GREATER LEMON RESERVOIR COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN (GLRCWPP) JUNE 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page Sub-Section EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 SECTION 1 – Background and History 7 1.0 The Community 7 1.1 Area Wildfire History 8 1.2, 1.3 Preparation for a Wildfire 10 1.4 SECTION 2 – CWPP and WUI Areas 12 2.0 Area 12 2.1 Boundaries 12 2.2 Private Lands 13 2.3 Public Lands 16 2.4 Fire Protection in the Area 18 2.5 SECTION 3 – Fire Policies and Programs 20 3.0 SECTION 4 – Partners and Committees 22 4.0 SECTION 5 – The Planning Process 24 5.0 SECTION 6 – Description of the Community 26 6.0 Natural Environment 26 6.1 Population, Homes, Vacant Parcels 26 6.2 Road Systems and Linkages 27 6.3 Land Uses 28 6.4 SECTION 7 – Wildfire Risk Assessment 30 7.0 Fire Hazard Conditions 30 7.1 Vegetation 31 Fire Behavior 31 Modeling 37 Structural Vulnerability 45 7.2 Protection Challenges and Capabilities 46 7.3 47 Fire Risk 7.4 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page Sub-Section SECTION 7 – Wildfire Risk Assessment (continued) Values at Risk 48 7.5 People 48 Property 48 Infrastructure 49 Commercial Activities 52 Ecosystem and Wildlife 53 Social Values 54 Historic Significance 54 SECTION 8 – Emergency Management 58 8.0 SECTION 9 – Mitigation and Implementation 60 9.0 Education and Community Outreach 60 9.1 Fuels Reduction Recommendations 61 9.2 Policies and Covenants 69 9.3 Inventory of Needed Resources 71 9.4 Fire Station – District 9 71 Cellular Telephone Tower / Booster 72 Fire Danger Signage 73 Community Bulletin Boards 73 Water Sources 73 Community Equipment and Tools 73 Community Meeting Space 74 Recommendations Charts 74 9.5 General for GLRCWPP 75 Aspen Trails 78 Trew Creek Estates 80 Haciendas de la Florida 82 Hunter’s Ridge 83 La Cherade Park 84 Sierra Verde Estates 86 Florida Park 88 Wilderness Lake Mountain Estates 89 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page Sub-Section SECTION 10 – Monitoring and Evaluation 91 10.0 APPENDIX Acronyms 94 Glossary of Terms 95 References and Resources 97 Meetings and Activities (notes and flyers) 99 Maps 126 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Greater Lemon Reservoir (GLR) community is defined as the Upper Florida River corridor of property owners, businesses, and the surrounding lands and watershed, including Lemon Reservoir and the Lemon Reservoir Dam. It is a geographically large area where stakeholders recognize that their “neighborhood” of mountain subdivisions, individual private properties, commercial properties, and public lands – and the way of life they provide - for residents and visitors alike - are at risk from wildfires whether originating within a subdivision or advancing from another property or forest land. As stewards of the land and survivors of the Missionary Ridge Fire, the GLR community acknowledges the risk of wildfire when living in an area where structures and other features of human development meet and intermingle with flammable wildland fuels. This “intermingling” is the broad definition of the area referred to as the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). More specifically, the WUI is defined as those areas extending from the boundary of an at-risk community which lack emergency access routes, are in poor proximity to water sources, have areas with steep slopes and high risk vegetation, and/or are in close proximity to fuels on public lands. The GLR community meets this definition in every way. Efforts within the community to educate property owners about wildfire risk and the need to mitigate around structures have been underway for several years. Although many property owners have voluntarily started mitigation activities, development of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) is an important step in protecting values at risk, not only in the GLR area and adjacent subdivisions, but also across the broader landscape, including the forests of the contiguous public lands. Many benefits accompany the creation of a CWPP. Through development and implementation, the GLR community will be able to: - Improve coordination and communication with emergency response agencies and among the GLR community. - Identify and prioritize projects that will increase wildfire preparedness and reduce the risk and impacts of wildfire. - Participate in the establishment of fuels treatment priorities for surrounding federal and non- federal lands. - Increase competitive advantage in securing grant funding. - Provide education and understanding of fire behavior, healthy forests, and the safe mitigation of property. Completion of the Greater Lemon Reservoir Community Wildfire Protection Plan (GLRCWPP) is an important link in providing comprehensive wildfire mitigation and preparedness. The adjacent subdivisions of Forrest Groves Estates (2016), Enchanted Forest Estates (2015), Vallecito (2014), Los Ranchitos Estates (2012), ‘Tween Lakes Estates (2012), and Forest Lakes (2011) have completed CWPPs. La Plata County last revised its CWPP in 2006. The GLR community hopes to protect not only personal values in the GLR area but also in the encompassing watersheds and 5 infrastructure up to (and sometimes overlapping) defined areas of neighboring CWPPs which are all at risk in the event of a fire. Approval of this document and following its recommendations will bridge other CWPPs and “orphan subdivisions” along the Florida River corridor, joining area neighbors in an effort to protect communities, valuable watersheds, and forests along the Florida and Pine River corridors of northeastern La Plata County. The GLRCWPP is designed to further rally the GLR community toward awareness and motivation for action of fire prevention. The Plan was developed to identify specific goals and priorities and to position property owners to apply for, and hopefully secure, grants and other funding sources to help finance projects which would otherwise be very difficult to complete. The GLR community approach to accomplishing these objectives will include communication and education, establishment of a community-wide FireWise network to include enlistment of FireWise Ambassadors, identification and prioritization of specific fuel reduction projects, development of evacuation plans, and support of individual efforts at fuel reduction. The GLRCWPP is a compilation of recommendations for reducing fire danger (especially from wildfires), improving fire preparedness, protecting community values, and promoting healthy forests. Successful implementation depends upon property owners and partnerships. The GLRCWPP is a blueprint for voluntary action and places no requirements upon its parties, but through its implementation, the GLR community hopes to provide the following: - A proactive guide for property owners, neighborhood associations, and other stakeholders to reference for ongoing involvement in reduction of the risk and impacts of wildfire. - Tangible evidence of property owners’ dedication to creating a safer community through wildfire preparedness. - A foundation for coordination and collaboration among - property owners, businesses, and other stakeholders (within and contiguous to the GLRCWPP area), and federal, state, county, and local agencies to reduce the risk of wildfire. Effectiveness of the GLRCWPP is contingent upon actual implementation of the recommendations and the prioritized projects identified herein. Monitoring and evaluation of the implementation process will include periodic reviews provided to the GLR community, FireWise of Southwest Colorado, and the Colorado Forest Service: - An annual review among the stakeholders, including “Lessons Learned,” of fuels mitigation projects and activities. - A bi-annual review of the CWPP, with adjustments in the form of revisions, if warranted. - A formal update to the CWPP, conducted every five (5) years (or as needed). Many decide to build their lives and their homes in the heart of the forested landscape. The beauty of this area attracts people from all over the world. The rural ambience, and all it offers, is valued by residents and visitors alike. In Pioneers of the San Juan County (1960), of the area Sarah Platt Decker writes - “…a land of so many distinctions – a farmer’s Eden, a stockman’s Utopia, a lumberman’s Land of Plenty, a vacationist’s Happy Landing, a sportsman’s Delight, a miner’s Dream, an archaeologist’s Mecca, and a geologist’s Paradise!” The purpose of GLRCWPP is to ultimately save lives and to preserve these extraordinary values at risk. 6 BACKGROUND AND HISTORY SECTION 1 THE COMMUNITY 1.1 The Greater Lemon Reservoir (GLR) rural community is located in the Upper Florida River Valley, in the northeastern part of La Plata County, in southwestern Colorado. The GLR community is approximately 15 miles northeast of Durango, Colorado, the county seat and the largest city in La Plata County. The two other closest centers of population to the GLR area are the town Bayfield to the south and the community of Vallecito to the east. The most recent census survey (2016) indicates the population of La Plata County is 55,623. The estimated population of the GLR area is 657 or approximately 1% of La Plata County’s population. La Plata County encompasses 1,700 square miles. The GLRCWPP Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) boundary encompasses 56 square miles or 3.3% of La Plata County. The GLR area elevation ranges from 7,500’ to over 10,000’ and includes eight (8) mountain subdivisions and 126 non-subdivision private properties. The subdivision communities include Aspen Trails, Trew Creek Estates, Haciendas de la Florida, Hunter’s Ridge, La Cherade Park, Sierra Verde Estates, Florida Park, and Wilderness