About Fuels Reduction Projects
As a wildfire readiness campaign, the FireBREAK Campaign centers around the reduction of hazardous fire fuels in key areas in Moab. This hazardous fuels reduction is a community-wide concern, and FireBREAK includes homeowner projects as well as larger, more complex projects with grant-funded crews.
The campaign’s first priority is removing hazardous fuels along Moab’s creeks and wetlands, where vegetation tends to be the thickest. A second focus of the work is other areas where vegetation is dense and close to structures or infrastructure. Large-scale fuels reduction efforts can include removing trees that create ladder fuels, like Russian olive and tamarisk, as well as fine fuels such as cheat grass and foxtails.
Importantly, projects conducted by grant-funded crews require follow-up retreatment and maintenance work by the landowner. This is critical to ensuring fire risk is permanently reduced and requires long-term dedication. Grant-funded fuels reduction is a great option for landowners who are committed to ensuring a long-term reduction in fire risk, but need some help getting started.
However, those without the financial means or physical ability to conduct maintenance are very much encouraged to work on a plan with FireBREAK partners. FireBREAK partners can connect landowners with resources to help with maintenance work if grant funded mitigation is not available.
This page includes more information about fuels reduction projects. Follow the link below to request a site assessment of your property, and read the Q&A below for more information about how fuels reduction projects work.
Fuels Reduction Projects Q&A
What are hazardous fire fuels?
Fire fuels are any material that can burn. All kinds of plant material can act as fuel. Fire fuels are considered “hazardous” when they create the conditions for a catastrophic fire. Dense vegetation, plants that are especially flammable (such as dry tall grasses or shrubs with high oil content), and vegetation that connects the ground with tree canopies (called “ladder fuels”) are all examples of hazardous fuel. In the Moab area, the most common hazardous fire fuels include trees and large shrubs like tamarisk, Russian olive, and Ravenna grass, as well as fine fuels like cheatgrass, foxtail, and Russian thistle (tumbleweed).
How can I see whether my property qualifies for grant-funded hazardous fire fuels reduction work?
First, a property must lie within the geographic scope of the Community Wildfire Defense Grant to be eligible for grant-funded fuels reduction work. The geographic scope is within one mile of Mill or Pack creeks in the Grand County portion of the Moab Valley.
Next, to see if a property within that area fits the criteria for grant-funded fuels reduction work, FireBREAK partners must conduct a site assessment of the property.
The assessment will allow FireBREAK partners to evaluate the extent of the fire hazard and the complexity of the work needed to mitigate the hazard. All properties within the geographic scope are eligible for site assessments and hazardous plan development. Only sites that pose a significant risk to neighborhoods or infrastructure will be eligible for grant-funded mitigation work.
Note that a goal of the grant-funded hazardous fuels reduction work is to perform the “heavy lift” of removing large trees and other built up debris that can be more than a homeowner can handle on their own. Once this “heavy lift” is complete ideally follow up maintenance will be manageable. The site assessment process will also provide a plan for long term maintenance to sustain the fuels reduction effort.
To request a site assessment on your property, fill out the site assessment request form to the best of your ability. If you need assistance, please email info@firebreakmoab.org.
What do site assessments involve?
After filling out the site assessment form, staff from FireBREAK’s partner organizations will reach out to the person who completed the form.
The staff will arrange a time to visit the site, ideally with the landowner so that any site nuances, land use needs or other information can be shared. Lasting about an hour, site assessments involve walking the property and examining various facets of fire risk, flood risk, access, and location.
Staff will use this information to fill out a property prioritization form, which uses measureable factors to determine whether the property is a high, medium, or low priority for fuels reduction within the criteria of the Community Wildfire Defense Grant. These criteria were developed by Rim to Rim Restoration staff using the Moab Valley Fire Protection District’s 2020 Community Wildfire Preparedness Plan, which identified areas at high risk of wildfire in the Moab Valley and other information about fire fuels.
During site visits, FireBREAK partner staff can also answer landowner questions and provide more details about fuels reduction projects and the follow-up work that will be expected of landowners.
How does property prioritization work?
Properties are evaluated with a prioritization form made up of measureable factors. The form includes five weighted categories: hazards, proximity, need, complexity, and repetition. These categories are combined into a score between 0 and 100, with higher scores considered higher-priority sites. (Click here to see a visual representation of the criteria and scoring.)
“Hazards” is the most heavily weighted category, making up 50% of the total score. It encompasses fire risk factors like the presence of ladder fuels and fine fuels and the degree of fuel loading, as well as flood risks. (Learn more about wildfire terminology.)
“Proximity,” weighted at 25%, incorporates details about the location of the property. It encompasses how close the property is to important community infrastructure like emergency facilities and major roads.
“Need,” “Complexity,” and “Repetition” are all lesser criteria, weighted at 25% total. “Need” includes population density and the presence of underserved populations. “Complexity” includes topographic factors that could complicate work, like steep slopes or springs. “Repetition” takes into account the future maintenance a property will require to ensure its fire risk remains permanently reduced.
If you do not have the financial means or physical ability to conduct follow-up maintenance, your property’s prioritization will not be penalized for that. Rather, FireBREAK partners will work with you to identify the follow up needs and ideally link you with resources in the community that can help.
These weighted factors are all combined into a score between 0 and 100. Higher scores are considered higher priority sites, and are generally put earlier in line for fuels reduction.
However, fuels reduction work also depends on other factors including weather, season, access, and crews. As a result, there may be some variation in the order of fuels reduction projects in order to maximize efficient use of resources.
My property scored as a high or medium priority for grant-funded fuels reduction. What’s next?
If your property receives a high- or medium-priority score, FireBREAK partner organizations will be in touch to plan a fuels reduction project. They will coordinate with you and/or the property owner directly about timing, logistics, and the method of fuels reduction that makes the most sense for the property.
After the project is complete, FireBREAK partner staff will share resources guiding you through the process of retreatment and maintenance. Landowners will be expected to regularly report the retreatment and maintenance work they’ve completed. Reaching out with questions or to ask for help is highly encouraged as well!
My property scored as low priority for grant-funded fuels reduction. How can I still reduce fuels and make my property resilient to wildfire?
If your property receives a low priority level for grant-funded fuels reduction work, there is still plenty that can be done! While fuels reduction may seem intimidating, especially for large or overgrown properties, there are many basic steps landowners can take to make their properties safer. Developing a plan and tackling the work in chunks also helps make fuels reduction more manageable.
FireBREAK is also here to help, as one of the campaign’s goals is to support landowners who conduct their own fuels reduction.
We’re working on developing educational materials and events that will help landowners efficiently and effectively reduce fire fuels on their property, and to do the important follow-up maintenance. After a site assessment, property owners with sites that receive low priority score will still receive a report of the priority rating with information to help plan for independent hazard fuels reduction work.
It is also very helpful for land owners to report hazardous fuels reduction work completed to FireBREAK as community engagement and participation is critical for sustainable and effective reduction of fire hazards throughout the community.
While these resources are being developed, check out the following existing resources on fuels reduction and wildfire preparedness:
- Preparing Homes for Wildfire, NFPA
- Firewise Landscaping for Utah, USU
- Protect Your Property from Wildfires, FEMA
If you have specific question about conducting fuels reduction on your property, please email info@firebreakmoab.org