Community Capacity and the Environment Publications

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/1794/13133

The Community Capacity and Environment program is primarily focused on building capacity in rural and underserved communities to address wildfire protection. The program intends to increase awareness about the relationships between wildfire and rural poverty and provide resources for community-based efforts in fire and forest restoration. This program also examines broader relationships between natural resource management, natural disaster mitigation and social vulnerability.

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 34

Open Access
Assessment of water leasing activities in Washington State
(Center for Watershed and Community Health, Mark O. Hatfield School of Government, Portland State University, 2001-11-01)
The State of Washington faced a record drought situation for the 2001 water year. The opportunity to lease water from current water right holders for the purpose of enhancing instream flows to improve conditions for fish were constrained by the drought. Water leasing activities conducted by the Washington Department of Ecology (WDOE), the Roza Irrigation District, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) will be discussed here.
Open Access
Benefits to fish, benefits to farmers: improving streamflow and water allocation in the Northwest
(Center for Watershed and Community Health, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2002-08) Jaeger, William K.; Doppelt, Bob
This paper is intended to outline a framework and provide policy recommendations for expanding the tools and approaches available to transfer water between out-of-stream and instream uses and also among out-of-stream uses. The document is an outcome of a multi-year effort to assess the costs and benefits of water acquisition strategies, begun in 2000 by the PSU (now UO) Center for Watershed and Community Health. The report suggests that one key to expanding water transfers in the region is to frame the goal, when possible, as a means to help all users of water—both farmers and other water right holders—to meet their objectives. This approach may be viewed more positively than ones which has at times been interpreted by some agricultural interests as involving only costs without any offsetting benefits for them or their communities.
Open Access
Beyond Planning: Stewardship Contracting as a Management Tool for Implementing CWPPs
(University of Oregon, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, 2008-06) Donovan, Shannon; Lynn, Kathy; Kauffman, Marcus
Open Access
Case Study: Reducing Hazardous Fuels for Josephine County’s Special Needs Population--Draft
(University of Oregon, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, 2006-10)
Open Access
Community capacity and wildfire protection: indicators of rural, low capacity communities
(Program for Watershed and Community Health, University of Oregon, 2003-09) University of Oregon. Program for Watershed and Community Health; University of Oregon. Institute for a Sustainable Environment
This paper provides a framework for understanding the role community capacity plays in meeting fire protection goals and reducing fire risk within a community, neighborhood, or at an individual level. We examine the different indicators of poverty that are used by various agencies and organizations. We then provide recommendations on identifying gaps in fire protection services among low capacity communities and developing strategies to help meet the needs identified by low capacity communities. This paper provides a summary of poverty indicators used by various agencies and organizations as well as definitions for low capacity communities and rural/urban classifications. We conclude with recommendations for indicators that will identify low capacity communities that could be used by agencies and organizations making decisions about how grants are allocated and how communities at risk are prioritized.
Open Access
Community Resilience and the 2005 Deer Creek Fire – Summary Report
(University of Oregon, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, 2006-04) Lynn, Kathy; Hill, Arleen
This report provides an overview of the purpose, findings, and recommendations from interviews conducted with residents affected by the 2005 Deer Creek Fire.
Open Access
Community Wildfire Protection Plan Evaluation Guide
(University of Oregon, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, 2008-08)
The purpose of this guide is to assist communities in monitoring and evaluating their Community Wildfire Protection Plans to strengthen future implementation. The steps in this guide outline an effective process for evaluating how well communities have addressed the goals and objectives of their CWPPs and for updating their plans. The Guide recommends collaborative strategies to bring together project partners to conduct the evaluation, gather relevant data, and write the evaluation report. This evaluation will draw out the experiences and lessons learned in collaborative efforts among community members, local government, municipalities, land management, and state agencies, thereby pinpointing the key accomplishments and challenges facing the community in implementing its fire plan. The benefits of an evaluation may also include the identification of strategies to help communities plan for and reduce the risks of other natural disasters.
Open Access
Creating good-neighbors in your watershed: a resource guide for establishing Watershed Good-Neighbor programs
(Center for Watershed and Community Health, Mark O. Hatfield School of Government, Portland State University, 1999) Portland State University. Center for Watershed and Community Health
The Watershed Good-Neighbor program is a unique voluntary, community-based approach to educating and training local businesses and landowners on how they can improve their business productivity and profitability and, in doing so, improve the health of their watershed and environment. This resource guide outlines how a community can establish a locally tailored Watershed Good-Neighbor program in their area. This document provides a model for communities to set up a Watershed Good-Neighbor project and outlines the steps necessary to save companies money, save the community money, and help conserve local watersheds and the environment. The program is applicable to small, medium and large retailers, manufacturers, and to agricultural and forest landowners. This Resource Guide is a guidance document that can tailored to meet the specific needs of the participating community. The Center for Watershed and Community Health hopes that communities will adjust it, as they see necessary, to meet the distinct needs of their situation.
Open Access
Curry County Community Wildfire Protection Plan
(University of Oregon, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, 2008-02) Ojerio, Ryan S., 1972-; University of Oregon. Institute for a Sustainable Environment. Resource Innovations; Lynn, Kathy
The structural vulnerability study was the first collaborative effort of the newly formed Curry Wildfire Preparation Team (CWPT). The CWPT formed out of a recognition that wildfire is an integral and inevitable component of southwest Oregonâ s environment. Adequate preparation for wildfire events requires the coordinated efforts of local governments, public lands management agencies, community organizations, businesses and residents. In February 2007 the CWPT initiated a comprehensive planning process to develop a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). Over the course of the following year, the CWPT used the analysis from the countywide structural vulnerability assessment and a comprehensive wildfire risk assessment to understand the biophysical factors that contribute to wildfire risk. The CWPT engaged community stakeholders through targeted interviews and public forums to better understand community concerns, priorities and preferences in developing the plan. And the CWPT used information from an analysis of vulnerable populations in Curry County to develop strategies to overcome the barriers of poverty, disability and social isolation that exist in the county. This CWPP applies to all of Curry County, but with a particular focus on addressing the challenges of managing wildfire risk within and adjacent to the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), the areas where forests and human communities meet. Because wildfire knows no jurisdictional boundaries, this plan is intended for everyone with a role in preparing for wildfires, including residents, land managers, emergency responders and elected officials. It is our hope that this document is an accessible resource for all to use. This CWPP is intended to compliment and support other efforts and plans throughout the county. As a non-regulatory plan, the actions and strategies described herein are consistent with current regulations and existing planning guidelines described in the Curry County Comprehensive Plan, Curry Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan, and other relevant plans.
Open Access
Curry County Community Wildfire Protection Plan : Community Guide
(University of Oregon, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, 2008-02) University of Oregon. Institute for a Sustainable Environment. Resource Innovations
The full Curry County CWPP is a comprehensive document that details information on a wide range of issues from county demographics and vulnerable populations, to structural vulnerability and wildfire risk. The CWPT felt that is was critical to provide an abridged version of the CWPP to citizens throughout the county to ensure that the resources provided would be as accessible as possible. This CWPP Community Guide summarizes the key findings, recommendations and actions, and priorities for fuels reduction identified in the plan. Hard copies of the full CWPP can be found in city and county government offices, fire districts, libraries, and watershed council offices throughout the county. An electronic version can be downloaded at: http://www.co.curry.or.us/ or http://ri.uoregon.edu/programs/CCE/curry.html.
Open Access
Disasters and the cycle of poverty: understanding urban, rural, and gender aspects of social vulnerability
(Resource Innovations, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2005-09) Lynn, Kathy
This paper examines the impacts natural disasters have on poor communities all over the world, and the ways in which poverty and social vulnerability exacerbate disaster risk. We cannot reduce the risks poor communities face from natural disasters without addressing poverty. To address poverty reduction and disaster mitigation objectives, this paper seeks to highlight the connection between the cycle of poverty and risk from natural disasters. The paper begins by illustrating the nature of disaster risk faced by poor communities in developing countries and in the United States. The paper then examines how various aspects of social vulnerability (urban poverty, rural poverty and gender) comprise disaster risk. A series of examples highlight impacts to vulnerable populations and the strategies undertaken by individuals, communities, non-governmental organizations, and governments to build capacity to reduce disaster risk through community organizing and economic development at a local level. Finally, the paper provides a series of recommendations to consider in implementing poverty reduction measures, including the role of capacity building in helping to alleviate poverty and reduce risk from natural disasters.
Open Access
Engaging Socially Vulnerable Populations in Community Wildfire Protection Plans
(University of Oregon, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, 2008) Resource Innovations; Forest Guild; Watershed Research and Training Center; Ojerio, Ryan S., 1972-; Lynn, Kathy; Evans, Alexander M.; DeBonis, Mike; Gerlitz, Wendy
Recent catastrophic wildfires in the United States provided images of the destruction of multimillion-dollar homes, dense urban neighborhoods, and vast estates that overlook beautiful forests or the southern California ocean. These images depict real pain and suffering for those who have lost their homes and possessions. What the images fail to show, however, are the small homes, rural communities, and working settlements that experience the same kind of pain and suffering. All communities risk tremendous losses in the face of wildfires, but some communities risk losing more of their assets when their homes or their properties burn. Many rural and under-served communities have no insurance to rebuild their homes; renters are displaced and have no means to recover their valuables; and elderly and disabled residents confront additional threats when responding to events and caring for themselves and their families. Catastrophic wildfire can result in the loss of livelihood for residents and communities as a whole, including loss of jobs, natural resource and tourism industries, and other economic opportunities in the community. The purpose of this document is to provide tools to low-income and under-served communities for protection from wildfire. • Ensure that low capacity communities are incorporated within Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) goals. • Conduct risk assessments that include social as well as biophysical dimensions of risk. • Identify vulnerable populations and develop strategies to meet their needs within a CWPP. • Monitor and evaluate the impact of CWPPs.
Open Access
Establishing a Low-Income Assistance Program for the Rural/Metro Fire Department
(University of Oregon, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, 2006-09-28) Bollig, Shaun R.; Lynn, Kathy; University of Oregon. Institute for a Sustainable Environment. Resource Innovations
Low-income citizens face greater obstacles in attaining and paying for public services, including energy, telephone, and water. The lack of resources to pay for services may also make it difficult for low-income residents to obtain adequate fire protection, particularly those in areas without a tax-based fire district. Rural/Metro Fire Department, a private organization in Josephine County, Oregon is interested in establishing a hardship program in recognition of the needs of low-income residents in its service area. This report is intended to outline the opportunities and challenges to implementing a hardship program that provides fire protection to residents who would otherwise be unable to afford and attain Rural/Metro’s services.
Open Access
Evaluation Guide for Community Wildfire Protection Plans : Draft
(University of Oregon, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, 2008-03-01) University of Oregon. Institute for a Sustainable Environment. Resource Innovations
The purpose of this guide is to assist communities in monitoring and evaluating their CWPPs to strengthen future implementation. The steps in this guide outline an effective process for evaluating how well communities have addressed the goals and objectives of their CWPPs and updating their plans. The Guide recommends collaborative strategies to bring together project partners to conduct the evaluation, gather relevant data, and write the evaluation report. This evaluation will draw out the experiences and lessons learned in collaborative efforts among community members, local government, municipalities, land management, and state agencies, thereby pinpointing the key accomplishments and challenges facing the community in implementing their fire plan. Benefits of an evaluation may also include identifying strategies that help communities to plan for and reduce the risks of other natural disasters.
Open Access
Feasibility and Benefits of Deploying Solar Electric Generation Across Public and Commercial Roof Space in Eugene, Oregon
(University of Oregon, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, 2006-06) Neff, Raymond
Many commercial and public buildings have large expanses of roof area that are ideally suited for generating electricity with solar photovoltaics (PV). They are often free of obstructions from the sun, like large trees or other natural barriers and are generally taller than most residential structures that may be nearby. By developing a network of interconnected, small to medium-scale solar PV arrays, we may be able to realize economic, environmental and social benefits that steer Eugene toward a more sustainable energy future by reducing our dependence on costly, non-renewable energy sources. While we certainly will not be able to meet all of our electricity needs through distributed solar PV, we could substantially reduce our dependence on the most detrimental non-renewable resources that we currently rely on and increase our overall renewable energy portfolio. This research investigates the feasibility and potential economic and environmental benefits derived from deploying distributed generation, solar PV systems on public and commercial rooftops in Eugene, Oregon. GIS software and aerial photographs are used to determine the available under-utilized roof area and locally available solar data are used to estimate the amount of energy it is possible to generate.
Open Access
Increasing stream flows to sustain salmon in the Northwest: an economic and policy assessment
(University of Oregon, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, 2000-09) Jaeger, William K.; Mikesell, Raymond
According to biologists, increasing streamflows in the Pacific Northwest is essential to restore and maintain the populations of salmon and other native fishes. Since agriculture is the principal source of surface water diversions, accounting for about 80 percent of the total for the region, any efforts to augment streamflow will necessarily concentrate on reducing irrigation diversions. The likely costs of any actions to protect salmon are a central public concern and an important policy consideration, and in this particular case, these costs will depend directly on the impact that reducing irrigation diversions will have on farm enterprises in the region. This analysis appraises these costs and finds that they are likely to be modest if an efficient approach is taken to increasing streamflows. These estimates are based on evidence from market transactions for individual water rights, sales of irrigated farm land, and from a number of economic studies and cost estimation techniques. Our calculations indicate that the cost of water ranges from $1 to $25 per acrefoot, which, for a broadly based regional program to restore and maintain healthy fish populations, translates into annual costs of between 0.5 and 4.0 percent of the net farm income from all irrigated farms in the region, or between $1 and $10 per person in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. The analysis cautions, however, that some actions aimed at restoring salmon may be excessively costly, largely ineffective, or both—for example if high value irrigation water is returned to the wrong streams at the wrong times. In addition, it should not be assumed that by simply introducing water markets among farmers, or by promoting adoption of improved irrigation technologies, that streamflows will increase or that salmon will benefit from these changes. For these or other measures to contribute to the restoration of salmon stocks, and to do so in a costeffective way, will require creative institutional arrangements and attention to biological and economic information.
Open Access
An inventory and analysis of biomass utilization efforts in southwestern Oregon
(Resource Innovations, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2005-09) Almquist, Bill
This report aims to help communities and JCIFP partners by cataloguing and describing local efforts, presenting case studies of activities underway in other parts of Oregon and around the country, and providing recommendations on how to further proceed with woody biomass utilization efforts. The goal of this report is to assist partners and community members to make informed decisions about the types of uses to promote, potential groups to partner with, and other strategies for biomass utilization. This report is organized in four sections. Section One introduces the issues involved with biomass utilization, the different types and scales of utilization, and the most pertinent policies and reports. Section Two provides a summary of groups involved with biomass utilization in southwestern Oregon and presents findings from the analysis of those groups. Section Three discusses some of the implications of those findings and provides recommendations to JCIFP partners on possible next steps. Section Four presents case studies of efforts underway in other parts of the west that may be of significant interest to JCIFP partners and others interested utilizing biomass in the region.
Open Access
Josephine County : Integrated fire plan, November 2004
(Josephine County (Or.), 2004-11-08) Josephine County (Or.); University of Oregon. Program for Watershed and Community Health
Goals [for this Plan are]: protect against potential losses to life, property and natural resources from wildfire; build and maintain active participation from each Fire Protection District; set realistic expectations for reducing wildfire risk; identify and prioritize actions for fire protection; access and utilize federal and other grant dollars; identify incentives for fire protection and community participation; promote visible projects and program successes; monitor the changing conditions of wildfire risk and citizen action over time; and institutionalize fire-related programs and sustain community efforts for fire protection. [From the Plan]
Open Access
Josephine County Integrated Fire Plan lessons learned: an evaluation of the planning process
(Resource Innovations, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2005-06) University of Oregon. Institute for a Sustainable Environment. Resource Innovations
Josephine County officials initiated development of the Josephine County Integrated Fire Plan (JCIFP) in July 2003, along with several federal, state, and local partners. The Plan mission is to protect against potential losses to life, property, and natural resources from wildfire. After more than a year of coordination, the Josephine County Board of Commissioners officially adopted the JCIFP in November 2004. Upon completion of the document, Resource Innovations set out to identify some of the successes and challenges of the JCIFP process. This report seeks to assist those implementing the Plan by: 1) strengthening internal communication; 2) describing outcomes that partners most want accomplished in 2005 and beyond; and 3) offering recommendations on how partners can maintain an effective and collaborative process long into the future. Moreover, this evaluation will provide a baseline analysis that can be used in future evaluations to identify how partners perceive the effectiveness of the JCIFP over time. This evaluation profiles survey participants, provides a summary of survey results and evaluates the planning process used in developing the JCIFP. This section also highlights recommendations for sustaining an effective and comprehensive wildfire protection plan in Josephine County.
Open Access
Josephine County Integrated Fire Plan lessons learned: wildfire risk assessment
(Resource Innovations, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, 2005-07) Almquist, Bill
This paper evaluates the JCIFP risk assessment process using information gathered from interviews conducted in February and March 2005 with members of the Risk Assessment Committee. This report is intended to assist other communities in developing wildfire risk assessments by shedding light on the Josephine County experience, as well as provide Josephine County with lessons learned that can be applied to the implementation of the fire plan and monitoring of the risk assessment over time. The paper provides an overview of the relevant policies, factors and events that have led to the development of the JCIFP. Section Two provides important definitions, a detailed methodology, and the results obtained. Section Three reports on the successes and challenges of the risk assessment and collaborative process perceived by members of the Risk Assessment Committee. The final section discusses conclusions and future implications for the risk assessment as it has been carried out in Josephine County, as well as opportunities this experience may have for other communities developing fire plans.