March 31, 2005 Big Horn County This plan developed by the Big Horn County CWPP Operating Group in cooperation with: Technical Forestry Services 603 Greybull Avenue Greybull, Wyoming 82426 Table of Contents Section Page 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................................6 2.0 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................................................................9 2.1 BACKGROUND....................................................................................................................................... 13 2.1.1 Structure Development in the Assessment Area ...............................................................................................................13 2.2 WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE ........................................................................................................... 15 2.3 AT-RISK COMMUNITY .......................................................................................................................... 15 2.4 FOREST HEALTH .................................................................................................................................. 15 2.4.1 Fire Regime and Condition Class ....................................................................................................................................15 2.5 RELEVANT FIRE POLICIES ................................................................................................................... 16 2.5.1 State Policies....................................................................................................................................................................18 2.5.2 Federal Policies ...............................................................................................................................................................18 2.6 EXISTING FIRE CONTROL DOCUMENTS .............................................................................................. 19 2.6.1 Risk Assessment and Mitigation Strategies (RAMS) ........................................................................................................19 3.0 COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................................................................20 3.1 “AT-RISK” COMMUNITY DELINEATION PROCESS .............................................................................. 20 3.2 PUBLIC OUTREACH IN BIG HORN COUNTY......................................................................................... 21 3.3 COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION.................................................................................................................. 22 3.3.1 Deer Haven (DEER); West Tensleep (WTEN); Sitting Bull (SIBU); Meadowlark (MEAD)............................................22 3.3.2 Ranger Creek (RACR); Shell Falls (SHFA).....................................................................................................................24 3.3.3 Porcupine; Cookstove Basin; Medicine Mountain; Bald Mountain; Hunt Mountain Road ............................................25 3.3.4 Granite Creek (GRCR); Salt Creek (SACR).....................................................................................................................25 3.3.5 Battle Creek (BACR); Bear Gulch; Snowshoe Pass; White Creek; Spanish Point..........................................................26 3.3.6 Brokenback (BROK); Renner Wildlife (RENN) ...............................................................................................................29 3.3.7 Paintrock (PARO); Longview (LONG)............................................................................................................................30 3.3.8 Devils Canyon (DECA)....................................................................................................................................................30 3.3.9 Shell Creek Municipal Watershed....................................................................................................................................31 4.0 COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT .............................................................................................................................................32 4.1 FIRE RISK RATING ............................................................................................................................... 34 4.1.1 Fire Hazard......................................................................................................................................................................34 4.1.2 Probability of Fire Occurrence........................................................................................................................................39 Big Horn County Mountain CWPP 2 4.1.3 Community Layout Scorecard..........................................................................................................................................42 4.1.4 Structure Ignitability........................................................................................................................................................43 4.2 CUMULATIVE FIRE RISK RATING........................................................................................................ 48 4.2.1 Emergency Management Capabilities .............................................................................................................................48 4.2.2 Values-at-Risk ..................................................................................................................................................................48 4.2.3 Fire Risk Rating ...............................................................................................................................................................48 FINAL PRIORITY LIST ...................................................................................................................................... 48 4.3 SUMMARY OF COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................... 50 4.3.1 Deer Haven (DEER); West Tensleep (WTEN); Sitting Bull (SIBU); Meadowlark (MEAD)............................................50 4.3.2 Ranger Creek (RACR)......................................................................................................................................................53 4.3.3 Porcupine (PORC)...........................................................................................................................................................55 4.3.4 Granite Creek (GRCR).....................................................................................................................................................56 4.3.5 Battle Creek (BACR)........................................................................................................................................................57 4.3.6 Medicine Lodge (MELO); Black Butte (BLBU)...............................................................................................................59 4.3.7 Brokenback (BROK); Renner Wildlife (RENN) ...............................................................................................................61 4.3.8 Paintrock (PARO)............................................................................................................................................................62 4.3.9 Devils Canyon (DECA)....................................................................................................................................................63 FLAMMAP ANALYSIS ....................................................................................................................................... 63 5.0 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REDUCING RISK OF CATASTROPHIC FIRE............................................................64 5.1 ADMINISTRATIVE OVERSIGHT............................................................................................................. 65 5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LAND TREATMENTS................................................................................... 65 5.2.1 Shaded fuel breaks ...........................................................................................................................................................66 5.2.2 Selective Tree Harvest: ....................................................................................................................................................68 5.2.3 Clearcut/Patch Cuts/Group Selection..............................................................................................................................68 5.2.4 Aspen Release ..................................................................................................................................................................69 5.2.5 Pre-commercial/Commercial/Brush Reduction/Hand Thinning:.....................................................................................69 5.2.6 Prescribed Fire ................................................................................................................................................................70 5.2.7 Riparian Area Fuels Modifications..................................................................................................................................70