This week's report. . . .

Today we received the report from the State Auditor's Office on our Single Federal Audit for 2009.  This audit was required because we expended more than $500,000 in 2009.  The audit report states an "unqualified opinion".  Although it doesn't really sound like it, that's a good outcome for the audit.  It means that no "significant deficiencies" or "material weaknesses" were found.  If you'd like to read the report and see the Schedule of Federal Awards (federal grants to the KCCD) for 2009, click on the link below.
KCCD 2009 Single Federal Audit Report

We tried out the NYCD chipping crew on one of our firewise projects this week.  The crew worked in the Wagon Wheel area of the Middle Fork Teanaway.  They hauled about 20 yards of chips to a storage area where we can access them for our riparian planting projects.

The WCC crew feeding the chipper. . . it has the capacity for 12" diameter materials!

The rock weirs at the Keach-Jensen Diversion are as complete as they can be until the outside wall of the fish screen facility is poured.  Next week will be the beginning of excavation for the facility.  The first major pour is scheduled for early October.

Mike Garello (HDR), Don Shriner (KCCD), Brent Renfrow (WDFW) and Brandon Drexler (Belsaas & Smith) were on site today checking the elevations of the weirs that have been constructed so far.

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Wagon Wheel Workshop

KCCD staff worked with residents of Wagon Wheel community (near the Middle Fork Teanaway River) on Saturday to host a Firewise workshop.  Our consulting forester, Thembi Borras discussed Firewise practices and followed the workshop with individual home assessments for some landowners. A crew from Fire District No. 7 attended and helped with the presentation as well.

Thembi Borras (standing on far left) talks with a Wagon Wheel landowners. Thembi has already assessed a number of lots in the area (prior to Saturday's workshop) and as a result of the workshop, has requests to assess 10 more.

The fire crew from Fire District No. 7 brought their truck and spoke to the landowners about general fire safety and the importance of access routes.  These routes are both for the landowners to safely get out of an area during a wildfire and for fire crews to get in to protect homes and property.

The Wagon Wheel area has Spruce Budworm which is a problem throughout the forestlands of upper Kittitas County.  The budworms (center of above picture) eat the growing tips of the branches.  The Western spruce budworm is the most widely distributed forest defoliator in western North America. The budworms have a one-year life cycle and are actually a small moth at full maturity. During outbreaks of three or more successive years, trees may die. Budworms create ideal conditions for other insect and disease invasions. Trees that have died as a result of the budworm increase fire danger and should be removed.


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Sky Meadows Ranch

On Saturday morning, we presented Sky Meadows Ranch with their Firewise Communities USA signs and trophy. They are now officially recognized for their serious commitment to reducing wildland fire risks within their community. The homeowners in the 400+ lot development have been working for years to thin and prune trees and clean up downed wood. In 2008 they hired a contractor who brought in a huge chipping machine. More 8,000 cubic yards of material were chipped and removed. In 2009 they continued their work, focusing on roads throughout the development over which the tree canopies nearly touched. This work improves the safety of escape routes and function of the roads as firebreaks. All of this work was accomplished with funding from the KCCD and WA Department of Natural Resources, as well as many, many hours of volunteer time from homeowners.

For more information about Firewise Communities, visit www.firewise.org/usa/index.htm.

In 2008 a chipper was brought in and over 8,000 cubic yards of material were removed.

Sky Meadows Ranch worked last year to prune or remove trees along the roads within the development in order to improve escape routes and to provide fire breaks.

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Small Project Cost Share & Firewise

We are currently accepting applications for our Small Project Cost Share Program and our Fire Protection Cost Share program. The applications are available online (http://kccd.net/Announcements/) and at our office.

The Small Project Cost Share offers 50% reimbursement and up to $3,000 to landowners implementing projects that improve natural resource conditions. An example would be a project to convert from an earthen ditch to a pipeline. If it costs $4,000 to do this project, including equipment, labor, and materials, the landowner would receive $2,000 from the program. The other $2,000 could be landowner cash or contributed by the landowner as "in-kind", meaning that the landowner could use their own backhoe to dig the trench or they could put the pipeline together themselves and count their hours. Important things to remember are that the projects must be designed and installed to meet Natural Resources Conservation Service specifications and that no project costs can be incurred until a cost share agreement has been approved by the KCCD Board of Supervisors and the landowner has been issued a "notice to proceed".

Buried pipeline project funded by the Small Project Cost Share Program

The Fire Protection Cost Share Program provides cost share to landowners working to reduce fuels and fire danger on their property. This program doesn't have a specific reimbursement or cost-share rate, however landowners who provide part of the project cost are more likely to be funded. In the past, projects have received between $1,200 and $10,000 in funding from the program.

Landowners trim trees along access roads to reduce fire danger

In conjunction with the Fire Protection Cost Share Program, we have a consulting forester who assists with fire protection assessments. Thembi Borras accompanies our staff (usually Suzanne) to properties, conducts an assessment and provides recommendations to the landowners.

Thembi Borras inspecting a stand of pine trees.

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