Consideration and Approval of Contract:  Master Participating Agreement between the City of Flagstaff and the USDA, Forest Service, Coconino National Forest

The work of the FWPP is facilitated by a Master Participating Agreement (MPA).  The original MPA is expiring and needs to be renewed through Council action.  Renewal allows the continuation of the cooperative implementation of approved projects to meet mutual goals, using both City and U.S. Forest Service resources, as well as for the collection of City funds, as needed and approved, in support of the jointly-identified and prioritized FWPP projects.

This Agreement by itself does not bind the City to any financial obligations.  It does, however, provide the mechanism whereby associated Supplemental Project Agreements (SPAs) can be developed, considered, and acted upon.  These SPAs would obligate FWPP bond funds to implement mutually agreed-upon activities on US Forest Service (Coconino National Forest) lands in support of the goals of the FWPP.

COUNCIL GOALS: Forest Treatments . . . 
Climate Change:  improve/maintain forest ecosystems and positions them to better withstand change-agents such as climate change.  The work on Observatory Mesa and elsewhere is science-based and a climate action-plan in operation.
Water Conservation: preserve water sources and prevent long-term damage to critical watersheds.
Environmental and Natural Resources:  protect and sustain our natural environment, reducing catastrophic fire and post-fire flooding events and insect infestations, preserving valuable wildlife habitat, allowing for recreational ventures and business operations,  and maintaining community well-being (to include public safety - first responders, residents, and visitors).
Community Outreach:  demonstrate the need for, and solutions to, our forest health crisis, allowing us to showcase work, conduct field tours, and encourage residents to take action to protect their neighborhood, property, and home.  
Town and Gown:  permit us to attract students to a working outdoor laboratory to conduct studies, gather information, interact with the public, and support our efforts while furthering their education and experience.

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 fire-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.  Council did, however, approve the 1st MPA.  In addition, Council was engaged in the bond issue when it was approved to be presented to the voters (summer 2012), has approved other grant awards and contracts related to FWPP, and has been kept updated on issues throughout the overall effort.

Two exist:
 

1. Approve the Agreement, permitting FWPP-related forest treatment work on US Forest Service (Coconino National Forest) lands to proceed as planned.  This permits full-use of the voter-approved bond and addresses destructive wildfire and post-fire impacts within the targeted areas.
2. Pass/Reject the Agreement.  This leaves the site vulnerable to damage/loss and voter desire/direction as identified in the passage of the bond (74% approval) unfulfilled.

Damage and loss of our forests from destructive wildfire are ever-present threats to our community, followed inevitably by post-fire flooding impacts.  Areas that have undergone proactive forest treatments (ie – thinning, debris disposal, and/or prescribed/managed fire) are not only healthier and more resilient to fire, but also provide a barrier to the spread of unwanted fire that becomes established elsewhere.  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) shows what can happen when such treatments are not in-place.

The US Forest Service areas within the FWPP area (Dry Lake Hills and Mormon Mtn) and the forest treatments that are planned, and that have occurred, were presented during the bond campaign leading-up to the election, as part of the overall goal, area, and effort that would occur with passage of the measure.   Regardless of location or casual factor, unwanted wildfires in these areas present a challenge due to access, lack of on-site water supply, adjacent neighborhoods, and other factors.  Completion of forest treatments have proven highly effective in reducing occurrence and severity of wildfire and post-fire flood events. 

The $10M FWPP bond is best viewed as an investment to mitigate/prevent the inevitable costs of serious fire(s) within the watershed areas.  The 2010 Schultz Fire immediately east of the project site dramatically showcased the cost of both suppression and recovery (app $10M, follwed by $135M, respectively).  In 2013, the Rural Policy Institute at NAU's Franke School of Business reported that a similar fire within the FWPP footprint would be a $550M-$1.2B impact to the City.

Green resilient forests, safety from unwanted wildfire and post-fire flooding, protection of our water supply, and overall community well-being are the goals.  Multiple partners (Coconino National Forest, AZ Dept of Forestry and Fire Management, Coconino County, the Nature Conservancy, American Conservation Experience, NAU's Schood fo Forestry and Ecological Restoration Institute, AZ Game & Fish, US Fish & Wildlife Service) have been engaged in the  FWPP effort since its inception, and these partnership efforts have continued throughout completed and planned work.   Approval of this Agreement, and the forest treatment work which will result, will protect adjacent neighborhoods, recreational opportunities, and wildlife habitat, while promoting forest health and long-term sustainability.

Inform – Following the 50 campaign events leading up to the bond election (Nov 2012), we have continued to work at keeping the community informed of what we are doing, and why.  The Project website (www.flagstaffwatershedprotection.org) is one way: numerous news stories have also been crafted and/or otherwise reported.  Impromptu and announced field trips have been conducted, most recently during the public Harvesting Workshop: stakeholder members, city staff, and Council members have also been provided tours.  City staff has interacted with numerous individuals hiking, running, or biking through the area, as well as with other community members interested in the work.  Information boards have established, and continue to be maintained, where the Urban Trail crosses the site and where roads enter the parcel. 
 
Consult – We’ve worked with both AZ Game & Fish and US Fish & Wildlife Service to protect habitat and with adjacent neighborhoods and stakeholder groups regarding access and use of the land. 
 
Involve – Following treatment work on other FWPP sites, both the public and the Winter Wood For Warmth program have been engaged in removing firewood for use and distribution to area/regional residents.  A few individuals who have raised issues about the work have been engaged directly by staff from NAU’s Ecological Restoration Institute to provide context and a more complete understanding of the need, and the work, itself.  Other City Staff, including those from Sustainability and Stormwater, have also been engaged.  Community members have also been hired as seasonal Fire Dept crew members and have been engaged in conducting some of the work itself. 
 
Empower – 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 undertaken as a result of this Agreement is based upon 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), 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), is consistent with the required actions identified in both the initial and final Observatory Mesa Forest Stewardship Plan (2013 and 2015, respectfully) and both the Four Forests Restoration Initiative's and the Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project's Final Records of Decision (USFS - 2015).