Volunteers needed for Island Dr Wildfire Risk Reduction Project
/
Join us for an hour or two to help clean up the Island Drive switchbacks
The goal of this Wildfire Risk Reduction Project is to reduce potential wildfire fuel around the Island Drive switchback by removing smaller trees and limbing established trees. The road through the Island Drive switchback is the only evacuation route for a peak population of approximately 50 residents. Summer peak population coincides with wildfire season.
The schedule
Scott Josiah, a professional forester with the Lummi Island Fire Department, has marked small and diseased trees for removal. Timber Tree, LLC tree service will cut and limb the trees in this area on Friday, July 31. Volunteers will work on Saturday and Sunday to move the fallen branches to side of the road for chipping. These stacks will be chipped the following Monday and the chips will be blown back into the area to promote forest health.
Volunteers needed
Saturday or Sunday
August 1 & 2, 2020
Between 9am and 5pm
By preserving forest canopy, existing native vegetation will provide a fire-resistant understory. Future routine fuel reduction will require less effort and can be accomplished by our local Firewise volunteers. This project has been endorsed by Whatcom County Public Works and the Lummi Island Fire Department.
The Scenic Estates board has approved the bulk of the funding for this project. We have also received $800 in pledges from neighbors in this area. And the Fire Department has been able to support part of this project through a Washington Fire Adapted Communities grant. Thank you!
Volunteer for wildfire safety
David Canterman will be coordinating volunteers so that everyone can work safely and maintain social distance due to COVID-19. Work gloves, drinking water, eye protection, clippers or loppers are recommended. Most work will be dragging fallen limbs into chipping stacks.
Need firewood?
Volunteers and donors are welcome to firewood rounds produced from this project in appreciation for their participation.
Again, thank you to Scott Josiah, David Canterman, the LISE Board of Directors, Lummi Island Fire Department, all the people who pledged funds for this project, and those will help lend a hand with cleanup. You are appreciated!
For general questions about this project, please contact Isaac Colgan at (425) 281-4836.
Endorsement from Lummi Island Fire Department
Speaking for the Lummi Island Fire Department, John Granger and I agree that reducing forest fuel loads on lands adjacent to the switchbacks along Island View Lane (which is the only evacuation route for residents in upper Scenic Estates) would significantly enhance resident and evacuation safety during a wildfire event. It would also improve safer access for first responders to this area. We commend you and the residents of Scenic Estates for initiating this project and making it happen. As a professional forester, I would be glad to mark the smaller understory trees and ladder fuels for removal, while ensuring the larger trees and native shrub layer would be retained to maintain site diversity and appropriate shading levels. When you have received authorization from the county to remove trees on the county lands that are adjacent to the road, I’ll go ahead and mark the trees.
Scott Josiah, PhD
LIFD Disaster Preparedness Division
Support from Whatcom County Public Works
From the County’s perspective, you are good to go. Public Works does not require an encroachment permit for tree removal and routine vegetation management on private land covered by a public right of way, unless the work interferes with the public use. Your proposal does not interfere with public use.… We at Public Works are believers!
Jon Hutchings
Public Works Director, Whatcom County
I’ve worked with Scott Josiah and knew that he was working on some plans for fire fuel reduction for the island. Having this information in the proposal, which is comprehensive and specific, is very helpful.… I commend Scott and the other island residents for taking this on.
Laurel Baldwin
Whatcom County Noxious Weed Control Board
