Wildfire Survey Results Exceed Expectations

Thanks to Jackson/Josephine County Title III funding, the Rogue Valley Fire Prevention Cooperative (RVFPC) was able to conduct a public opinion survey on wildfire this spring in the Applegate Valley, the Seven Basins area, the Greensprings and Ashland’s Wildfire Hazard Zone. This was a mail-in survey, and the RVFPC partnered with the Southern Oregon University’s (SOU) Research Center to implement the survey and help us analyze the results.

We would like to thank everyone who filled out and returned our survey, because we had record-breaking return rates, ranging from 32% to 59% across the four communities!

Such a strong response by wildland-urban interface residents in these communities tells us a couple of things – that wildfire is something that people in the Rogue Basin know and care about, and that our past decade of outreach and education about wildfire has been successful. Because we reached such a large percentage of residents, our data is more reliable for planning future outreach and education efforts.

So, what exactly did we ask in the survey, and what did we find out? To begin, the majority of folks responding to the survey have lived in Southern Oregon for over 20 years. Do they personally think their homes are at risk from wildfire? Responses across the four communities that we surveyed ranged from 51-74% in the affirmative. However, only 1-12% of respondents in these four communities had ever been evacuated due to a wildfire.

Of note was that 92-98% of the respondents agreed that private landowners have a responsibility to reduce fire hazards on their own land. But, have they done so? Overwhelmingly, YES! More than 93% of respondents said they have completed defensible space around their homes, and over 88% of those responding said they are also maintaining their defensible space! This is making our local fire agencies very happy. And because we also addressed other social and environmental issues in this 5-page survey, land managers and county planners are also reviewing our results.

The complete report of the survey results, along with copies of the surveys that were mailed out, is posted on the Rogue Valley Fire Prevention Cooperative’s web page at www.rvfpc.com.

Forest Biomass Work Group Meets in Salem Aug. 22

A workgroup of representatives from state and federal government, forest industries, renewable energy development and the environmental community will meet in Salem on August 22 to talk about the role of Oregon’s forests in providing energy production from wood.

The Forest Biomass Work Group will meet on Monday August 22 at 10:00 a.m. in the Administration Building (Tillamook meeting room) of the Oregon Department of Forestry complex, 2600 State Street in Salem. Time is provided in the agenda for a working lunch - participants may bring their own lunch or contribute money towards a shared lunch. Members of the public attending the meeting are encouraged to bring a lunch.

The proposed agenda for the meeting includes discussion about emerging opportunities for development of aviation biofuels markets in the Pacific Northwest, updates from topic-area work teams, and discussion about development of a Woody Biomass Rural Development Strategy for Oregon.

Members of the public are invited to participate in the meeting. The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities. Requests for an interpreter for the hearing impaired or other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. Questions about accessibility or special accommodations for the meeting can be directed to the Oregon Department of Forestry at (503) 945-7427.

Forest biomass is a renewable source of energy, as wood biomass is generated as a by-product of active forest management. Additional information about the Oregon Department of Forestry is available on ODF’s web site.

Fire Season Regulation Reminders

The Oregon Dept. of Forestry has received several phone calls recently about people using chain saws after 1 p.m. Fire prevention regulations now in effect in Jackson and Josephine counties require that chain saws and other power-driven equipment not be used between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m.

A wildfire caused by chain saws or other power-driven equipment, such as brush cutters, may result in the user or landowner being billed for fire suppression costs.

For a complete list of fire prevention regulations currently in effect, see www.swofire.oregon.gov, or call your local Oregon Dept. of Forestry office.