| Josephine County Committee |
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| Draft Findings |
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Maps of proposed Forestland-Urban Interface areas and their fire-risk classifications
Each map is in jpg format, 36 x 48 inches in size, and is approximately 7 MB. It is recommended that you right-click your computer's mouse and download the file to your hard disc.
Wolf Creek-Sunny Valley
North Josephine County -North Valley, Merlin, Hugo, Colonial Valley, Pottsville
Central Josephine County
Grants Pass
Murphy-Williams
Selma-Wonder
South Josephine County -Kerby, Cave Junction, O’Brien, Takilma
After March 3, copies of these maps will also be available for review at the ODF Grants Pass Unit office, 5375 Monument Drive.
Lists of proposed Forestland-Urban Interface properties
The links below are to lists of properties included in proposed forestland-urban interface areas. The fire-risk classification associated with each property is assigned to the forestland-urban interface area in which the property is located; all properties within an area share a common classification. The lists are in alphabetical order and may be searched by:
Landowner name list
Site address list
The information in the lists is identical.
Draft findings of the Josephine County Forestland-Urban Interface Classification Committee
DRAFT FINDINGS OF FACT
Whereas, the committee developed preliminary classification assignments during 20 public meetings of the committee, between April 2006 and January 2008, pursuant to ORS 477.031. These meetings were publicized in legal notices in “The Daily Courier” newspaper, in news releases, and on the Oregon Dept. of Forestry World Wide Web page for the Josephine County Forestland-Urban Interface Classification Committee.
Whereas, the committee determined that 19,649 tax lots (77,492 acres) in Josephine Countymeet the criteria to be classified as forestland-urban interface property, pursuant to ORS 477.031. These tax lots have been grouped into 187 forestland-urban interface areas. The committee made classification assignments to these properties as follows:
Classification
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Number of areas
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Number of lots
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Number of acres
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Moderate
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7
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173
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489
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High
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52
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4,903
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16,999
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Extreme
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128
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14,573
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60,004
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Totals
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187
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19,649
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77,492
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Whereas, the committee held eight informal public meetings in 2007. The locations and dates of these meetings were Cave Junction on May 29, Merlin on May 30, Wolf Creek on November 6, Murphy on November 8, Cave Junction on November 9, Jerome Prairie on November 13, Merlin on November 15, and the Josephine County Fairgrounds on November 20. The meetings provided the public an opportunity to review the preliminary classification assignments made up to that time, pursuant to ORS 477.017. More than 1,000 people attended these meetings.
Whereas, the criteria used by the committee for identifying forestland-urban interface properties to be classified were: that the properties must be within Josephine County, the properties must be within a forest protection district, the properties must meet the definition of “forestland” and the properties must meet the definition of “suburban” or “urban”, pursuant to OAR 629-044-1010.
Whereas, definitions of “forestland,” “suburban” and “urban,” and the definitions of other terms used by the committee, are set forth in ORS 477.001, ORS 477.015 and OAR 629-044-1005.
Whereas, the method for the assignment of classifications was for the committee to view digital maps projected on a wall or a screen, which was more practical than requiring committee members to perform field visits to all candidate lands. Josephine County, the Oregon Department of Forestry and other government agencies provided the information that was displayed. Information from the Josephine County Integrated Fire Plan was also incorporated. The digital maps, using the application ArcMap, were able to show lands that met the criteria of being forestland-urban interface properties. The digital information also enabled the committee to assign preliminary classifications, using topographic map layers to assign the Topographic Hazard Value; and aerial photos, showing vegetative cover, and digital information providing vegetation type data, to assign the Natural Vegetative Fuel Hazard Value. The third required factor, the Wildfire Weather Hazard Value, was drawn from the Wildfire Weather Hazard Value table in OAR 629-044-0230. In addition, the committee received professional opinions and perspectives from fire and forestry agency staff members. To determine clear boundaries and classification assignments, members of the committee were assigned specific regions of the county, after which their findings were reported to the committee at its next meeting.
DRAFT ORDER
The Josephine County Forestland-Urban Interface Classification Committee hereby finds, concludes, and orders:
1. Lands having a dominant vegetative cover of oak and grass, and a general slope rating of less than 25 percent were generally assigned a classification of “Moderate.”
2. Lands having a dominant vegetative cover of oak and grass, or conifer and brush, and a general slope rating greater than 25 percent were generally assigned a classification of “High.”
3. Lands having a dominant vegetative cover of conifer and brush, and a general slope rating greater than 25 percent, were generally assigned a classification of “Extreme.”
How to provide comment on the committee's proposed maps and findings
Pursuant to ORS 477.031 (3) and 477.052, notice is hereby given that public hearings of the Josephine County Forestland-Urban Interface Classification Committee will be held:
Tuesday, March 18, 6:30 p.m., at Fleming Middle School, 6001 Monument Drive
Wednesday, March 19, 6:30 p.m., at the Josephine County Fairgrounds, Floral Building
The hearing is an affected landowner’s opportunity to comment on the committee’s decisions about lands included in forestland-urban interface areas, and on the fire-risk classifications the committee assigned to those areas. However, landowners are not required to attend the hearing or to provide comment. Attendance is optional. Landowners who would like to attend a hearing and provide comment need only attend one of them.
After the hearings, the committee will review comment it receives and finalize its maps and findings, which will be filed with the Josephine County Clerk and the Oregon Board of Forestry. Property owners will then be mailed information by the Oregon Department of Forestry about how to protect homes against damage from wildfires.
Written comments may be submitted in lieu of oral comment. To ensure that written comment is received prior to the hearings, letters must be delivered to the address below by 4:30 p.m. on March 18:
JoCCC
c/o Oregon Dept. of Forestry
5375 Monument Dr.
Grants Pass, OR 97526
To ensure the broadest range of services to individuals with disabilities, persons with disabilities requiring special arrangements should contact 541-664-3328 at least two working days in advance.
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| About the Committee |
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The Josephine County Forestland-Urban Interface Classification Committee is tasked to classify areas within Josephine County that meet the criteria of forestland-urban interface lands, as described in the Oregon Forestland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Act of 1997. A forestland-urban interface area, as identified by the Oregon Legislature, is “a concentration of structures in an urban or suburban setting” that is “subject to increased [risk] of catastrophic damage by fire events.”
The committee is composed of five members. Three members are appointed by Josephine County, one by the state forester, and one by the state fire marshal. One of the county-appointed members is a landowner who lives in a forestland-urban interface area.
Josephine County Forestland-Urban Interface Classification Committee Members
Thomas Link, chairman (county appointee)
Thomas Atzet (county appointee)
William Gasow (county appointee)
Charles Chase (state fire marshal appointee)
Vince Pyle (state forester appointee)
Bruce Bartow (alternate, county appointee)
Charles Phenix (alternate, county appointee)
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| Meeting Schedule |
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| Meeting Date |
Time |
Location |
| April 4, 2006 |
9:00 a.m. |
ODF Grants Pass Unit, 5375 Monument Drive |
| April 17, 2006 |
1:00 p.m. |
Search & Rescue Bldg., 250 Tech Way [ minutes ] |
| May 15, 2006 |
1:00 p.m. |
Search & Rescue Bldg., 250 Tech Way [ minutes ] |
| June 12, 2006 |
1:00 p.m. |
Interagency Fire Center, 657 Flaming Rd. [ minutes ] |
| July 10, 2006 |
1:00 p.m. |
ODF Grants Pass Unit, 5375 Monument Drive [ minutes ] |
| August 7, 2006 |
1:00 p.m. |
Hillcrest Fire Station, 199 NW Hillcrest Drive, Grants Pass [ minutes ] |
| Sept 11, 2006 |
1:00 p.m. |
Search & Rescue Bldg., 250 Tech Way, Grants Pass [ minutes ] |
| Oct 16, 2006 |
1:00 p.m. |
Search & Rescue Bldg., 250 Tech Way, Grants Pass [ minutes ] |
| Nov. 14, 2006 |
1:00 p.m. |
Search & Rescue Bldg., 250 Tech Way, Grants Pass [ minutes ] |
| Dec. 4, 2006 |
10:00 a.m. |
ODF Grants Pass Unit, 5375 Monument Drive [ minutes ] |
| Jan. 8, 2007 |
10:00 a.m. |
ODF Grants Pass Unit, 5375 Monument Drive [ minutes ] |
| Feb. 5, 2007 |
10:00 a.m. |
ODF Grants Pass Unit, 5375 Monument Drive [ minutes ] |
| March 2, 2007 |
10:00 a.m. |
ODF Grants Pass Unit, 5375 Monument Drive [ minutes ] |
| March 30, 2007 |
10:00 a.m. |
ODF Grants Pass Unit, 5375 Monument Drive [ minutes ] |
| April 16, 2007 |
10:00 a.m. |
ODF Grants Pass Unit, 5375 Monument Drive [ minutes ] |
| May 8, 2007 |
1:00 p.m. |
ODF Grants Pass Unit, 5375 Monument Drive [ minutes ] |
| Oct. 15, 2007 |
1:00 p.m. |
Interagency., 2164 NE Spalding Ave, Grants Pass [ minutes ] |
| Nov. 20, 2007 |
10:00 a.m. |
Interagency Bldg., 2164 NE Spalding Ave, Grants Pass [ minutes ] |
| Dec. 11, 2007 |
10:00 a.m. |
Interagency Bldg., 2164 NE Spalding Ave, Grants Pass [ minutes ] |
| Jan. 14, 2008 |
10:00 a.m. |
Interagency Bldg., 2164 NE Spalding Ave, Grants Pass [ minutes, letter result list ] |
| March 18, 2008 |
6:30 p.m. |
Hearing: Fleming Middle School, 6001 Monument Drive |
| March 19. 2008 |
6:30 p.m. |
Hearing: Josephine County Fairgrounds, Floral Bldg. |
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