents. This is especially true as the plan will be in place for up to ten years.

Our CWPP “Dream Team” also includes SOFRC’s Amelia Liberatore, a science communications specialist who will be the primary editor of the CWPP document, and Tucker Grinnan of A Greater Applegate (AGA). An advisory committee comprised of Applegate residents, Chief Brian Mulhollen of AFD and Megan Fehrman, executive director of AGA, is also supporting the project.

Please take the survey at tinyurl.com/avcwppsurvey and attend the January public meetings to lend your voice to the plan that will protect our valley, where we live.

By: Nathan Gehres

nathan@apwc.info

541-890-9989