Stakeholders Meeting
Meeting Minutes (Partial)
Note: Minutes of the physical meeting are currently unavailable. Agenda of
the meeting was as follows. Electronic Meeting Committee Reports follow.
Meeting Agenda 18 November 2010 STAKEHOLDER'S MEETING (0930 TO 1130)
Attendees: Angela Yearwood (USFS), Hayward Mendenhall (Valley View), Mike
Lanza (Squirrel Valley), Tom Gleder (Kernville), Don Davis (Alta Sierra), Bob
Robertson (MD-MRC&D), Shawn Compton (BLM-desert District), Ed Royce, Lloyd
Smith, Gordon Hancock, Christine Hancock, Sharon Rooney (through treasurer's
report), Abby Bryski (USFS), Nickie Washington (USFS), Kimberley Cushman,
Patrick Pontes, Penelope Shibley (USFS), and Tom Teofilo (Lodge at Painted
Rock).
Presentations: "Fuels Projects in the Kern River Ranger District
2010-2011", Nickie Washington, Division Chief, Sequoia National Forest,
Kern River District (30 min)
Committee Activity Reports
Grants Ed/Patrick: 2010 grant projects progress on Burma
Interagency Extension Fuelbreak and Bodfish III
Also, 2011 grant projects progress on Lake Isabella Community Defense
Zone and Mountain Shadows Interagency Defense Zone
- USFS Alta Sierra and Wofford Heights Fuel Reduction project progress
-
Valley View assessment visit and grant proposal opportunities (CFSC 2013 and
USFS/BLM direct grants)
- Status of RAC grant proposal
- Proposal for 2012
CFSC clearinghouse grant project(s)
- Grant writing workshop on 13 January 2011
at BLM Bakersfield Office
- Grant administrator
Fundraising-- Lloyd: Contributions received in 2010 ($3,235): Alta One
and Paramount Giving (Paramount Farming)
Chipper Days-- Lloyd: 2010 Chipper Days completed -- Squirrel
Valley -- Walker Pass -- Mountain Mesa -- Isabella Highlands -- Greenhorn
Mountains/Alta Sierra -- BMX bike track
Chipper Day committee chairman - Webpage needs new contact name and other
updates.
Education/Speaker's Bureau-- Lloyd: Roadside sign rotation was
by the USFS Whiskey Flat Fire Module (Crew 40) led by Chris Scott o Valley View
Property Owner's presentation 11 December -Ed/Debbie/Nickie -- Exchange Club
presentation 13 January - Lloyd
Nomination of 2011 Board of Directors - The KRVFSC will not have fewer than
five (5) nor more than fifteen (15) directors (bylaws). The director nominees
will be elected at the 17 February 2011 meeting, and the newly elected directors
will elect the officers.
Note: The President reports that he has the following nominees for the 2011
Board of Directors from the 18 November 2010 Stakeholder's Meeting:
Terry Bolt Kimberley Cushman Don Davis Tom Gelder Christine Hancock Gordon
Hancock Sharon Rooney Ed Royce Lloyd Smith
We will elect the new BoD at our 17 February 2011 meeting. The new BoD can
elect officers and make committee assignments shortly after the election during
the Stakeholder's Meeting.
Agency Reports
Kern County Fire Department:
Forest Service:
BLM:
Other Reports
Next KRVFSC Meeting: Thursday, 17 February 2011, 9:30-11:30, in Supervisor
McQuiston's conference room, 7050 Lake Isabella Blvd., Lake Isabella, CA 93240.
Minutes of meeting will be posted to: www.krvfiresafecouncil.org
Committee Reports (Electronic Meeting)
President's Activities-Lloyd Smith
Our grant proposal to the Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) for Defensible
Space Demonstration and Assistance for Hardship Cases for $6,000. was forwarded
to the Sequoia Forest Supervisor with a favorable endorsement from the district
Ranger. Upon receipt of Patrick's resignation Ed and Lloyd developed a Request
for Proposals for a grant administrator. Personal contacts were made with
several potential candidates. Three proposals were received. Clarification
letters were sent to the responders, all providing excellent responses. The
candidate applications were thoroughly reviewed, and candidates interviewed via
email and telephone. Ed and Lloyd made a selection, noting the change in
expected support from Patrick pontes, and received concurrence on the selection
of Ken Delfino. a new contract was developed for Ken. Lloyd retrieved the
Chipper Day Committee materials from Gordon Ehmann and will provide a handoff to
Don Davis who has agreed to be our Chipper Day Committee chairman for next year.
The KRVFSC CWPP will be updated in December when the maps are available so that
the update can be referenced in the 2012 grant project proposal(s).
Treasurer's Report-Sharon Rooney
We received a $1,000 donation from the Paramount Farming Company.
Check for $112.50 was paid to Zephyr Associates, Inc. Check for $40.00 was
paid to USPS for annual box fee.
Fund Raising Committee-Lloyd Smith
A total of $3,235 has been donated so far during this calendar year. We
received a $1,000 through the Paramount Giving Group of Paramount Farming in
Bakersfield. The $3,235 so far compares to $3,594 received last year at this
time, and to the our 2010 budget of $4,500. We often get donations during
December each year.
Education Committee/Speaker's Bureau-Lloyd Smith and Ed Royce
The roadside sign messageboards were rotated by the USFS Whiskey Flat
Wildland fire Module, Crew 40. Chris Scott of Crew 40 has taken the lead on this
periodic project.
Ed, Debbie Santiago, and Nickie Washington visited the community of Valley
View on 21 October. We found some excellent defensible space work done around
many of the cabins, and Nickie pointed out where a Forest Service
"donut" project will provide a shaded fuel break around the community
on federal land. There is some chipping to be done. Ed, Debbie, and Nickie will
be doing a program on making their properties more resistant to loss from
wildland fire for Valley View property owners Saturday, December 11th, in
Mountain Mesa.
Website Committee-Ed Royce No action this month...
Grants Committee-Ed Royce
Grant Administrators: We will have two starting 1 January, 2011. Patrick
Pontes has agreed to continue to manage our 2010 and 2011 grant projects from
the state fire safe council. On 1 January, Ken Delfino will take over management
of the Forest Service Alta Sierra-Wofford Heights three-year project. Ken will
also prepare our proposal(s) for the 2012 state fire safe council grant cycle. A
contract has been signed with Ken for his services. Ken is to be paid by the
acres treated, rather than by the hour, plus payment for some startup efforts
and project completion efforts. Old Board members may recall that Ken was the
author of the Kennedy Meadows and Sequoia Crest CWPPs. Ken lives in Bakersfield,
which will make it easy for him to monitor project progress on a regular basis.
Collaboration Group: On 21 October the interagency collaboration group met
(1) to update the project listing in the Kern River Valley CWPP, and (2) to
prioritize projects for future grant applications by the KRVFSC. The meeting was
chaired by Scott Williams, and we thank the Forest Service for making Scott
available. Lloyd and Ed attended for the KRVFSC. Representatives from the USFS
(Scott, Nickie, Penelope) and BLM (Debbie) provided updated plans for the fuel
reduction work they plan on their federal land.
KCFD announced that because of the large backlog of maintenance work needed
on the Council's past projects, they would be unable to undertake any new fuel
reduction efforts in the 2012 grant cycle. For several years the council has
recognized this growing backlog. While in earlier days, the state FSC would not
support maintenance projects, that policy has now changed, and our current Burma
extension project has a large maintenance component. On the basis of these
developments, the collaboration group recommends that the Council submit a
single proposal in the 2012 cycle and that that project be solely for
maintenance work on projects originally funded by the state FSC. KCFD will meet
the large share of the 33-1/3% matching requirement. If this project is funded,
it is anticipated that KCFD will be in a position to support new fuel reduction
efforts in the 2013 cycle. The prioritization of potential such projects was not
changed from that done last year.
Action: Attached is a revised table of all projects completed or
planned in the KRV by all agencies, prepared by Scott Williams. With Board
approval, this table, along with revised maps, is to be included as the annual
update to the Kern River Vallely CWPP. The Board also needs to approve the
recommended 2012 project maintenance proposal.
2012 Proposal Workshop: Each year the state FSC provides workshops in
several locations in California. These all-day workshops explain how the grant
process works and provide detailed information on how to submit a proposal
specific to the new grant cycle. This year one of these workshops will be held
in Bakersfield at the BLM headquarters on Thursday, 13 January 2011. The
deadline for the submission of 2012 proposals will be 25 February, 2011, with
notification of results of the competition by 17 June, 2011.
Ongoing Projects: On the 2010 Burma Interagency Extension Project, the
crew has completed a total of about 28 acres of the 41 acre project. On the 2010
Bodfish III project, the crew has completed 5 to 6 acres. On our approved 2011
projects, Lake Isabella and Mountain Shadows, required project initiation
correspondence with the state FSC is ongoing. Crews have completed about 32
acres on the USFS Alta Sierra-Wofford Heights project. Patrick's detailed report
is attached.
As reported last month, we submitted a proposal for $6000 in funding to
support a Defensible Space Demonstration (Demonstration Lot) and Assistance for
Hardship Cases project. The proposal has been recommended for funding by the
local Forest Service Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) and the District Ranger.
We still have had no word on the final decision by the Sequoia Forest
Supervisor.
KERN RIVER VALLEY FIRE SAFE COUNCIL
GRANT STATUS UPDATE
November 11, 2010
Bodfish III Fuel Reduction Project
The project is moving along and there are 5 to 6 acres completed. Most of the
work can be seen from the road and the crew is doing an excellent job. One strip
of vegetation will remain in the center for riparian considerations.
The 4th Quarter Accomplishment Report was completed and submitted to CFSC. At
the end of the quarter, we completed $8,480 of Match toward our $11,190
commitment. Please continue to keep track of your "Match" meeting
hours and mileages for the December Quarterly Accomplishment Report.
Burma Interagency Extension Project
The crew has completed the Burma Extension North and approximately 2 acres on
Burma Extension South. Rogers Road has started and approximately 1 acre is
complete for a total of about 28 acres of the 41 acre project.
The 4rd Quarter Accomplishment Report was completed and submitted to CFSC. At
the end of the quarter, we completed $10,259 of Match toward our $9,790
commitment. Although we have met our Match, please continue to keep track of
your "Match" meeting hours and mileages for the December Quarterly
Accomplishment Report.
FS/KRVFSC Alta Sierra Grant- Altogether, there have been 32.3 acres of
fuels treatment completed. We received an Invoice for payment from KCFD and
Nickie has signed off on the work. A FSC Invoice was sent to the FS Billing
Center in Albuquerque.
2011 Grant Projects- We should receive Congratulations letters for our
projects at any time. When we receive the Sub-Award Letters and Contracts, they
need to be signed and dated by the President and returned to CFSC. We will also
need to submit Estimated Payment and Match schedules for each of our projects.
Once CFSC receives our signed contracts and schedules, the payment period
begins.
CFSC News/Update-- Grant funding available from the agencies for 2012
is undetermined at this time. The 2012 Application deadline is 2/25/11 midnight.
Letters of Commitment must be postmarked by the above date. Notification of
funding decisions will be by 6/17/11.
Cathy Brooke has scheduled the 2012 Grant Writing Workshop in Bakersfield on
Thursday January 13th. The workshop will be held in the Bakersfield BLM office
Conference Room from 0900 to 1400. Debbie is coordinating with Cathy on the
details….the meeting is designed to be a step-by-step process for new folks
writing Grant Proposals, CFSC expectations and pitfalls to avoid.
--Patrick G. Pontes Kern River Valley FSC, Grant Administrator
