Community Fire Preparedness Committee
- Member: Larry McCollum
- Member: Will Lyons
- Member: Dustin Chambers
- Member: Chuck Henschel
Purpose
The Community Fire Preparedness Committee will identify the best way to proceed with building a robust wildfire preparedness plan and implement it.
April 02, 2025 SCC Meeting: Committee Report: Jenn reported that the micro-grant application to the DNR is ready to submit. Jenn will submit the grant in her name (because of grant requirements), but, given approval, with the support and on behalf of the Snowden Community Council. The grant will reimburse funds spent for fire preparedness activities that include: 1) production and printing of a Map of Possible Evacuation Routes for Snowden; 2) purchase, installation and permitting of a series of Burn Ban signs to be placed strategically along the roads accessing Snowden; 3) hosting a public education event to be held at Mountain Brook Fire Station, this June. Sherry moved that Jenn should submit the grant with the approval and support of the SCC; Bob seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. In discussion, Roger pointed out that once Snowden is approved by the DNR as a Firewise Community, we will be included in the County’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), which would allow us to apply for much larger grants, for example to have more water storage tanks in Snowden. However – the County’s CWPP is NOT in compliance because it has not been updated as required, and so is ineffective. Jenn pointed out that the non-compliance of the County CWPP also disqualifies Klickitat County from FEMA assistance.
March 05, 2025 SCC Meeting: Committee Report: Dustin reported that the Committee has met with Charlie Landsman (DNR Community Wildfire Preparedness Outreach Coordinator) and learned about different, and often overlapping benefits of the Firewise USA Community Preparedness process, compared with the Community Wildfire Preparedness Plan (CWPP), that the Committee had been exploring previously under leadership of Steven Banks. Charlie was reassuring that 1) Firewise USA is a national program, with recognition from and even partnerships with insurance companies nationally. Participation in a Firewise USA program would help provide continuing coverage at reasonable cost from insurance companies; and 2) participation in a Firewise USA community planning process would allow access to the larger grant funds available through the County’s CWPP, or through a community CWPP. Jenn reported that Trout Lake is involved in a “FireWise Community Adaptive Plan”, and working with Mt. Adams Resource Stewards (MARS) to assist them. MARS is already experienced in launching communities into a Firewise USA planning process, and would be happy to help us as well. If we were to enter into a Firewise USA Community planning process, it would involve several “stages”, including 1) conducting a “windshield” assessment/inventory/survey to determine risk density; 2) identifying sub -neighborhoods or areas that could be considered a unit; and 3) finding a resident or two in each “neighborhood” to serve as the “Ambassador”, or communications go-to person(s) for that sub-area, to coordinate with the other residents, and with MARS/DNR/the CFP Committee.
Dustin explained that the DNR has fire preparedness micro-grants available to communities, first come first served, and that the committee is discussing how to prioritize projects to apply for a micro-grant as soon as possible to fund Snowden “micro-projects” this year. Possible projects include 1) creating a “Snowden Possible Evacuation Routes Map” (see excellent map/emergency evacuation to do list – brochure for Trout Lake, created in partnership with MARS staff, on Trout Lake Community website.) 2) renting a large chipper for community use; 3) putting on a Fire Preparedness public information event during May (Fire Prevention Month).
February 05, 2025 SCC Meeting: Committee Report: Dustin reported that the expanded committee will have their first meeting coming up on February 10.
January 08, 2025 SCC Meeting: Committee Report: Roger and Steven presented that they had talked and agreed that the Community Wildfire Prevention Plan Working Group will need to re-form as the Community Fire Preparedness Committee (modeled after the Citizens Advisory Committee to the new Regional Fire Authority). Their responsibility will be to study (“get into the weeds” of) the Plan, help design and execute the process of implementing the Plan, and explain it step by step to the community at large. Those already part of the Working Group are Steven Banks, Larry McCollum, Will Lyons, Dustin Chambers, and Chuck Henschel. Others that wish to join are Sherry Walston and Bea Lackaff. Anyone else interested in joining (or stepping back from) this committee, or with more questions should contact Roger Gadway (crgadway@gmail.com) who, as Chair, is responsible for committee appointments. Topics for immediate attention when the committee meets include a community questionnaire and getting up-to-date maps of possible Snowden evacuation routes available to the community.
December 04, 2024 SCC Meeting Update: Steven presented a report on recent activities of the Community Wildfire Prevention Plan (CWPP) Working Group. He explained that crafting a CWPP can take months to years, but that he, Will Lyons, Dustin Chambers and Larry McCollum have met and already come up with an 8 step “roadmap” document. The Working Group is excited to have Will on board, as Will’s business provides land management using herds of goats for land clearing, an important part of any wildfire management plan. Steve’s summary of the next steps now that the Working Group has been formed, include Step 2: conferring with federal, state, local, fire district and land management agencies and businesses (for Example, Green Diamond, timber company owning large tracts of local forest lands), to find out what resources they may be able to share (such as equipment, manpower, fire behavior software). Step 3 will be to engage with “interested parties”, such as the PUD, Underwood Conservation District, and the County. Step 4 will be to establish a community base map, and the Working Group has assurance from the Forest Service that they will provide some base map layers. Step 5 will be doing risk assessment studies on individual residences in the Snowden Community. Step 6 will be to use this risk assessment information to create a hazard assessment with recommendations. Step 7 includes developing strategies. Step 8 will be to finalize the CWPP, taking it to stakeholders for their buy-in, then getting the Plan certified by the DNR and Forest Service. They will then align with a 501c3 that can qualify the Plan to seek funding. (Read the “Roadmap”: Preparing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan) Larry offered to look into local CEKE organization that is a 501c3 organization that helps front smaller organizations (like the SCC) that are not.
November 06, 2024 SCC Meeting: New Business: Council member Steven Banks, a civil engineer with considerable experience in wildfire management, and President of Northstar Wildland Fire LLC, presented a motion to the Council. Considering that we live in a high risk wildland fire community, with ever increasing pressures including the growing likelihood of losing our fire insurance, and the overarching threats from climate change, Steven proposed the creation of a Council Working Group to study how we can develop a Community Based Fire Protection Plan. Even if individual families do all they can for fire prevention management, if their adjacent neighbors do nothing, their efforts could well be in vain. We need to all work together at the community level to be successful in protecting ourselves, our animals, and property from wildfire. Participation in a community fire protection effort would also greatly improve access to fire insurance. Grant money is available for community fire management projects but must be administered through a 5013C organization (which the SCC is not). However, there are community resources, such as the new West Klickitat County Regional Fire Authority (WKCRFA), or others, that might help. Steven’s proposal generated much support in theory, and many questions about practical details including how to accomplish the grant application, supporting neighbors with different levels of resources available for the effort, and the dangers posed by indifferent absentee landowners. Fire Commissioner Tom Montag said the WKCRFA would approve of such a community effort, but could not provide funding, or leadership. Sherry moved that Steven form a Working Group to study how to launch a Snowden Community Wildfire Management Plan, and Chuck Kliesh seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Larry McCollum and Dustin Chambers volunteered to join Steven in the Working Group. In closing, Steven generously offered to make a fire risk assessment for anyone at the meeting.