KERN RIVER VALLEY FIRE SAFE COUNCIL

Kern River Valley Fire Safe Council Electronic Meeting September 16, 2010

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

President's Activities: Lloyd and Ed developed and submitted a grant proposal to the Resource Advisory Committee for Defensible Space Demonstration and Assistance for Hardship Cases for $6,000.

Nominations for the 2011 Board of Directors will be made at our November 18 meeting. Anyone can be a nominator--it is nominees that we need!

Treasurer's Report-Sharon Rooney

We received a $510 donation from AltaOne Federal Credit Union.

A check for $1,291.96 was paid to Alliant Insurance Services for our liability insurance.

Fund Raising Committee-Lloyd Smith

A total of $2,235 has been donated this calendar year. Received a contributions from Alta One ($510). Lloyd picked up the check and did photo op with Colleen Bulgarelli, Alta One manager in Lake Isabella (matching: 80 miles).

Education Committee/Speaker's Bureau-Lloyd Smith and Ed Royce

Lloyd gave presentation at the Kern River Valley Revitalization (KRVR) meeting on 1 September (matching: 80 miles and 2 hours).

Ed made a presentation covering all aspects of safety from wildland fire at the meeting of the local property owners association on 5 September. (MATCH (?): audience of 25 people for 20 minutes, plus the presenter)

Website Committee Report-Ed Royce. No activity. Update postponed until past minutes are available.

Grants Committee Report-Ed Royce

Patrick Pontis' detailed monthly report is attached. Briefly:

Work is under way on our 2010 Burma Extension and Bodfish III projects. The crew had completed about 20 acres at the north end of the 41 acre Burma project when the Bull Fire occurred. The fire burned many of the slash piles on the north end of the project, where fortuitously the fire first encountered the area planned for the fuel break. The fuel break was successfully used to help stop the fire, as described in a letter to the editor of the Sun on 8 September. Cathy Brooke's visit to the Bull fire site planned for early this month had to be postponed because of scheduling conflicts. The period of the 4th Quarter Accomplishment Report for these two projects ends September 30th. Patrick requests "match" meeting hours and mileages for the Quarterly Report. We have funds to pay for work on both projects and are waiting for a billing from KCFD.

Work is temporarily halted on our Forest Service Alta Sierra Project because crews are otherwise occupied. On August 19th, Nickie Washington, Don Brady, Derrick Davis and Patrick met to discuss and decide what documents need to accompany an invoice. Later that afternoon Nickie, Ed and Patrick visited the project area.

As previously reported, both of our 2011 fuel reduction project proposals (Lake Isabella and Mountain Shadows, aka Pala II) are to be funded. Patrick and Ed attended the state FSC mandatory workshop on how to manage grants in Santa Barbara on 25 August. Focus of the workshop was management of the 2011 grants, though other issues came up. There was a major emphasis on adhering to the terms of the rather lengthy "subaward letter," which is in effect the contract between us and the state FSC. Failure to do so could result in the withholding of grant funds and potentially other severe consequences. Patrick was able to clarify details regarding rescheduling chipper projects that are a part of the grants, how to count match hours, and other management issues, as detailed in his notes of the meeting, attached. (MATCH for Ed: 4 hours plus 500 miles)

The meeting date for the KRVFSC Collaborative Group to discuss and select projects for 2012 is scheduled for 21 October. Anyone having suggestions for projects should talk to Lloyd or Ed before then.

We supplied our DUNS & CCR numbers to the state FSC at their request.

Ed and Chris attended a meeting of the Forest Service "Kern and Tulare Counties Resource Advisory Committee" on 26 August (teleconference in Kernville of a meeting in Porterville). (MATCH (?): 2 hours each for Ed and Chris plus 200 mile for Ed) This committee will make recommendations to the Forest Service for the expenditure of funds for projects on federal lands or that affect federal lands. Kern County Supervisor McQuiston's aid Judy Hyatt and Ed's Tulare County Supervisor Mike Ennis are members of the committee. The deadline for the submission of project proposals for the first funding round is 16 September, with a later in-person presentation. The chairman stated that the group would like to support projects related to fire safety, but it appears that total funding available will be much too small to support any major fuel reduction project, such as the construction of a fuel break.

Lloyd and Ed have put together a $6000 proposal for the creation of defensible space demonstration lots on properties where the owners are physically and financially unable to do their own defensible space. KRVFSC would select the properties to be worked. Lloyd will be coordinating with the Forest Service and with KCFD, who would do the actual work. (Ed is also working with some Kennedy Meadows folk on two proposals dealing with Kern Plateau equestrian trails.)

KERN RIVER VALLEY FIRE SAFE COUNCIL

GRANT STATUS UPDATE

September 9, 2010

Bodfish III Fuel Reduction Project

The project has started but there is no acreage to report as of this date. There will only be two KCFD hand crews this year (Crew 81 and Crew 7), so work is being spread out throughout the county. Progress will be a little slower this year than in previous years.

The 4th Quarter Accomplishment Report period ends September 30th. Please continue to keep track of your "Match" meeting hours and mileages for the Quarterly Report.

Burma Interagency Extension Project

According to Derrick, the crew has completed about 20 acres of the 41 acre project. Fortunately, the Bull Fire burned many of the piles on the north end of the project. The fuelbreak was successfully used to help stop the Bull Fire.

The 4rd Quarter Accomplishment Report period ends September 30th. Again, please continue to keep track of your "Match" meeting hours and mileages for the Quarter Report.

FS/KRVFSC Alta Sierra Grant- Derrick reports the project is static at this time. We are expecting an Invoice from KCFD sometime this month. On August 19th, Nickie, Don, Derrick and Patrick met to discuss and decide what documents need to accompany an Invoice (notes provided). Later that afternoon Nickie, Ed and Patrick visited the project area.

2011 Grant Projects-

The Mandatory Workshop was well attended and there was new information shared. Attached to this update message, are my notes from the workshop. There were answers to a number of our questions that will benefit our Fire Safe Councils.

2012 Grant Proposals- Lloyd has scheduled October 21st as the meeting date for the KRVFSC Collaborative Group to discuss and select projects for 2012.

CFSC News/Update-- CFSC is requiring all FSCs to secure DUNS & CCR #'s before receiving federal funds. Fortunately, KRVFSC has already acquired these numbers.

--Patrick G. Pontes Kern River Valley FSC, Grants Administrator