Long Tom Watershed Council

Lane County
Request: $18,500

Chaa-lamali, TEIP's outdoor classroom, falls under Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Protection Districts and the Western Lane Districts. This district is under ODF jurisdiction and, by law, must follow the Industrial Fire Protection Level (IFPL) requirements. IFPLs are a four-level restriction system used during the summer fire season in the Pacific Northwest to regulate activities on public and private forestlands. TEIP staff and our collaborators exercise caution during fire season, following ODF guidelines for operating machinery and securing necessary permits (NOAP and PDM). To meet fire season requirements, we assess wildfire hazards before work and keep fire suppression equipment on-site. Additionally, when working at Chaa-lamali at all IFPL levels, adequate water supplies and equipment are required for any property located in or within one-eighth of a mile of the ODF forest districts.   

As fire seasons grow longer and more severe, we must proactively strengthen our fire safety infrastructure to responsibly carry out eco-cultural stewardship activities where the risk of fire from eco-cultural education activities, restoration equipment and tool operations is high. It is the Easement holder and landowner's recommendation that TEIP strengthen and resource both our ability to comply with regulations and to safely engage with active fire suppression on the property. As the fire season in our area is predicted to become more extreme and longer, we should take decisive action this year.  Acquiring a 300+-gallon firefighting water trailer for Chaa-lamali is a practical step, with an estimated cost of around $18,500.  This will allow us to meet the on-site mobile water requirements for fire suppression, as required by ODF. 

Securing a fire suppression system will allow us to fulfill our mission in a safe way for both our program participants and surrounding communities.