Fire assistance grants available for fuels reduction projects

CARSON CITY, Nev.–Fire season is coming upon us and the thought on the minds of many homeowners is, “Would my home survive?”

The Nevada Division of Forestry is seeking applications for the 2009 Wildland Urban Interface grant program’s state fire assistance grants. There is about $1 million available for projects statewide. The purpose of this funding is to mitigate risk of wild fires in wildland-urban interface areas.

Funds can be used for costs associated with implementing on-the-ground hazardous fuels reduction projects, information and education relating to wildland-urban-interface and homeowner and community action projects. Projects must be implemented on state and/or private lands located in Nevada. Projects on federal lands are not eligible.

Applications must be submitted on the approved form available on the Nevada Division of Forestry Web site. The site also contains a more detailed description of the criteria and instructions for eligibility and the scoring criteria that will be used to rank applications.

Applications must be received by the Nevada Division of Forestry no later than 5 p.m. March 27, 2009. Late, incomplete, faxed or electronic applications will not be accepted.

For more information, contact Kacey KC at (775) 684-2511.

Two-Day Burn Project in Little Valley

Nevada Division of Forestry winter fuels treatment project in the Sierras.

Click here for a slideshow.

During a two-day burn in Little Valley, just west of Washoe Valley, the Nevada Division of Forestry conducted a controlled burn of wood piles from previously thinned forest lands. The NDF helicopter inserted two 12 person crews one day and 130 piles were burned. On day two the helicopter inserted three 12 person crews and 250 piles were burned. A total of 380 piles burned, an effort which helps enhance forest health in the Sierras.

Nevada State Forester selected to co-lead Western Forestry Leadership Coalition

 

Pete Anderson, Nevada State Forester

DENVER — Nevada State Forester Pete Anderson was selected this month to serve as co-leader of the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition (WFLC), an organization that promotes science-based forest management.

“The WFLC is a critically important partnership, one that acknowledges our issues across boundaries and landscapes,” Anderson said.

Anderson also leads the Council of Western State Foresters. Established in 1988, the Council of Western State Foresters is a nonpartisan organization of state, territorial, and commonwealth foresters of the western US and Pacific Islands.

The CWSF works closely with the WFLC, which has its origins in the USFS State and Private Forestry Programs that provide technical and financial assistance to landowners and resource managers to help sustain the nation’s private and public forests and protect communities and the environment from devastating wildland fires.

Agencies lifting western Nevada fire restrictions October 6

The Bureau of Land Management, the Carson and Bridgeport Ranger Districts of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and the Nevada Division of Forestry announced today the lifting of western Nevada fire restrictions that have been in place since July 1, 2008.

Restrictions will expire at 12:01a.m., October 6, 2008. Southern Nevada fire restrictions were lifted effective today.

Decreasing daily sunlight, increased fuel moisture levels and cooler temperatures are allowing the agencies to lift fire restrictions. Vegetation remains flammable, though, even though cooler weather is approaching. 

Campers wishing to build campfires on Carson and Bridgeport Ranger Districts of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest must have a campfire permit.

Recreationists still need to be fire safe with all outdoor activities, including insuring that their campfires are completely put out. Target practice, riding motorcycles/ATVs without a spark arrester and careless smoking can all cause unwanted wildfires. The use of propane stoves versus campfires and charcoal grill fires is preferred in these dry conditions.

Open burning on private land still requires a permit from local fire departments.

For more information, please contact the BLM-Carson City Field Office at 775-885-6000, the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest at 775-882-2766 or the Nevada Division of Forestry at 775-684-2500.