Klickitat County, Washington Community Wildfire Protection Plan 2018 Klickitat County Emergency Management 199 Industrial Way Goldendale, WA 98620 (509) 773-0582 Prepared By Northwest Management, Inc. -This page intentionally left blank- Acknowledgements This Community Wildfire Protection Plan represents the efforts and cooperation of a number of organizations and agencies working together to improve preparedness for wildfire events while reducing factors of risk. Cities and Communities of Klickitat County: Klickitat County Fire City of Goldendale Districts City of Bingen #1-15 City of White Salmon Town of Bickleton Unincorporated Communities Town of Centerville & Town of Dallesport Local Businesses and Citizens Town of Glenwood of Klickitat County Eastern Klickitat Conservation District Town of Klickitat Central Klickitat Conservation District To obtain copies of this plan contact: Klickitat County Department of Emergency Management 199 Industrial Way Goldendale, Washington 98620 509-773-0582 i Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... I FOREWORD .......................................................................................................................... IV SIGNATURE PAGES ............................................................................................................... VI KLICKITAT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ............................................................................................................... VI KLICKITAT COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS AND DEPARTMENTS ....................................................................VII OTHER ADVISORY GROUP REPRESENTATIVES ...................................................................................................... X CHAPTER 1: PLAN OVERVIEW AND DEVELOPMENT ................................................................ 1 GOALS AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES ..................................................................................................................... 1 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE (GAO) ........................................................................... 3 STATE AND FEDERAL CWPP GUIDELINES ........................................................................................................... 4 INTEGRATION WITH OTHER LOCAL PLANNING DOCUMENTS .................................................................................. 4 CHAPTER 2: DOCUMENTING THE PLANNING PROCESS ........................................................... 6 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANNING PROCESS .......................................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER 3: KLICKITAT COUNTY CHARACTERISTICS .............................................................. 11 POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHICS ................................................................................................................. 11 LAND OWNERSHIP ....................................................................................................................................... 13 DEVELOPMENT TRENDS ................................................................................................................................ 13 AGRICULTURE ............................................................................................................................................. 14 NATURAL RESOURCES .................................................................................................................................. 14 CHAPTER 4: RISK AND PREPAREDNESS ASSESSMENTS .......................................................... 20 WILDLAND FIRE CHARACTERISTICS ................................................................................................................. 20 WILDFIRE HAZARDS ..................................................................................................................................... 22 WILDFIRE HAZARD ASSESSMENT .................................................................................................................... 33 OVERVIEW OF FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEM ........................................................................................................ 47 FIRE PROTECTION ISSUES .............................................................................................................................. 62 CURRENT WILDFIRE MITIGATION ACTIVITIES .................................................................................................... 70 CHAPTER 5: LANDSCAPE RISK ASSESSMENTS........................................................................ 74 OVERALL FUELS ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................................ 76 OVERALL MITIGATION ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................................... 80 EASTERN AND SOUTH CENTRAL LANDSCAPE RISK ASSESSMENT ........................................................................... 83 NORTH CENTRAL AND WESTERN LANDSCAPE RISK ASSESSMENT.......................................................................... 87 CHAPTER 6: MITIGATION RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................... 92 MAINTENANCE AND MONITORING ................................................................................................................. 93 PRIORITIZATION OF MITIGATION ACTIVITIES ..................................................................................................... 93 POLICY AND PLANNING EFFORTS .................................................................................................................... 93 FIRE PREVENTION AND EDUCATION PROJECTS .................................................................................................. 96 INFRASTRUCTURE ENHANCEMENTS ................................................................................................................. 98 PROPOSED PROJECT AREAS ......................................................................................................................... 101 ii APPENDIX 1 - MAPPING PRODUCTS ................................................................................... 112 APPENDIX 2 - DOCUMENTING THE PLANNING PROCESS ..................................................... 113 ADVISORY GROUP INVOLVEMENT DOCUMENTATION ....................................................................................... 113 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT DOCUMENTATION ...................................................................................................... 122 APPENDIX 3 - RISK ANALYSIS MODELS ............................................................................... 126 HISTORIC FIRE REGIME ............................................................................................................................... 126 APPENDIX 4 –CONTACT INFORMATION .............................................................................. 129 KLICKITAT COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND FIRE DISTRICTS ............................................................................ 129 OTHER NATURAL RESOURCES ENTITIES AND AGENCIES .................................................................................... 130 APPENDIX 5 - STATE AND FEDERAL CWPP GUIDANCE ......................................................... 131 NATIONAL COHESIVE STRATEGY ................................................................................................................... 131 NATIONAL FIRE PLAN ................................................................................................................................. 132 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE FORESTERS ............................................................................................... 133 HEALTHY FORESTS RESTORATION ACT ........................................................................................................... 136 FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY PHILOSOPHY ............................................................................ 136 APPENDIX 6 - POTENTIAL CWPP PROJECT FUNDING SOURCES ............................................ 138 APPENDIX 7 – POST FIRE RECOVERY INFORMATION ........................................................... 141 DURING THE FIRE RESOURCES ...................................................................................................................... 141 AFTER THE FIRE RESOURCES ........................................................................................................................ 141 FIRE RECOVERY SAFETY TIPS ........................................................................................................................ 144 OTHER POST-FIRE CONSIDERATIONS ............................................................................................................. 150 POST FIRE RECOVERY: WAYS TO MOVE FORWARD .......................................................................................... 152 APPENDIX 8 – GLENWOOD STRUCTURE PROTECTION PLAN ................................................ 159 APPENDIX 9 – EXPOSURE OF HUMAN COMMUNITIES TO WILDFIRE IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ..................................................................................................................... 176 APPENDIX 10 - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ....................................................................... 185