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CLOUDY Temp: 38 °F Wind: ENE at 4 mph Saturday, December 21, 2002 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 December 11, 2002 Homeowners offered aid for fire-prevention efforts By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune Rural homeowners in Jackson and Josephine counties threatened by last summer’s wildfires should begin preparing defenses now for the next fire season, said Dennis Turco. And the Oregon Department of Forestry fire prevention specialist offers a financial incentive: $330 a residence. The department’s Southwest District has received a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management as part of the National Fire Plan’s ongoing goal of increasing rural home protection. Under the program, residents can apply for cost-share incentives of up to $330 to thin vegetation on an acre of land immediately surrounding their homes. "When we start talking about a fuel break or fire break, people have this vision of a moonscape," he said. "But that’s not the case at all." Instead, the department recommends removing dead vegetation, thinning brush and small trees and cutting low-hanging limbs from larger trees. "We try to balance hazard reduction with forest health," Turco said, adding that removing too much material can cause erosion as well as the fast growth of fire-friendly weeds and brush. An acre is roughly 100 feet in all directions from an average-size house, he estimated. The work can be done by homeowners or contracted out. If circumstances around the home or driveway require a larger safety zone, such as a steep hillside covered with vegetation, up to an additional 4 acres may qualify for the grant, Turco said. In addition to reducing the threat of wildfire to the home, the work would provide escape routes and access for firefighters and equipment, he said. The combined effort by rural residents also would likely affect the behavior of an approaching wildfire, potentially reducing its momentum, he indicated. Since National Fire Plan grants began being distributed in the two counties two years ago, the district has received about $2 million to reduce wildfire threats to rural homes. The funding has been distributed in more than two dozen programs through non-profit groups like the Friends of Green Springs, Applegate Partnership and the Illinois Valley Forest Action Committee. About 1,400 rural homes have been treated in the two counties. "Some people ask why the federal government would provide money to work around homes," he said. "But if enough people do this, we would spend less money fighting wildfires around homes. They would be easier to control." Since some wildfires also start as structure fires, it would also help knock out wildfires before they begin to spread, he added. "This is the time of year to do the work," Turco stressed, noting there are no restrictions on equipment now. During high fire danger, the use of many tools is prohibited. For more information, contact the ODF office in Central Point at 664-3328 or the Grants Pass office at 474-3152. A department representative will meet with a homeowner to design a hazard reduction plan tailored for the residence. When the work is completed, the representative will return to verify it before completing the paperwork for a cost-share reimbursement. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] 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