Success Stories
AZ - Prescott Area Protecting
Homes and Forests
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| Crew Removing Mountain Mahogeny |
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| Defensible Space around Homes |
Fuels management efforts of the Prescott Fire Department’s wildland division has received more than $1 million in national fire plan grant money during its first three years. In 2001, the first year of the effort, the grant money totaled about $184,000. The next year, the grant amount was nearly $400,000, and in the third year the effort received close to $600,000.
Next year local officials hope to receive about $1 million. The Arizona State Land Department administers the national grant money.
More than 2,500 homes in the area have benefited from the work the local fuels management crew has done over the past three years. Along with the fuels management, the money also goes toward other efforts, such as the purchase of chipping equipment, the annual town hall meeting, and educational advertisements and brochures.
Local fire department crew contracted by the Arizona State Land Department through a State Fire Assistance (SFA) Grant were able to provide the fuel hazard reduction services to private landowners for a reduced rate. The work on the nearby State Land prompted many of the landowners to contract to the Prescott FD to also have their property treated while the crew was in the area.
Crews also have removed chaparral from State Land bordering residential property on the State Land Department's "Government Canyon" Project near the south side of Prescott. The Crew hand thinned a buffer of about 100 feet of State Land near the houses. The State will mechanically thin additional chapparal with a "brush buster" harvester. The State's Government Canyon Project will tie in to the Federal "Boundary" fuel project on Prescott National Forest Lands to further prevent catastrophic fires from encroaching Prescott from the south.
The Prescott Area Wildland Urban Interface Committee (PAWUIC) formed in 1990, and includes representatives from a number of local organizations and governments. In working toward its goal to reduce the fire risk to homes, the commission was involved in the formation of a crew that helps create “defensible space” around area homes by clearing out flammable brush. The crew so far has cleared about 1,650 lots in Prescott and the surrounding areas. In addition the crew has provided chipping services for 900 more homes, bringing the total to about 2,550.
Along with creating defensible space, PAWUIC is looking into finding uses for the cleared brush and trees. It also is involved with a community wildfire protection plan, and in bringing “firewise education” to local schools.
CONTACT: Scott Hunt, Phoenix District Forester, scotthunt@azstatefire.org
RELATED SITES: No related web sites.
DATE: 2004-04-13
