Hayman Fire Social

1. Hayman Fire Social/Economic Review A Case Study

2. Social/Economic Team Leader: Brian Kent RMRS Sarah McCaffrey-NCRS(FS) Carol Ekarius-Upper South Platte Coalition Wade Martin-Calif. State Univ. Long Beach Matt Carroll-Washington State University Jim Raymond-Douglas County, Colorado� Rocky Wiley-Denver Water Board

3. Social/Economic Team (Continued) Mike Retzlaff R2 Dan Williams-RMRS Jason Stoker-RMRS John Hill-R2/Pike San Isabel NF Krista Gebert-RMRS

4. Social/economic Area of Focus Primary Focus is on the Four Directly Affected Counties: Douglas Jefferson Park Teller Secondary Focus on Near-by Front Range Communities

5. Our Review will address portions of four broad question areas

6. Question Area One 1) How Do We Begin to Develop an Understanding of the Total Cost of the Hayman Fire Over Time? Costs We Can Estimate Costs We Can Identify

7. Question Area Two How Has the Hayman Fire Influenced Stakeholder Positions Toward Fuel Treatments, i.e., What were They Pre-Fire and What Are They Now? Who Is Blamed? Can Consensus on Fuels Management Treatments be Developed?

8. Question Area Three What have individuals, organizations, and communities learned from the Hayman fire experience? How Has the Collaborative Hayman Recovery Assistance Center (HayRAC) worked? How Do We Capitalize on the Current �Teachable Moment� to Enhance Community Preparedness for Future Wildfires?

9. Question Area Four How would we design and implement a long term social monitoring protocol for community impacts, recovery/rehabilitation needs, and risk preparedness following the Hayman fire? What Pieces Could be Put in Place in the Near Future?

10. Studies Underway Study One: A Detailed Assessment of Fire Suppression and Burned Area Emergency Rehab (BAER) Costs Applies to Question Area One Forest Service and Other Agencies as Time Permits Principal Investigator: Krista Gebert

11. Studies Underway (Continued) Study Two: Woodland Park Area Post Fire Interviews Applies to Question Areas Two, Three & Four Conducted With 55 Residents & Knowledgeable �Key Informants� Principal Investigator: Matt Carroll

12. Studies Underway (Continued) Study Three: Ridgewood Homeowners Association Pre & Post Fire Workshop/Panel Pre Fire Workshop Part of a National Fire Plan Funded Project Week Before Hayman Fire Stakeholder Perceptions of Fire Management Treatments and Forest Conditions on National Forest lands Principal Investigator: Wade Martin

13. Preliminary Findings of Studies One Through Three

14. Study One Preliminary Findings As of the end of September, expenditures for suppressing the fire that were entered into agency accounting systems total $28 million, 90% ($25.1 million) of which was expended by the Forest Service (FS).

15. Study One Preliminary Findings Continued As of the End of September, the Forest Service Accounting System Reported $13.3 Million in BAER Expenditures, With 64% of These Being Incurred by Region 2.

16. Study Two Preliminary Findings Respondents Stated That the Most Positive Impact Resulting From the Fire was the Way the Community (Woodland Park and Surrounding Area) �Pulled Together� and Helped Each Other Out

17. Study Two Preliminary Findings Continued The fire experience has clearly increased awareness of wildfires and made a potential future fire more of a reality in peoples� minds. �However, most respondents at the time of the interviews were not planning to take any particular actions to �firesafe� their homes and properties against future events. Explanations for a lack of such activities range from �the damage has already been done� to the aesthetic preference for trees near their homes.

18. Study Two Preliminary Findings Continued Many respondents who lost their homes stated that they planned to rebuild their home again in the same spot. When they were asked whether they would put extra effort into fire prevention measures for their new house, many answered in the negative. The reason was that they loved to be surrounded by trees; therefore, thinning conflicted with their original purpose to build their house in such a setting.

19. Study Two Preliminary Findings Continued In terms of negative impacts, the negative impact on the economy of the area and on individuals as well as the loss of natural resources, were mentioned often. The tourist sector was hit especially hard.

20. Study Two Preliminary Findings Continued Most thought that a big fire was inevitable and the ignition source itself was not important, saying that if the fire hadn�t been started by an individual, something else such as lightning, a tossed cigarette, or a hot catalytic converter would have started one.

21. Study Two Preliminary Findings Continued One fairly persistent theme was the perceived need for the FS to improve its existing working relationships with volunteer firefighters and other groups/agencies involved in fire prevention and control.

22. Study Three Preliminary Findings Participants preferred examples of National Forests managed by Mechanical Treatment & Prescribed Burns Conducted Recently, Ten Years Ago, and Thirty + Years Ago to untreated forests.

23. Study Three Preliminary Findings Continued Participants preferred any of six different fuel management strategies (various combinations of prescribed fire, mechanical removal and chemical spraying) including just chemical spraying to the option of doing nothing and letting the National Forests grow.

24. An Evolving Role for the Coalition for the Upper South Platte (CUSP) Formerly the Upper South Platte Watershed Protection Association

25. The Hayman Recovery Assistance Center (HayRAC) Objectives: Expedite and Enhance Implementation of Rehab/Recovery Efforts from the Hayman Fire with emphasis on impacted communities

26. HayRAC Objectives Continued Expedite and Enhance Implementation of Efforts to Restore Forest Health to reduce the intensity and impacts of future fires Build an effective network that can more efficiently address community needs in future emergencies, including post-Hayman flooding, and future fires

27. HayRAC Accomplishments Include: CUSP has coordinated over 40 volunteer events (6000+ man hours of volunteer time) in a six-week period, and will continue to coordinate these types of events for the next several years CUSP has sought and received funding to assist livestock owners with meeting hay needs