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CLEAR Temp: 51 °F Wind: E at 11 mph Thursday, February 6, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend January 26, 2003 Owners of fire-prone lands face state heat Regulations require removal of fuels to curb wildfire spread By TONY BOOM Mail Tribune ASHLAND — Homeowners on Ashland Mine Road, upper Tolman Creek Road and Timberlake Drive will be on notice soon — they have two years to prepare their land for fire prevention or face fines up to $100,000 if a wildfire spreads because of their lack of action. The new state rules apply to properties in the forested edges of urban areas — like the land above Ashland — and similar lands throughout Jackson County. A state official estimates up to 20,000 parcels in Jackson County will be affected. Oregon’s State Board of Forestry adopted the rules in September to implement Senate Bill 360, 1997 legislation designed to reduce the spread of wildfires. "Most of this act is about how to ... make an environment less friendly to fire," said Brian Ballou, public information officer with the Oregon Department of Forestry. "A lot of focus will be on fine fuels, needles and leaves. We’re not looking to get very heavy-handed on thinning trees or into structural modifications." Local committees have met since 1998 to help develop the regulations, and there have been public hearings. Jackson and Deschutes counties are the first in the state to fall under the rules. A Land Classification Committee was appointed this month. "Five people will be making the classifications of who’s going to be in the wildland urban interface," said Ballou. "Then there will be public hearings." Jackson County commissioners appointed Bill Rose, Reeve Hennion and Mike Mattson to the committee. Hennion and Rose live in interface areas. Mattson is a county planner. The state fire marshal named Lou Gugliotta, Fire District 3 fire marshal, to the committee. ODF has appointed forester Dan Thorpe of ODF’s Medford unit. "Since most of the actual mapping is using existing (data) it shouldn’t take that long," said Ballou. Information from the county and ODF will be merged. "With the fires we’ve had the past couple of years there’s been a lot of interest," said Hennion, who lives in the Applegate. Many people may already satisfy the requirements if they’ve followed recommendations in the Applegate Fire Plan, he said. Property owners themselves may certify that they have met the requirements. Accredited assessors also may be used. Certification will be good for five years. Questions about the credibility of self-certification arose during public hearings and committee work. "ODF won’t second-guess. There’s just no way to do it," said Ballou. "If you certify, we’ll take your word for it. We can’t say you didn’t do it by looking at stumps (after a fire)." Certification would remove owners from responsibility under the act. But it doesn’t eliminate liability under other rules that cover negligence or malicious intent, said Ballou. Certification could be retracted if, for example, a neighbor thought the property didn’t comply and ODF agreed, said Ballou. ODF will maintain compliance records. Ballou estimated between 15,000 and 20,000 parcels of land in Jackson County will be included. Covered lands in Jackson County will fall under several fire danger classifications. Fuel break requirements around buildings will range from 30 to 100 feet, with the higher amounts required for homes with wood shake roofs. The top category, high-density extreme lands, will need additional fuel breaks. Reach Ashland bureau reporter Tony Boom at 482-4651, or e-mail [email protected] ODF plans training for fire assessors Accredited assessors will be available for landowners who don’t want to self-certify that their property meets fire prevention standards required under new state rules. Assessors will be trained by Oregon Department of Forestry to conduct the work, said spokesman Brian Ballou. There will be three categories of assessors. Private, licensed landscape or building contractors will be able to make the assessments. Homeowners would pay them for the service. Fire district representatives will perform the work at no cost to individuals who live with district boundaries. Members of homeowner or property owner associations also could do the assessments. "The idea is to primarily get a common plan drawn up for an entire development," said Ballou. Alternative plans that might work better for a development could be proposed in place of hard-and-fast rules for each home. Assessors would need to have two years’ experience in wildland firefighting or fire prevention work. A one-day workshop will probably provide the training, said Ballou. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S