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PROPOSED FOREST LANDS COMMISSION PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN
By Melanie Ravencroft
May 9, 1996
I. SITUATION ANALYSIS
The Ashland Forest Commission was established to implement the Forest
Management Plan adopted by the City of Ashland. Implementation of this
plan requires the Forest Commission to develop a fire prevention plan
for city owned forested lands aimed at preventing catastrophic wildfires
in and around the city of Ashland which would threaten not only homes,
citizens and wildlife, but also the quality of water in the Ashland
watershed.
While most citizens living in and around the City of Ashland are
concerned with the protection of wildlife, recreational areas, and
watershed quality from wildfire, ideas such as prescriptive fire
management and participating in management with a government established
entity such as the Forest Commission are foreign to many. Therefore,
they are afraid of the consequences these new management concepts might
have for them, and their quality of life.
These individuals are, for the most part, private landowners who live in
or adjacent to the interface, but also include private citizens,
business owners, and non-profit organizations who may not be landowners
but are still concerned with the protection of the forest, animals, and
watershed from fire.
Cooperative participation and support for the Forest Commission and fire
management process is vital to implementation of this project and also
includes the need for organized participation from allies such as
environmental advocacy and other non-profit volunteer organizations and
public service agencies.
II. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN:
Goals:
1) Create a positive public image toward the Forest Commission and
the importance of its forest management plan.
2) Facilitate creation of a Homeowner Association to motivate
landowners to participate in implementing the Forest Commission's
fire management objectives and to foster mutual respect between
the Forest Commission and private landowners within the interface.
3) Establish an on-going Public Affairs program.
Ob-jectives:
1) Promote public knowledge of cooperative management and land
management procedures and emphasize the importance of both.
2) Utilize the interest, enthusiasm, and knowledge of Ashland
residents and public service agencies through cooperative projects
and volunteer organizations.
4) Appoint an interested person to chair the Public Affairs sub-
committee.
III.
STRATEGIES AND TACTICS
STRATEGY # 1 - Motivate the Forest Commission to be committed to an on-
qoinq public relations effort and establish a committee to coordinate an
on-qoinq Public Affairs proqram.
STRATEGY # 2 - Establish widespread public exposure in southern Oreqon
of Forest Commission mission and activities.
Tactics:
1) MEDIA CONTACTS - Establish direct contact with well known Medford
and Ashland news publications, public radio, and public access
television, to solicit positive news coverage.
TV INVESTIGATIVE NEWS SERIES - Interest local TV station in
developing a news series on the importance of implementing
fuel reduction tactics on private property to address wildfire
hazard in the interface.
GUEST OPINION Write guest opinion papers for local
newspapers about the importance of fuels reduction tactics
NEWS RELEASE DISTRIBUTION Create and distribute
informational news releases to inform the public of events to
ensure that all staged events, educational programs and public
meetings as part of this plan appear in community print,
radio, and television bulletin board announcements.
2) NEWSLETTER DISTRIBUTION Develop a regular Forest Lands
Commission newsletter and distribute to all landowners in the
wildfire lands, local environmental groups, and other key allies.
STRATEGY # 3 - Staqe public events and proqrams that educate the qeneral
public to the importance of forest fuels manaqement:
Tactics:
1) PUBLIC/MEDIA HIKES - Conduct public hikes to show the public and
media the positive effects of what is already being done to
prevent catastrophic fire in the interface.
2) SERVICE CLUB EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS - Engage the expertise of
the fire management professionals and a Southern Oregon State
College Biologist as guest speakers to explain wildfire hazard
fuel reduction management practices and the ecology behind it..
STRATEGY # 3 - Establish direct communications with the maioritv of
landowners within the interface.
Tactics:
1. FLYER MAILER - Invite interface homeowners to an initial meeting
to establish a neighborhood homeowner's association meeting.
Emphasize that monetary assistance is available to the private
landowner for forest improvement projects, especially to
cooperative groups of adjacent landowners, and that information
will be distributed at the meeting.
IV. CALENDAR AND BUDGET
Calendar Proposal:
TACTICS/PROJECTS JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV
Media Contacts and News X X X X X X
Release Distribution
Guest Opinion X
TV Investigative News X X
Series
Newsletter Distribution
Service Club X X X X X
Presentations
Interface Hikes X X
Homeowner Meeting X
Focus Group Evaluations X X X X X
Budqet:
News Releases
Volunteer effort
Newsletters - Writing/Printing/Mailing
list
$1.00 per person on
Public Service Announcements, Bulletin Boards
Free
TV Investigative News Series
Free
Interface Hikes
Free
Presentations: Fire, Ecology
Free
Flyer Mailer - Writing/Printing/Mailing
$.50 per person
V. EVALUATION
Evaluation of reduced negative public response would be a subjective
evaluation of public opinion changes over time during campaign. This
could be accomplished by newsletter surveys, focus group discussions,
and mailed surveys before and during campaign.
Evaluation of increased public participation could be accomplished by
reviewing Forest Commission minutes each month as an ready-made, on-
going written record of changes over time. This tactic could also be
used for goal number one.
Follow up with newsletter survey of attitudes, and with personal
phone calls to all landowners, volunteers, and allied groups to
invite them to focus group meetings for feedback.
r7' . .-., .~. .,
i
State of Oregon I l'", '"', r . ~;,~ , "
Department of Forestry / Department of Revenue;;~ i~: \.. I;;':/J .,:'
U ~ i
Notification Number: 96-711-75406 iUl_-, ......:,~~.....;~..! '.~ ' .~,2J
Attached is the processed i::formation from the Notification of Operation and/or AP.P))..c..a.~~q,IlJ.oF.P!;:.~~~li;..____
Please review this information and retain for future reference.
,
,
[Xl
Notice is given to the State Forester that an operation will be conducted on the lands described herein tORS 527.670).
[Xl - A Permit to Operate Power ~ri~'e.~ Machinery is issued for the lands described herein (ORS 477.625). EXF:RES ~~ OF 1996.
[ - A Permit to Clear Rights-of-Ka~is issued for the lands described herein (ORS 477.685).
[Xl - A Notice is given to the State ~ester and the Department of Revenue of the intent to harvest timber (e,S 321.550),
Operator has approval to e existing waterline maintenance road WithJ'n
100 ft. of Ashland Cr. for auling. Harvesting will not occur within
100 ft. of the Cr. A writt plan is not required.
I. WHERE TIMBER HARVESTING IS
A.
NOTICE TO TIMBER OWNER: Party owning the harvested t'mber at the
point it is first measured is sho.n in the section ma ked TIMBER
OWNER and is responsible for payment of
B. NOTICE TO LANDOWNER: Party shown in the section marked
is responsible for reforestation of the
II. PRIOR APPROVAL BY THE STATE FORESTER k~~ h~ITTEN PLANS:
[ l - A PRIOR APPROVAL may be required before certain~tivities
can commence on the Operation. ~
/
A WRITTEN PLAN may be required for the situation~/~ndicated by an
[X] Below. Approval of a WRITTEN PIA" or a WRIy.tEN WAIVER must be
obtained from the Forest Practices Forester ~fore any portion of
the OPERATION may commence.
[
/
/
Within 100' of a large lake or ~e F or Type D stream.
[OAR 629-24-ll3(a)]
l -
l -
Within 300' of a w1ldlife ri~ource site listed in the 1984
ODF/ODFW Cooperative Agr7'~ent. [OAR 629-24-ll3(b)]
[
l - Within 300' of any re~~rce identified in the 700, 800, or
2300 series administ;Ative rules. [OAR 629-24-113 (c)]
;
/
[ ] - Within 300' of a J~ate or federally listed threatened or
endangered Wil~fe resource site. [OAR 629-24-113(d)]
I
Please contact the,~orest Practices Forester on the Unit
Information Shett or further information on requirements that may
be necessary to eet before activities/operation begin.
Signed by: Mart Main For Keith Woodley - Representing the Operato
,
City Of Ashland
20 E Main
Ashland, OR
97520
James E. Brown
State Forester
Clifford Liedtke
District Forester
(Landowner Copy)
Di,fttrict:
/0'tfice:
Southwest Oregon
Medford
//'
County:
WOSTOT:
Jackson
.I
/
Date Received:
Time Received:
5/31/96
1000
15 DAY WAITING PERIOD REQUIRED
Waived by Bob Marcu 5/31/96
NOT ICE
*******
Forester has determined the following
located within or adjacent
Operator:
City Of A hland
20 E Main
Ashland, 0
Phone: 4 8 2 -
Landowner:
City Of Ashlan
20 E Main
Ashland, OR 97
Phone: 4 8 2 - 277 0
Timberowner:
\
City Of Ashland
20 E Main
Ashland, OR 97520
Phone: 4 8 2 - 277 0