Bisbee Community Wildfire Protection Plan Prepared by: February 2007 Bisbee Community Wildfire Protection Plan February 2007 Prepared by Logan Simpson Design Inc. 33 N. Stone Avenue Suite 1460 Tucson, AZ 85701 (520) 884-5500 www.logansimpsondesign.com Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Acronyms and Abbreviations..................................................................................................................... iv I. Introduction................................................................................................................................................1 A. Background ..........................................................................................................................................1 B. Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) and Delineation Process ...................................................................3 C. Desired Future Condition and Relevant Wildfire Mitigation Projects....................................................5 1. Federal Lands within the WUI .......................................................................................................5 2. Nonfederal Lands within the WUI..................................................................................................5 3. Specific Community Fuels Mitigation Projects ..............................................................................7 D. Goals ....................................................................................................................................................8 E. Planning Process..................................................................................................................................8 II. Community Assessment........................................................................................................................10 A. Fire Regime and Condition Class.......................................................................................................10 B. Fuel Hazards .....................................................................................................................................11 C. Community Descriptions and Values at Risk ....................................................................................20 1. Housing, Businesses, Essential Infrastructure, and Evacuation Routes.....................................23 2. Recreation Areas/Wildlife Habitat...............................................................................................23 3. Local Preparedness and Protection Capability ...........................................................................23 D. Cumulative Risk Analysis ...................................................................................................................24 III. Community Mitigation Plan...................................................................................................................27 A. Fuel Reduction Priorities ....................................................................................................................27 B. Prevention and Loss Mitigation ..........................................................................................................36 1. Improved Protection Capability and Reduction in Structural Ignitability......................................37 2. Promote Community Involvement and Improved Public Education, Information, and Outreach ..........................................................................................................37 3. Encourage Utilization of Woody Material from WUI Fuel Mitigation Programs. ..........................38 IV. BCWPP Priorities: Action Recommendations and Implementation .................................................40 A. Administrative Oversight.....................................................................................................................40 B. Priorities for Construction of Firebreaks .............................................................................................40 C. Priorities for Protection Capability and Reduced Structural Ignitability...............................................40 D. Priorities for Promoting Community Involvement through Education, Information, and Outreach..................................................................................................................43 E. Requested Funding for Implementation of the BCWPP .....................................................................45 V. Monitoring Plan ......................................................................................................................................46 A. Administrative Oversight and Monitoring............................................................................................46 B. Effectiveness Monitoring ....................................................................................................................48 Bisbee Community Wildfire Protection Plan February 2007 i Table of Contents VI. Declaration of Agreement and Concurrence ......................................................................................50 VII. References ............................................................................................................................................52 VIII. Glossary of Fire Management Terms ................................................................................................54 Appendix A. Vegetation Association Descriptions.......................................................................................74 Appendix B. National Fire Danger Rating System Fuel Model Selection Key.............................................82 Appendix C. Categorical Exclusion .............................................................................................................86 Appendix D. Additional Resources..............................................................................................................95 Appendix E. Firewise Construction Example...............................................................................................99 LIST OF TABLES Table 1.1 Bisbee wildland fuel mitigation projects and wildland fire response enhancements.....................7 Table 2.1 Fire Regime information..............................................................................................................10 Table 2.2 Fuel model, fire danger ratings, and intensity level on vegetative associations in the WUI........14 Table 2.3 Fuel hazard components ............................................................................................................20 Table 2.4 Community values and structure density....................................................................................24 Table 2.5 Cumulative risk levels, by percentage of the WUI area ..............................................................24 Table 3.1 Fuel modification and treatment plans........................................................................................28 Table 3.2 Identified treatment management units with recommended treatments .....................................32 Table 3.3 Acres of wildland fuels mitigation treatment conducted by ASLD fire and fuel crew during 8-hour on-site workday ....................................................................................................35 Table 4.1 Priority action recommendations for construction of firebreaks ..................................................41 Table 4.2 Action recommendations for wildland fire protection and reduced ignitability.............................43 Table 4.3 Action recommendations for enhanced public education, information, and outreach.................44 Table 4.4 BCWPP proposed budget...........................................................................................................45 Table 5.1 Performance measures to assess BCWPP progress. ................................................................49 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1 Analysis area ...............................................................................................................................2 Figure 1.2 Process followed to produce the BCWPP ...................................................................................4 Figure 1.3 Bisbee WUI land ownership.........................................................................................................6 Figure 2.1 Vegetation types within the WUI................................................................................................12 Figure 2.2 Fuel hazards and ignition history...............................................................................................19 Figure 2.3 Community values and structure density...................................................................................25 Figure 2.4 Cumulative risk analysis ............................................................................................................26 Figure 3.1 Treatment management units....................................................................................................31 Figure 4.1 Priority firebreak treatment areas ..............................................................................................42 Bisbee Community Wildfire Protection Plan February 2007 ii Table of Contents LIST OF PHOTOS Photo 2.1 Grassland vegetation association...............................................................................................15 Photo 2.2 Desert Scrub vegetation