[Council Communication]

Council Communication

Title:	Analysis Of Potential Wildfire Threat To The Ashland Watershed From The Proposed Mt. Ashland Ski Area Expansion
Dept:	Ashland Fire & Rescue
Date:	September 22, 2003
Submitted By:	Keith E. Woodley, Fire Chief
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Synopsis:	The Mt. Ashland Association has submitted a proposal to the Forest Service for an expansion of the existing Mt. Ashland Ski Area. The City Council is reviewing this proposal, and associated alternate proposals, to determine if they pose threats to the ecology of the Ashland Watershed. At their August 5th council meeting, the City Council requested an analysis of these proposals by City staff. This memo will examine the proposals from a fire protection perspective.
Recommendation:	Information only.
Fiscal Impact:	N/A
Background:	In July 1991, the forest service decided that expanding the Mt. Ashland Ski area was an appropriate use of National Forest Systems Land. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was issued in February 2000. Due to extraordinary public response to the DEIS, the Forest Service has conducted additional analysis that reflects active citizen participation and expands the range of alternatives considered in detail. The City Council is reviewing the DEIS and requested a review by the Public Works Director and Fire Chief regarding potential impacts on the Ashland watershed from water quality and fire protection perspectives. The primary concerns addressed in the DEIS are relative to hydrology, soils and geology. Based on the data provided in the DEIS, the ski area expansion poses no significant threat to the Ashland Watershed from a fire protection standpoint. Wildfire is linked in the DEIS to increased soil erosion rates where wildfire burns into clear cuts or cleared ski runs. There is no historic evidence that the creation of the ski runs themselves pose any specific wildfire risk to the Ashland Watershed. It has been suggested that the increased patronage as a result of the ski area expansion will result in an increase in fire starts. An analysis of the fire cause history for the upper elevations of the Ashland Watershed identifies lightning has the primary fire cause factor, while human-caused fires dominate the majority of fire occurrences at the lower elevations. We are not aware of any data for the upper Ashland Watershed that suggests a direct relationship between increased human occupation and corresponding increases in fire starts. The location, design and type of construction for additional ski area guest services buildings should take into consideration the need for fire protection features within these buildings to prevent the potential for building fires spreading to adjacent wildland resources.
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