| 4/14/2009 9:26:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | Wildfire plan presented to commissioners
by Paul Goetz
Mail News Editor
A copy of the 2009 Annual Wildfire Operating Plan for Chaffee County was presented for signature by Damon Lange, district forester, Colorado State Forest Service, Monday during the commissioner's work session.
Lange briefed commissioners about the document and highlighted information.
The 2009 document includes a section about special management considerations that will allow official representatives of the jurisdiction to make suppression decisions.
Special management considerations section of the document will give managers more flexibility, Lange said.
Fires within designated wilderness, wilderness study and roadless areas will be managed via direct orders from an official representative of the jurisdiction. Fires within wilderness areas will be evaluated and could be managed for resource benefit.
Suppression actions across U.S. Forest Service lands will be managed using appropriate management response. Fires will be evaluated and could be managed for multiple objectives, including fire use, limited suppression or full suppression.
Brown Canyon Wilderness Study Area east of U.S. 285 is approved for wildland fire use. Prior to any suppression, the Bureau of Land Management must be notified through the Pueblo Interagency Dispatch Center of any natural ignition occurring on these lands.
The bureau may elect to utilize a wildland fire implementation plan to assess the fire for wildland fire use potential. Bureau personnel will assume management of the fire under the guidance of the plan.
Human caused ignitions will be suppressed under an appropriate management response strategy.
Lange told commissioners about the wildfire emergency response fund. The fund is intended to reimburse the county or other non-federal agency for the first two days of crew response at the start of an incident.
The response fund can be requested by sheriff, deputy fire warden and county commissioners.
The incident command chief can request to activate the fund.
Another fund from which Chaffee and Lake counties draw resources is the state emergency fire fund.
When the fire fund is implemented, state forest service assumes responsibility and financial authority for all suppression activity until the fire is returned to county responsibility.
Money for the fire fund comes from an annual fees paid of member counties. Annual payment is based on a formula that considers the number of forested acres protected and the valuation of private lands within the county.
Lange gave examples of the fire fund request and told commissioners not to "sit on the request" in the event of a fire.
"It's better to request sooner than later," Lange said.
The request has to be filled out during the fire but does not have to be filled out for firefighters to respond to a scene.
Other relevant contents of the operating plan include an equipment list, emergency phone list, and dispatch and communication information.
Commissioners will consider signing the 2009 Annual Wildfire Operating Plan during the regular meeting at 9 a.m. today.
In unrelated business, commissioners opened bids for a 1979 Ford F-9000 dump and plow truck and a 1994 Falls Ter-11 plow.
Three letters were accepted. Bob Smith placed a bid of $7,200 but sent a subsequent letter retracting his bid.
Anthony Timko bid $5,751.99. Commissioners will award the bid during the regular meeting today.
In other business commissioners:
• Listened to a report from Sheriff Tim Walker,
• Listened to a report about a Department of Local Affairs grant for energy planning,
• Discussed whether or not the county should acquire and maintain a 3/4-mile portion of CR 190 W.
|
Article Comment Submission Form
|
