Consideration and Approval of Interagency Agreement:  Camp Navajo Prescribed Wildland Fire Project 

The City has a long history of assisting Camp Navajo regarding prescribed fire projects on the facility, to include the most-recent five-year agreement (with extension) completed March 31st 2016,   All previous agreements, like the one now proposed, are on a full-reimbursement basis. As a serious wildfire on the facility has in the past, and will in the future, involve city resources, it is in our best interest to engage in a proactive partnership with the State to reduce the wildfire threat and improve responder/public safety on the facility during a fire event. 

All city costs incurred to implement any prescribed burn operation under this Agreement are fully-reimbursed by the State: there is no city match (in-kind or cash) required.

COUNCIL GOALS:
3) Provide sustainable and equitable public facilities, services, and infrastructure systems in an efficient and effective manner to serve all population areas and demographics
7) Address key issues and processes related to the implementation of the Regional Plan
11) Ensure that we are as prepared as possible for extreme weather events.
 
REGIONAL PLAN:
Environmental Planning & Conservation – Vision for the Future:  In 2013, the long-term health and viability of our natural resource environment is maintained through strategic planning for resource conservation and protection.
Policy E&C.3.3 – Invest in forest health and watershed protection measures.
Policy E&C.6.1 – Encourage public awareness that the region’s ponderosa pine forest is a fie-dependent ecosystem and strive to restore more natural and sustainable forest composition, structure, and processes.
Policy E&C.6.3 – Promote protection, conservation, and ecological restoration of the region’s diverse ecosystem type and associated animals.
Policy E&C.6.6 – Support collaborative efforts for forest health initiatives or practices, such as the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI), to support healthy forests and protect our water system.
Policy E&C.10.2 – Protect, conserve, and when possible, enhance and restore wildlife habitat on public land.

Not on this specific agreement/award.  Council did, however, approve the previous five-year agreement with ADEM for this same service at Camp Navajo in 2010.    

Two exist:

1. Approve the Agreement, permitting city-managed prescribed fire operations to occur on the facility on a fully-reimbursable basis. 
3. Reject the Agreement, thereby fostering a situation where the implementation of this much-needed, and highly beneficial, work may not occur. 

Damage and loss of our forests from destructive wildfire and insect infestations are ever-present threats to our community.  Areas that have undergone proactive forest treatments (ie – thinning, debris disposal, and/or prescribed/managed fire) are not only healthier and more resilient to damaging agents, they also provide a barrier to the spread of these agents once they do become established.  Such treated areas enhance public safety, ensure infrastructure protection, and safe-guard community well-being.   Within our community and immediate area, the Woody Fire (2005), Hardy Fire (2010), and Slide Fire (2014) dramatically demonstrate the value of these treatments: the Schultz Fire (2010) and the Engineer Fire (Camp Navajo - 2011) show what can happen when such treatments are not in-place.

Serious wildfires on any jurisdiction in the greater Flagstaff area can-and-will impact our community.  Implementation of prescribed fire operations has proven highly effective in reducing occurrence and severity of these events.  In addition, Camp Navajo is an important economic entity in our area, and ensuring that its mission continues unaffected by destructive wildfire is highly important. 

Every Purchase Order (PO) issued by the State to support specific prescribed burn operations will be costed-out by city staff to allow for full-reimbursement for any-and-all expenses incurred in implementing that particular burn operation.  The State has currently issued a $33,000 PO to cover expenses incurred for any pile burn operations between approval of this Agreement and Dec 31st, 2016.  Beginning Jan 2017, and continuing each year until the termination of the Agreement, a new PO will be issued to cover any expenses related to any prescribed burn operations conducted on the facility in that year.  

Camp Navajo Natural Resource staff employ numerous partnerships to plan, implement, and monitor forest treatment work on the facility.  In addition to ourselves, these include AZ Game & Fish Department, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Greater Flagstaff Forests Partnership, and the NAU Ecological Restoration Institute.  Completion of past, on-going, and future forest treatment work on the facility expands the work being undertaken by others in the greater Flagstaff area to protect  communities, recreational opportunities, and wildlife habitat, while promoting forest resiliency and sustainability.

Consult & Involve – We’ve been engaged with Camp Navajo staff on their forest treatment activities for over a decade.  This Agreement allows that relationship to continue in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of all prescribed fire operations.  

Collaborate – The planned forest treatments are part of a larger effort underway in our area and throughout northern AZ.  We and our many partners have been engaged for nearly two decades in this work, on various jurisdictions and site conditions, and have utilized a variety of prescriptions and approaches to ensure we have a full-suite of treatments across the greater landscape.  The work to be completed as a result of this Agreement is based upon credible and proven science-based forest restoration and hazard fuel management standards and knowledge.  It adheres to guidelines established in the Greater Flagstaff Area Community Wildfire Protection Plan (City & County - 2005, updated 2012), is consistent with forest treatments designed and implemented by the Greater Flagstaff Forests Partnership (1999-present) and the City of Flagstaff Wildland Fire Management program (1998-present), meets the goals of the State of AZ 20-Year Strategy (2007), and is consistent with both the Four Forests Restoration Initiative's and the Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project's Final Records of Decision (USFS - 2015).  

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