Communities and Camps:
|
Assessed |
#Treated |
#AcresTreated |
| Highland Pines |
28 |
97 |
110 |
| Willow Springs |
0 |
25 |
42 |
| Prescott Pines |
0 |
10 |
38 |
Emergency Management Related Activities
Development of emergency response plans for individual summer camps
Annual wildfire evacuation training
Community awareness meetings
Response to several major wildfires, including Cave Creek Complex fire, Sunset Point fire, Humbug fire, Lousy Canyon fire and West Spruce Canyon fire
Economic Utilization Progress
As a result of the Prescott Basin Fuel Reduction and Economic Development Plan completed in 2004, PAWUIC formed the Healthy Forest Economic Development Team (HFEDT). This group of community representatives, educational administrators, municipal economic developers and local wood product industry businesses meets quarterly.
Only limited progress was achieved to increase local wood product business in 2005 due primarily to not having a multi-use woods/biomass industrial park.
The HFEDT efforts during 2005 have included:
Seeking location and funding for a multi-use wood products/bioenergy industrial park. This park could include a log sorting yard, saw milling operation, densified wood products manufacturer, bioenergy plant, lumber retailer, specialty wood/furniture retailer and other wood products businesses.
Commence formation and marketing promotion of Central Arizona wood products and users group.
Support growth of Yacos saw mill and retail operations in Congress, Az.
Assist in developing market opportunities for densified wood pellets at Yavapai College greenhouses as well as for animal bedding retailers.
EDUCATION & COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRESS
The PAWUIC Education Committee supported by the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, APS, PNF Fire Management representatives and local community fire management representatives have conducted and participated in many education and community outreach programs during 2005. These have included:
Annual Town Hall Meeting
On April 18, 2005, PAWUIC hosted a fire awareness town hall meeting for community residents. This meeting included presentations by local government officials involved with healthy forest and “Firewise” programs, Forest Service Fire Management representatives, local community fire management personnel and the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.
The purpose of these annual meetings is to develop community awareness for the fire season and to communicate citizen defensible space and “Firewise” programs available to the community.
Publications
Prescott Area Wildland Urban Interface Commission. 2005. Regional Alert Information for Yavapai
County. Web Site. URL: http://www.regionalinfo-alert.org/ provides daily updates of local alerts and related articles.
Photo by Robert Winston
|
Arizona Interagency Coordinating Group Firewise Subcommittee. 2005. Living With Fire: Homeowner’s Firewise Guide for Arizona. Newspaper Tabloid. 12 pp.
Jones, C. K. and J. Schalau. 2004. Defending Your Home and Property from Wildfires. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Video/ DVD. 42 Minutes.
Schalau, J. 2005. Using Herbicides to Control Re-sprouting Woody Vegetation. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Publication. 2 pp. (In Review).
Trushell, N. and J. Schalau. 2005. Checklist for Creating Defensible Space While Conserving Habitat and Other Natural Values. 2 pp.
Twaronite, G. 2005. Firewise Plant Materials for 3,000 ft. and Lower Elevations. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Publication. 3 pp. (In Review).
County Fair and Community Events
PAWUIC and the Forest Service staffed booths at the Yavapai County Fair, Prescott City Fair, Prescott Folk Art Festival and Prescott Fire Department “Fire Trap Program.” These booths contained displays, maps and handout material on wildfire awareness and prevention. Fire Department/Districts within the YCWPP boundaries also conducted similar wildfire awareness programs to local homeowners associations and schools.
Photo by Robert Winston
|
One of PAWUIC’s major goals—and a never-ending one—is sharing information with the public about how to protect families from losing their homes to an advancing wildfire. |
Homeowner Defensible Space Assessments
The local fire departments within the YCWPP offer residents of their communities’ defensible space assessments and provide services to achieve the recommended defensible space actions.
Homeowner Education Programs
The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension in collaboration with local fire departments/districts and other land management experts conducted the following educational outreach programs to diverse audiences across Yavapai County:
Developed a defensible space pre- and post-test which was administered to a total of 223 program participants in Chino Valley, Crown King, Prescott, Williamson Valley and Yarnell, with the post-test showing an average increase in knowledge of 21%.
Made a total of 87 community phone contacts (some follow up) and 3 office visit contacts.
Developed three multimedia presentations for use with general audiences, nurseries and garden clubs, and fire department personnel training.
Constructed an interactive defensible space model used with more than 100 students and constructed an interactive defensible space model used with more than 100 students and adults at the Yavapai County Fair on Sept 23 and 24, 2005.
Assisted in development of Firewise/Defensible Space Education component to our Cooperative Extension web site, from which University of Arizona publications can be downloaded in Adobe format (http://cals.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/defspace/).
Published an essay on public perceptions of defensible space that appeared in Sunday, November 13, 2005, edition of The Daily Courier; also posted on our web site and on PAWUIC’s web site.
Participated in fire risk assessment training session with members of Peeples Valley and Yarnell Fire Departments, Bureau of Land Management, and PAWUIC along Miller Creek in Yarnell; took photos and shared with members of both fire departments.
Collaborated with UA research specialist to assist in development of questions to be used for a phone survey of homeowners living in the pinyon-juniper-oak woodland and how they perceive wildfire risk.
Firewise Landscaping
The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension and the Highland Center for Natural History in collaboration with local fire departments/districts and other land management experts conducted the following educational outreach programs to diverse audiences across Yavapai County:
Presented 21 Firewise Landscaping/Defensible Space programs at the Highlands Center for Natural History, fire departments, garden clubs, nurseries, homeowner associations and neighborhood groups in Black Canyon City, Chino Valley, Crown King, Prescott, Prescott Valley, Sedona, Williamson Valley and Yarnell to a total of 335 participants.
Photo by Robert Winston
|
At the Highlands Center For Natural History, headed by a skillful and dedicated Nichle Trushell, a series of helpful classes and seminars are offered year-round—to children and adults alike.
|
Constructed and initiated research on a mulch flammability study (first burn date was Nov. 16, 2005,) with assistance of Prescott Fire Dept. and volunteers from PAWUIC and Master Gardeners.
Compiled and mailed out a survey letter assessing interest in a Firewise landscaping course to a total of 104 landscape professionals throughout Yavapai County (with additional copies sent to area fire department and other agency contacts).
The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension hired a half-time Instructional Specialist to assist home and property owners with creating and maintaining defensible space in the wildland/urban interface. The Instructional Specialist has worked closely with PAWUIC, fire departments/districts, and Arizona Firewise Communities to provide a scientifically valid and consistent message.
K-12th Grade Wildfire Education
PAWUIC presented the first Project Learning Tree (PLT) Program in coordination with the University of Arizona Yavapai Cooperative Extension on November 19, 2004. The second PLT Program was funded by PAWUIC, coordinated by PAWUIC and the University of Arizona on March 10, 2005. U of A, PLT Coordinator Wade Albrecht coordinated the classes. Fifteen teachers and five PAWUIC members attended the program.
PAWUIC received a Yavapai County Forest Fund Projects grant to initiate a student Forestry Club at Prescott High School that began meeting in the fall, 2005. This club has speakers and field trips on forestry and defensible space topics. The members also perform community services.
Photo by Jeff Spohn, APS
|
In November, members of Prescott High School’s newly-formed Forestry Club helped disadvantaged families by gathering, cutting and stacking 40 cords of firewood for wood stoves and fireplaces.
|
YCWPP 2006 Projections
Based on the approved funding for the 2005 State Fire Assistance grant, the 2005 Yavapai County Forest Funds Projects for the high school Forestry Club and additional financial support for BLM, APS and other local businesses, all activities performed during 2005 will be continued into 2006.
Additional emphasis will be directed toward YCWPP communities outside the Prescott Basin to obtain fire hazard reduction and defensible space funding.
YCWPP 2006 Committees
In Chapter 6 of the YCWPP, the Mitigation Plan addresses the formation of an Administrative Oversight Committee. This Committee consists of a collaborative cross-section of community representatives with federal, state, and county advisors.
The Oversight Committee is a part of PAWUIC and works with community leaders, fire district chiefs, homeowners groups, as well as the Forest Service, BLM, State Land and County agencies to evaluate the progress of the Plan’s implementation and to assist in seeking funding to support the Plan’s recommendations.
The Oversight Committee provides progress reports at the monthly PAWUIC meetings. PAWUIC will report the progress of the Plan’s implementation to the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors quarterly. Each YCWPP fire district chief will report specific progress to responsible community leaders on a quarterly basis.
Oversight Committee advisors & members
Oversight Committee advisors:
Kirk Rowdabaugh, Arizona State Forester
Alan Quan, Prescott National Forest Supervisor
Teri Raml, Field Manager, Bureau of Land Management
Thomas Thurman, County Supervisor
Members:
Ken Iversen, Chairman, PAWUIC
Nick Angiolillo, Yavapai County Emergency Management and Chairman IFEMG
Jim Atkinson, Chairman of Circle of Home Owners Presidents
Mike Nache, State Farm Insurance Agent
James Bricker, Vice President, Desert Hills Bank
John Morgan, Associate Dean, Yavapai College
Darrell Willis, Chief, City of Prescott Fire Department
Technical Support Group
The Technical Support Group performs the management of the day-to-day progress of the YCWPP implementation. The Group reports actual mitigation and implementation progress to the Administrative Oversight Committee on a scheduled basis.
Technical Support Group representatives:
PAWUIC/private forester – Rich Van Demark
Forest Service – Ian Fox
BLM – Bruce Olsen
Yavapai Indian Tribe – Lisa Terry
State Land – Russ Shumate
Prescott Fire – Duane Steinbrink
Central Yavapai Fire – Charlie Cook
Groom Creek Fire – Todd Bentley
Crown King Fire – Steve Lombardo
APS – Jeff Spohn
Yavapai County GIS – Jeff Whitham
Highland Pines – Gary Roysdon
MAPPING AND ASSESSMENT SUBCOMITTEE
Governor’s Forest Health Advisory and Oversight Councils
March 10, 2005
The need for ongoing state-level Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
resources to support the State Forester,
Healthy Forest Restoration and Public Safety.
The Mapping and Assessment (M&A) Subcommittee of the Arizona Governor’s Forest Health Councils asks for the Councils’ support in the dedication of ongoing state Geographic Information Systems (GIS) resources for the collection, analysis, and distribution of geographic data, maps and information specifically related to forestry, forest health, fuels treatment, wildland fire management and public safety activities throughout Arizona.
The M & A Subcommittee
The Mapping and Assessment Subcommittee was created to provide recommendations and guidance to the Governor’s Forest Health Councils.
The Subcommittee strives to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of mapping and assessment activities relative to Arizona’s forest health, and management of forest fuels that can contribute to catastrophic wildfire events.
The Growing Need for GIS Resources
As Arizona’s forestry and wildfire issues become increasingly prioritized, the need for continued mapping, assessment, and administrative support at the state level is becoming more pronounced.
The State Forestry Division of the Arizona State Land Department currently has no resources dedicated to GIS analysis and map production. There is very limited capability to provide support for efforts relative to forest health, and protection of the public from negative effects of wildfire.
Currently, State Forestry Division GIS contributions are supported by time-limited grant funding or are donated by other agencies. The following GIS needs have been identified to address forest health issues, but there is no long-term funding to support these activities.
The HEALTHY FOREST RESTORATION ACT OF 2003 calls for the development of Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP) in coordination with the State Forester. CWPPs are based on specific geographic areas that are assessed using a variety of mapping data.
Spatial analysis is fundamental for conducting the assessments and creating the maps included in the plans. The spatial data and associated attributes from individual plans can be brought together into a statewide database to support management and strategic planning.
The ARIZONA FIRE MAP project, recommended and supported by the M&A subcommittee, involves collection, coordination, and Internet distribution of statewide fuel treatment information. The first phase of this project is funded through a grant from the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA).
It is being developed by the State Forester’s Office and the State Cartographer’s Office using short-term employees and contractors, and is scheduled to go on-line by June 2005. There is presently no funding identified for maintenance, quality control or long-term development of this application.
The FOREST STEWARDSHIP - SPATIAL ANALYSIS PROJECT (SAP) is a program initially funded through a grant from the USDA Forest Service to inventory and map Arizona’s forest stewardship projects on private lands and to develop statewide suitability models for future projects.
State Forestry staff and temporary GIS staff within the State Cartographer’s Office will complete initial work under the grant, but there are no resources identified for ongoing data collection, maintenance, or analysis.
The FOREST HEALTH BILL passed by the Arizona Legislature and signed by the Governor in 2004 requires the State Forester to accept additional responsibilities for the management and tracking of specific forestry activities in Arizona.
REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS increasingly request statewide framework and standardized project data for addressing public safety issues, fulfilling state and federal reporting requirements, monitoring forest health activities and projects, prioritization and planning wildfire and other emergency responses and keeping the public informed.
The ongoing needs of the GOVERNOR’S OFFICE and the STATE FORESTRY OFFICE increasingly require the development of maps, map data, and GIS analysis. GIS products are used on a regular basis to provide information for briefings, timely decision-making related to Arizona forestry issues, and allocation of resources.
Common subjects include:
* Maps related to the location and status of current fires
* Status and effectiveness of fuel treatment activities
* Development of Community Wildfire and Firewise Protection plans
* Identification of high-risk communities
MANAGEMENT OF ARIZONA FORESTRY AND FOREST HEALTH DATA that is consistent and effective requires specific resources be identified to provide data development, quality control, and ongoing maintenance functions.
For geographic and other data to be useful, it must be collected, maintained, and made accessible. Cross-agency collaboration and data integration is particularly important for addressing forest health issues.
Presently, statewide datasets are created, validated, and maintained by particular agencies (or groups of agencies) that take on a role of data stewardship.
They collect and maintain the data, correct errors and perform quality control functions, document the data’s accuracy, make the data available to other organizations, and answer data-related questions.
In the case of geographic information pertaining to Arizona’s forest health, there is no identified statewide data steward and there are no resources identified for any organization to take on these stewardship roles. Without identified resources, these GIS functions will not occur.
Required Resources
The Mapping and Assessment Subcommittee recommends the Governor’s Forest Health Councils support a GIS group dedicated to:
Collection, analysis, and distribution of geographic data
Production of maps and information specifically related to forestry, forest health, and fuels treatment and
Support for wildland fire management and emergency response activities throughout Arizona.
Present and future funding levels should be planned to provide:
Adequate staff
Purchase of capital and non-capital equipment and
Sub-contractual support as needed.
Funding will support efforts to maintain and update datasets and information for ongoing and future forest health and public safety projects. These efforts include:
* Collection and integration of fire and forest health related GIS data and information from diverse sources throughout the state.
* Collection of standardized fuels treatment, fire assistance grant, and forest health digital data for inclusion into a GIS database.
* Creation and maintenance of a central database clearinghouse for Arizona geo-spatial data and information related to forestry, forest health, fuels treatment and wildland fire activities.
*Providing access to GIS data by natural resource managers and incident management teams. This would allow more efficient and effective response, promote enhanced operational control, and improved protection for Arizona’s citizens and property.
*Production of maps and map products to support wildland fire management, grant monitoring, Community Wildfire Protection Plans, regional and local forestry and forest health issues and other activities crucial to the activities of the State Forester’s Office.
*Development of custom applications to collect, analyze and distribute Arizona GIS forestry data and information. This should include the development of GIS applications, web sites, portals or other interactive mapping services.
*Assistance to regional and local authorities in the access and use of required geospatial forestry data and related information and to be a resource for state, county, regional and local level planners, fire fighters, emergency responders, and community groups.
*Help promote and support use of geo-spatial forest data for more effective planning, management and response.
End of report.
BACKGROUNDER:
WHAT THE INTERFACE COMMISSION IS ALL ABOUT
By Al Bates, Commission Chairman, 1997-2004
First, to give you some idea of our situation, here are some background facts on the Prescott area's wildfire risk.
Prescott is located in the Central Arizona highlands at an elevation of 5,300 feet in a basin bounded on the west, south and east by National Forest and undeveloped State Trust Land. The prevailing wind direction is from the southwest, almost ideal for driving a wildland fire into the community, as happened in May, 2002.
The primary vegetation type is second-growth ponderosa pine mixed with heavy chaparral. We have piñon pine, juniper and manzanita in profusion. Historic rainfall levels average 16 1/2 inches per year but the area now is in a long-term drought with no end in sight. The shortfall of moisture is resulting in earlier and longer periods of extreme fire danger.
We've been lucky for years, but May 15, 2002, we finally got the wake-up call the fire folks had been expecting: 1,360 acres burned, and 1,500 residents had to be evacuated, but only seven structures were lost and no lives were lost. It could have been much worse but for some luck and a lot of preparation.
The Prescott Area Wildland/Urban Interface Commission—generally referred to as PAWUIC (pronounced “pow-ick”)--had its start in 1990 when three far-sighted men, the city manager for the City of Prescott, the chairman of the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors and the Prescott National Forest Supervisor recognized that the Prescott Basin had a wildland fire problem and decided to do something about it.
Their approach was for the city and county jointly to charter an unfunded, unpaid, volunteer, citizen-led commission that would also include key individuals from agencies representing city, county, state and nation.
The key cooperating agencies were—and still are—the Prescott National Forest, the Arizona State Land Department, the Central Yavapai Fire District, the City of Prescott Fire Department and the Yavapai County Emergency Management Department.
BEGINNING STEPS
Our first step was an extremely important one. The Commission formed a subgroup that concentrates on improving cooperation between all the area's fire agencies. New procedures and training techniques were put in place.
Then the fire agencies began joint exercises -- both "on-the-ground" and "table-top" --to test those procedures. The resulting cooperation between the fire agencies in covering each other's territory has been outstanding. Whenever there is a wildland fire, the only question asked is: "Who can get there first?"
The result? Fires that could have been catastrophic were stopped in their tracks. In one instance, a Forest Service air tanker doused a wildfire in a heavily brushed development within the Prescott city limits before any homes were burned. Smoke had been observed at the Forest Service fire center at the Prescott airport and the plane was being prepared before the call for help came in.
Next, we started programs to educate our community. Brochures, meetings and yet more meetings were held with interested groups. "Have talk, will travel" has been a large part of our role.
Since 1999, we have presented annual "Wildfire Town Meetings" to emphasize the need for defensible space in our community. Declarations of "Firewise Month" by both the City of Prescott and Yavapai County help draw audiences to these critical sessions.
Another way we’ve tried to increase community awareness is by the placement along major roads throughout the Prescott Basin of signs that read “Be Firewise: Create Defensible Space.” And we have established a volunteer-staffed web site whose address is www.regionalinfo-alert.org to inform local citizens of events in the Interface such as prescribed fire and emergency events as they occur.
‘ON THE GROUND’ PROGRESS
When we looked at our progress a while back, we could point to much improved local awareness but not nearly enough "on-the-ground" change around our homes. So we have become more aggressive about reducing fuel loads on private lands to complement work on public lands being done by the U.S. Forest Service and the Arizona State Land Department.
From the beginning, slash disposal has been a problem. Many people are prepared to reduce the fuel load on their property either by themselves or through contractors. But they balk at what they believe are unreasonably expensive disposal costs at the regional landfill. This process is both expensive and wasteful. Burying--or waste burning--biomass in high desert communities is intolerable. This material needs to be recycled.
Our proposed solution has both short term and long term implications. Short term we decided to provide free chipping of excess vegetation from private property. Long-term we planned to work with entrepreneurs who are willing to establish businesses that will use the green waste to create useful products.
We began with the purchase of a portable commercial chipper. A state grant paid half the cost; the balance we had to raise however we could. This, for an unfunded commission that never had more than a few hundred dollars in the bank was ambitious--and scary. But with the help of the city of Prescott and some civic-minded organizations, we raised the money and began providing chipping service to homeowners.
2001 was a breakthrough year. That May, we received $160,000 in a 50/50 matching grant through the State Fire Assistance Program under the National Fire Plan. This enabled us to embark on an ambitious and, I believe, unique program. The largest part of these funds went to support work crews that remove brush and other fuel loads from private residences; this at no or low cost to the property owner.
Subsequent grants obtained in 2002, 2003 and 2004 enabled us to continue the program.
In 2002, we acquired a second chipper and a second brush crew; public information efforts included two wildfire town meetings; and we had a role in Prescott's adoption of a new urban/wildland fire code.
The results have been gratifying. After three years of these fuels reduction operations, 5,250 of the highest risk properties in the Prescott Basin have been treated. That equates to 7,000 acres and 12,500 citizens. That places us about a quarter of the way to where we need to be.
We’re pleased with our results and are planning to continue this effort into the future.
There are associated challenges: for one, coming up with matching funds. Given our unfunded financial structure, you may wonder "How can we do this?" The answer is in several parts:
Matching funds for the brush crew salaries have come from the Prescott Fire Department and the Central Yavapai Fire District.
Further support has come from "in kind" equipment donations from Arizona Public Service and equipment maintenance performed by Yavapai County. State Farm Insurance has contributed to chipper purchases and underwrote the “Firewise” signs seen around the Prescott Basin.
Other projects included in the grant are covered by dollar donations and with volunteer hours donated to the projects. It is truly a community effort.
NEW PROGRAMS
Currently we are embarked on two significant projects that will aid significantly in the long term defensibility of our homes. The first project is to find ways to build privately owned forest product businesses that will use materials from local fuels reduction projects. The other is the development of a community wildfire protection plan for Prescott and surrounding communities that will guide and prioritize wildfire safety projects in coming years.
HFEDT--At the beginning of 2004, the Commission completed work on a thorough study of the economic implications of local fuel reduction programs. With the approval and participation of both the City of Prescott and Yavapai County, we then formed a Healthy Forest Economic Development Team (HFEDT) within PAWUIC to encourage the development of a sustainable local forest products industry.
In addition to the City and County, active HFEDT representatives include the Yavapai College agribusiness operation and local entrepreneurs. The emphasis is on businesses scaled to local forest yields of various types of biomass. Identified businesses in various stages of development include small-scale milling operations, power generation and commercial heating projects, and wood pellet production.
CWPP--From the beginning, PAWUIC emphasis has been focused on what we refer to as the Prescott Basin; an area including both the City of Prescott and also the immediately adjacent areas served by the Central Yavapai Fire District.
When we took on the task of developing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) it became obvious that to do the job right we would need to broaden the plan’s scope to include other smaller nearby communities. The plan expanded to cover an area comprised of almost one million acres and $6.6 billion in valuation.
We have recently completed the first phase of that task with a document that runs to over 250 pages of text, maps and aerial photographs. The maps were prepared by the Yavapai County Assessor’s Office. Fourteen separate fire departments/districts are involved. Each included community has its own section, prepared by the local (often volunteer) fire agency.
Since our area is growing so rapidly, the document is designed to be updated on a regular basis to reflect changes. PAWUIC’s Interagency Fire and Emergency Management Group (IFEMG) is doing the development and maintenance of this document with participation of both agency folks and volunteers.
And one more thing: We’re also embarked on a program in cooperation with the University of Arizona Extension Service to bring the Firewise message to children in local schools using Project Learning Tree. 2004 has been a very busy year for us.
LESSONS LEARNED
What have we learned since 1990? First of all, what we are involved in is a process; there is no end. The education process needs to be continuous: new residents with no experience of living in the Interface have to be informed and long-time residents have to be reminded of the ongoing need for maintenance. I’m proud to say that we have made a beginning, but there always will be more to do.
What else have we learned?
The need for patience and persistence. It takes time to get the message accepted and even more time to make an appreciable dent in the fuel supply. And then there is the need for maintenance—the brush grows back all too quickly.
The need for neighborhood advocates. One dedicated individual talking to and encouraging his neighbors is the most effective tool in our education kit.
Proof that mitigation works. The fire that invaded south Prescott from the National Forest in 2002 proved that point conclusively. One home with defensible space survived the full brunt of the fire (with air tanker support); meanwhile spot fires took out nearby homes that lacked defensible space. A recently completed fuels reduction on the Prescott National Forest slowed the spread of the fire and thus helped
bring it under control.
One final thought: whatever successes we have had and will have in the future depend upon the strong support of the member agencies: Prescott Fire Department, Central Yavapai Fire District, the Forest Service, Arizona State Land Department and Yavapai County Emergency Services.
To that you have to add local homeowner organizations, Arizona Public Service, the NASA/Prescott College sustainability project, the University of Arizona Extension Service, State Farm Insurance, CommSpeed....and a bunch of unpaid, dedicated, hard-working volunteers.
The Mission of the Prescott Area Wildland/Urban Interface Commission
Who we are: Created in the name of interagency cooperation, the Prescott Area Wildland/Urban Interface Commission includes five jurisdictions and organizations:
City of Prescott
Yavapai County
Central Yavapai Fire District
Arizona Department of Forestry
Prescott National Forest, USDA Forest Service
Statement of Purpose
"Only through a cooperative effort among these entities and with the citizens of these communities can the multi-faceted challenges posed by development of the wildland areas in the Prescott basin be addressed. In view of these considerations, these entities desire to establish an enduring basis for such cooperation and assistance and, therefore, hereby enter into this Memorandum of Understanding."
Tasks of the Commission:
Advise the cooperating agencies
Identify, develop, prioritize and address wildland/urban interface issues facing citizens
Develop plans and actions for management of identified issues and make recommendations to appropriate levels of government
Promote the development of citizen awareness of interface issues and initiatives
Pursue the development of agreements among owners and operators of private land in order to implement plans and actions in a timely manner
Provide the cooperating agencies with a quarterly report on Commission activities and progress
For more information on the Interface Commission, please see our Success
Story at the Firewise Communities site or go to "Everyone's
Responsibility" and click on Prescott, Arizona.
"We must understand that the challenge is multifaceted, including not only the increased risk of catastrophic wildfire, but other impacts on the quality of life brought about by the movement of people into the wildlands." -Ed Hollingshead, U.S. Forest Service
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