Minutes - Environmental Policy Board - 04/03/2006

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sought assistance from Community Development Dept seeking a DNR FIREWISE grant. Fifteen 5 acre lots and one park in 80 acre Traprock Subdivision received an early award. Environmental Specialist Bacon explained that the program was first focused on small communities in Idaho or Montana that are nestled in pine forests. He noted they have a formula for allocating this money geographically. He stated that national legislation founded this program. In Minnesota it is administered by the Department of Natural Resources. He noted their first approach is to manage this through GIS analysis and aerial data. Like most programs it is understaffed and one way to get around staffing problems is with partnership strategies to try to get people involved'at local level to make it interactive. Environmental Specialist Bacon noted that the model for FIREWISE gets local representatives to bring the people at risk to act together. He stated it is difficult to do management practices if there is checkerboard of participants. He stated that 13 out of 15 homeowners in Traprock Commons were involved to manage 50% of the pine cover in that area. He stated that materials were collected at different sites and exported to St. Paul for their heating plant and the grant paid for some of the DNR time but the different wood cleanup practices presented problems such as liability insurance issues and other complications. He noted that the grant is there to get the homeowners to participate in the program. Environmental Specialist Bacon stated that the organizing of it wasn't going very fast because it took a long time to find a logger since the scotch pine had little value for resale per cord. He stated this program isn't there for homeowners to make money. He stated that people need to participate in the marketing so they aren't surprised at the outcome. Environmental Specialist Bacon stated that a neighborhood contacted the City regarding Norway Pine plantation with 60 ft. trees that are over 40-50 years old. He stated the cost to hire people was prohibitive. He stated there are risks to live in a dry pine plantation because the embers travel in a fire. He stated that nothing has happened yet with the program but this is an example that was politically made viable for smaller acreages in order to support the funding from the Federal level. Environmental Specialist Bacon stated that the FIREWISE Program could be used as an incentive program within the City. He stated that the rub is that some people don't participate, so the risk goes up for the neighbors. He stated that approximately 600 acres in Ramsey might qualify and benefit from this program. He noted that there aren't many programs that do provide an incentive to do something for homeowners. Environmental Specialist Bacon likened it to the Oak Wilt program. He noted that there is a provision in the Farm Service bill that doesn't depend on having a crop history. He stated that organic and small farmers are supportive of it because most of the Conservation Reserve Program and Wildlife Habitat Conservation service programs all depend on having a crop history for one of the commodities, which doesn't bear on any homeowner. Environmental Policy Board/April 3, 2006 Page 8 of 10