Community signs off on wildfire plan

It’s official. After a year in preparation and 18 meetings, the Greater Sisters Country Community Wildfire Protection Plan is approved and in operation.

A signing ceremony and celebration were held on Tuesday, June 21 in the Sisters Village Green Park. County commissioners, fire agency representatives, and the public heard brief reports on the development of the plan and witnessed the signing of the plan by participating organizations.

The community fire plan is a coordinated effort to protect Sisters, surrounding subdivisions and major forest and scenic resources in the area from damage by wildfire. The plan was funded by the National Fire Plan following disastrous local wildfires of 2002 and 2003 that threatened many homes, destroyed some and caused several evacuations of residents.

Specific objectives of the plan are to protect human life and property, restore fire-adapted ecosystems, and to increase public understanding of living in the fire-prone Sisters area. Other objectives are to instill a sense of personal responsibility to prevent wildfires, increase the ability to prepare and respond to wildfires, and improve the ability of the landscape to withstand wildfire. The plan includes recommended actions for forest fuels reduction, building construction standards, and public education.

Chief Taylor Robertson of the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District (RFPD) opened the event by reading a letter of congratulations from Rep. Greg Walden. Walden praised the work of the agencies in drafting the plan. He was pleased that the Healthy Forests Restoration Act that he had helped introduce in Congress has provided funds for local forest fuels reduction and the writing of the plan.

Deschutes County Commissioners Dennis Luke and Mike Daly spoke as early supporters of the plan.

“Deschutes County was ahead of the curve when we were awarded a National Fire Plan grant to start addressing the serious threat of wildfires,” Luke said.

Mark Rapp representing the Forest Service and District Forester Bob Young of the Oregon Department of Forestry made brief comments showing their agencies’ work to reduce the risk and damage of wildfires.

Chris Hoff, Interagency Fire Management Officer and a representative of the Bureau of Land Management, described a five-year fuels reduction plan of Central Oregon fire agencies.

“Working alone, we cannot burn enough units on the ground to keep up with Mother Nature,” Hoff said. “The only solution is to work together.”

Black Butte Ranch RFPD Captain Brett Smith stated that during the 2002 Cache Mountain Fire, Black Butte residents “had an incredible wake-up call” that has helped his agency in gaining public support to improve conditions in that district. Cloverdale RFPD Fire Chief Charles “Chuck” Cable said that “the public can be assured that agencies are working together to face this challenge.”

Sisters City Manager Eileen Stein described her first summer in Sisters, realizing that the threat to Black Butte Ranch could happen to the City of Sisters. That concern led to discussions with Fire Chief Robertson and Sisters District Ranger Bill Anthony. From these discussions came the beginning of the coalition that worked on the community fire plan.

“I believe the people of Deschutes County are the exception, rather than the rule, as far as having the level of cooperation demonstrated by this plan,” Chief Robertson said. “All of our agencies are committed to making this a ‘living document,’ one that will bring us together every six months to review our progress.”

Robertson thanked the coordinator for the project, Marcus Kauffman of the Watershed Research and Training Center at the University of Oregon.