Western Oregon Fire Suppression Contract

July 1, 2013 thru June 30, 2018

Oregon & California Railroad LandsIn 1866, Congress provided a land grant of 3.7 million acres of federal land in Oregon to finance the building of a railroad from Portland to the California border.

Oregon & California Railroad Route thru Western Oregon

Oregon & California Railroad Lands

• The O&C railroad land grant included all odd-numbered sections (640 acres) of federal land within 20 to 30 miles of each side of the proposed railroad line.

• To capitalize their venture, the railroad company was allowed to sell the land in 160-acre parcels for $2.50 per acre, to “actual settlers”.

• The land sold slowly and initial investors went broke, but subsequent railroad companies were more creative.

• They illegally sold lands at reduced prices, or sold lands and/or timber to companies, not actual settlers.

Oregon & California Railroad Lands

• Their illegal deeds were exposed and the U.S. government filed suit and won in 1908.

• The disposition of the (revested) lands was quite controversial and the State of Oregon made a strong pitch for the lands to become State lands.

• In 1916 the U.S. government took back the remaining unsold O&C lands (approximately 2.5 million acres).

Oregon & California Railroad Lands

• The State would not get the lands but they would be paid to provide fire protection by the U.S. government.

• The western Oregon counties were also upset at the loss of potential property taxes and they lobbied congress for relief. In 1926 the Stanfield Act authorized redistribution of timber revenues to O&C counties at the rate of $500,000 per year in lieu of unpaid taxes on the revested O&C lands to compensate the counties.

• Compensation to O & C counties has changed 6 times since 1926.

Oregon & California Railroad Lands

• To correct fiscal inequities and provide management direction for the O&C lands, Congress amended the earlier Acts with the O&C Act in 1937.

• This act provided that the land would be managed for permanent forest production under the principal of sustained yield and the revenue would be shared with the counties.

The O & C LandsThe alternating privately owned lands are mainly timber company ownership but do include small communities and private residential ownership.

Oregon & California Railroad Lands

The alternating sections of the land grant created the “Checkerboard” ownership pattern we have today.

Birth of ODF

• The lands sold by the O & C Railroad created their own intermingled timber company ownerships. Originally each timber company provided their own fire protection.

• Starting in 1909 timber companies consolidated into units to provide fire protection.

• The first Fire Protection Associations were organized where all landowners were assessed based on the number of acres.

Birth of ODF

• As a result of the 1910 fires, which burned 500,000 acres and had 16 fatalities in Oregon, the Legislature established the Board of Forestry and hired a State Forester with a budget and authority to hire wardens-Birth of ODF 1911.

• There would be over 20 Fire Protection Associations. All but 3 would dissolve and combine into Districts administered by ODF.

Birth of BLM

• 1946- BLM was created by combining the General Land Office (GLO) and U.S. Grazing Service.

• BLM provided fire protection for the O & C lands from 1946 till 1952.

• The checkerboard pattern of ownership intermingled with private and sometimes state forests was not efficient or effective.

• BLM entered into a Cooperative agreement for ODF to provide fire protection.

Birth of Western Oregon Fire Protection Contract

• The COOP Agreement was replaced in 1983 by a Service Contract of 5 year duration.

• This gave BLM greater participation in planning and implementation of fire protection activities.

• Required ODF to follow BLM resource management objectives when conducting suppression actions on BLM lands.

• Currently in our 5th 5 Year Contract.

Over 2,400,000 acres. Cost $7,500,000

Western Oregon Fire Protection Contract

ODF calculates cost on a per acre basis and produces a Lump Sum bid for each of 4 Contract Items annually. Each Item is priced as a not-to-exceed cost. There are no “large fire” costs.

Contract Items

1. Resource Readiness2. Suppression3. Special Management Areas4. Extreme Risk Mitigation

Standard Fire Protection Requirements

Provide fire prevention, detection, initial attack, extended attack, suppression, (including mop-up and rehabilitation), and reporting services on the Bureau of Land Management lands in western Oregon.

Standard Fire Protection Requirements

ODF has the financial responsibility for fire suppression except when:• Fire results from BLM

conducted operation and escaped prescribed burns.

• When fire starts in an untreated slash hazard unit that was planned to be treated but not yet treated.

Fire Qualifications

• Requires ODF to operate under the Incident Command System (ICS).

• ODF shall meet qualification and operational standards as identified in Wildland Fire Qualification Guide NWCG 310-1, Part 1 and Part 2, for all positions in the Command & General Staff and Operations sections.

Use of AircraftAll aircraft and pilots used to transport Federal personnel shall be Office of Aviation Services (OAS)or U.S. Forest Service approved.

Use of a State-controlled aircraft in the performance of non-federal -personnel transport, water, and retardant delivery, and air attack by air tankers, and helicopters, and fixed-wings, are allowed on protected BLM lands under this contract.

Organizational Responsibilities

• Contracting Officer Representatives (COR)• Alternate CORs• Project Inspectors (PI)• Resource Advisors (READ) – Role is to help determine

natural and cultural resource concerns that could be affected by suppression actions, and to aid in the determination of emergency suppression rehabilitation needs.

• District Managers and Field Managers are Agency Administrators

• Agency Representative (AREP)

Organizational Responsibilities

• BLM District Managers (DMs) are responsible for the safe and efficient implementation of all fire management activities within their district. They do not forego this responsibility under the contract.

• BLM represents itself in the geographic area Multi-Agency Coordinating (MAC) group, and any sub-geographic area MAC.

• BLM represents itself if an area command is established.

Dispatching

• ODF notifies BLM Dispatch (or Duty Officer) when fires on or threatening BLM within 30 minutes of discovery.

• BLM Dispatch notifies Duty Officer (or COR) who determines need for contract administration response.

• PI response is for all fires with potential for growth and those in resource sensitive locations.

• READs dispatched on as needed basis.

DispatchingCOR, PI, READ• Work for BLM, not ODF. Administer the contract.• Dispatched and tracked thru Federal Dispatch

Center.

• COR and PI must have the fire qualification or experience commensurate to the fire complexity to be able to determine if ODF actions are appropriate.

• PI identifies any issues or concerns and reports this to COR.

• COR has authority to request corrective actions and will work with local ODF AA to resolve issues at local level.

• PI will report fire status to BLM Dispatch and can order additional PI/READ help.

Dispatching

• PI completes daily log and submits to COR who reports to Contracting Officer/State COR.

• ODF can request BLM resources to assist them in suppression. Overhead, Crews, engines are ordered by ODF Dispatch thru BLM Dispatch.

• These resources work for ODF and are managed by ODF.

• These BLM resources are paid by BLM with the cost applied as a credit to the Contract.

Dispatching

Resource Readiness - Specific Action Plans

• Written plans developed by ODF describing the actions and preparations they will take for Prevention, Detection and Preparedness and Initial Attack services.

• The written plans can be a stand-alone document or incorporated into Contractor Mobilization Plans or Fire Operations Plans.

• Review and approval by BLM District CORs

Suppression

• Suppression covers services from after initial attack through suppression and rehabilitation, including extended attack.

• Initial Attack Standard - The Contractor shall control 94% of all fires before they exceed ten (10) acres in size.

• Upon the occurrence of a wildland fire, the Contractor shall take immediate action to control and suppress the fire.

Suppression

• ODF’s suppression objective on private timber lands is to keep fires as small as possible.

• Much of BLM lands are lower elevation and are often adjacent to valley bottoms and communities.

• Mixed ownership with BLM and private lands tends to make prompt suppression and limiting fire size the joint objective. BLM prefers a lighter touch due to more than just timber resource values.

Suppression of Fires Escaping Initial Attack

ODF shall continue with aggressive suppression unless ordered to discontinue action by the BLM District COR.

ODF determines need for an Incident Management Team and order thru ODF dispatch.

A Letter of Direction from the BLM District Manager via the COR will be issued to the Incident Commander of the incoming team.

Suppression of Fires Escaping Initial Attack

Letter of Direction is used to provide the Incident Commander with specific resource protection and land management guidance on BLM lands during suppression operations.

Letter of Direction is used instead of a Delegation of Authority because ODF is already delegated by the contract.

ODF shall base suppression tactics and strategies on BLM resource objectives and concerns identified in a Letter of Direction and briefing by local BLM District COR. The Incident Commander shall use this information when directing tactics.

Suppression of Fires Escaping Initial Attack

BLM may assume the suppression effort for BLM escaped prescribed fires and under unusual circumstances may assume management of some fires which escape initial attack on BLM lands when Contractor forces are committed and the Contractor is incapable of meeting contract standards.

All suppression costs will be the responsibility of the BLM for fires that they choose to manage.

Resource Protection• ODF shall follow BLM resource management objectives per

the District’s Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Fire Management Plan (FMP).

• Where suppression actions are not consistent with identifed resource management objectives, the Incident Commander documents the rationale for the decision.

• Special Fire Protection Measures: Preparedness, detection, or suppression measures that differ from those typically used due to site specific BLM resource objectives or for resource protection purposes. Areas with these restrictions are identified to ODF annually.

Rehabilitation

• ODF performs rehabilitation of damages resulting from suppression operations in accordance with a rehabilitation plan developed jointly with the BLM, and based upon BLM resource management objectives.

• ODF implements the plan in accordance with directions from the COR concerning timing and manner.

• It is recognized that fireline rehabilitation on BLM lands may be slightly different than rehabilitation measures customarily practiced by ODF on private lands.

• Rehabilitation of damage to natural resources by the fire itself is not considered to be fireline rehabilitation.

Special Management Areas

Special Management Areas for this contract are the Wild and Scenic Portion of the Rogue River Corridor, and the Soda Mountain Wilderness Area. Areas where BLM has identified a need for increased levels or unique types of fire protection service in order to meet BLM resource objectives. These services are above and beyond those for typical BLM lands. Specific services and the estimated cost is determined annually and included in the Schedule of Items.

The Wild and Scenic Portion of the Rogue River Corridor requires daily foot patrols, fire prevention, public contacts, and the enforcement of fire-use closures, and the Soda Mountain Wilderness Area requires that suppression activities follow the Minimum Suppression Tactics (MIST) Guidelines.

Individual Fire Reports- ODF completes portions of the fire report and submits them to BLM Dispatch, this includes threat fires that occur on private lands within one mile of BLM lands.

Dispatching - REPORTS

Interagency Situation Report & Incident Status Summary (ICS-209) – ODF completes these in accordance with current direction and guidelines.

Dispatching - REPORTS

Enough Already!!!!!!