KERN RIVER VALLEY FIRE SAFE COUNCIL

Kern River Valley Fire Safe Council Electronic Meeting

Attendance: Lloyd Smith, Ed Royce, Sharon Rooney, Christine Hancock, Gordon Hancock, Chris Horgan, and Kimberley Cushman

President's Activities: Our grant proposal to the Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) for Defensible Space Demonstration and Assistance for Hardship Cases for $6,000 has been approved by the Sequoia Forest Supervisor. I have initiated the cooperative agreement paperwork required for award.

• We received a signed contract from Ken Delfino as our new grant administrator.

• Chipper Day Committee materials were delivered 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).

• Nominations. The following nominees for the 2011 Board of Directors were made at our 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. I sent 2010 committee goals and objectives to new candidates Terry Bolt and Tom Gelder. 

• Meetings

1. I reserved Supervisor McQuiston's conference room for our 2011 meeting cycle.

2. The next stakeholders meeting will be Thursday, 17 February 2011, 0930 to 1130 in Supervisor McQuiston's conference room. The first stakeholder's meeting of the new year will be 17 February.

Treasurer's Report-Sharon Rooney

Check for $3,990.00 was paid to Patrick Pontes for the USDA Forest Service Grant.

I will be sending 1099 to Patrick Pontes for monies paid to him in 2010 as our Grant Administrator.

Fund Raising Committee-Lloyd Smith

A total of $3,235 has been donated so far during this calendar year. We received no contributions this period.

Education Committee/Speaker's Bureau-Ed Royce

On 11 December, Ed and Nickie Washington made a presentation on how to make their homes fire safe to members of the community of Valley View. Since our visit in October, the community has had all of their slash accumulation burned (unclear whether it was by USFS or KCFD). Nickie believes there is need for a major fuel reduction project on the undeveloped private property in the lower part of the community inside and adjacent to the USFS project donut. Ed explained the realities of the funding cycle for projects under the state FSC. The community may seek funding under the RAC process for a part of the work. We will need to stay involved.

At the Kern FSC meeting (Ed attended for Lloyd), Ed raised the issue of funding to support printing and distribution of a 2011 edition of "Living with Fire." Don Brady stated that KCFD would have no funds for the purpose. Don took an action to explore external funding sources, possibly for a county-wide edition carrying advertising.

Website Committee Report-Ed Royce No activity

Grants Committee Report-Ed Royce

Ongoing 2010 Projects: On the 2010 Burma Interagency Extension Project, the crew has completed a total of about 28 acres of the 41 acre project. Remaining acres are mainly restoration work on Rogers Road. On the 2010 Bodfish III project, the crew has completed about 6 acres. Crews have completed about 32 acres on the USFS Alta Sierra-Wofford Heights project, all cleanup in the timber sale area.

2011 Projects: As of the reporting date, on our approved 2011 projects, Lake Isabella and Mountain Shadows, we were awaiting project initiation correspondence with the state FSC. (Since then we have received and Lloyd has signed off on the "subaward letter," which is our contract to proceed.)

At the Kern FSC meeting on the 15th, Derrick Davis (newly promoted to Captain Davis) reported that the Mountain Shadows project could not go forward as planned because the new owner of a majority of the land involved was unwilling to sign the "license to enter" required to permit the work. Derrick proposed a relocation of the project to adjacent land -- which would still provide protection for the Mountain Shadows community. Ed, Patrick, and Don Brady gave preliminary approval of the relocation, based on a preliminary map that Derrick showed. (Since then the state FSC (Cathy Brooke) has be notified that there is a problem, and appropriate revised maps and a rationale for the change have been prepared for submission to the FSC.)

2012 Proposals: Because of uncertainties with the federal budget, workshops for preparation of 2012 proposals have been temporarily postponed, and the deadline for submission of proposals has been postponed to 1 April 2011.

Other: At the Kern FSC meeting, Don Brady said that KCFD would support our $6000 Defensible Space Demonstration (Demonstration Lot) and Assistance for Hardship Cases project.