Agenda - 09-19-2017 - 7-a - Mountains to Sea Trail – Report on Segment 11 Trail Planning

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11 Determine Whether the Mountains-to-Sea Trail May Be Located on OWASA Property August 19, 2016 Page 4 research and evaluation to date. They plan on having experts at their next public meeting (currently targeted for September 2016) to address these concerns voiced by the public. Since OWASA's land management programs could impact fire risk, staff did look into this potential risk further by consulting with OWASA's forest management consultant Dave Halley with True North Forest Management Services, and Chris Hirni, the Orange County Forest Ranger. Fire risk or intensity of wildfire is a factor of weather and fuel levels. Since weather is not controllable, fire risk is usually moderated by reducing ground level fuel levels and creating fire breaks to stop the spread of fires. Unmanaged forests tend to have higher accumulation of ground level fuels and downed woody material, but managed stands, especially following a thinning or harvesting activity can also have high levels of ground fuels for several years following the activity. However, thinned stands are less prone to higher intensity fires because the thinning of overstocked stands lessens the risk of the fire getting into the crowns of trees. Many of the fire reduction activities on public lands is centered on thinning dense forest stands to reduce the risk of the fire climbing and reaching the tree tops and creating a crown fire. Controlled burns to reduce the accumulation of ground level fuels are also used to minimize fire risk. Accessibility can also impact fire risk. Access to unmanaged forests tends to be more limited; managed stands typically have better access since forest roads have been created to provide access for management activities. When asked whether the MST would increase the risk of fire, both responded yes, but only slightly. The response was based on an increased level of human activity which increases the risk of fire from human presence (smoking, camp fires), but both felt that day hikers would not pose a large threat. Mr. Hirni has been researching fires near trails, and said that while he assumed the risk would be higher, the data did not necessarily support that assumption. Mr. Halley stated that the risk of a wildfire was far greater from nearby residents burning brush or leaves, and the data Mr. Hirni had seemed to support that statement. Both agreed that Mount Mitchell Road and particularly the driveways off Mount Mitchell Road had accessibility issues, especially for large fire trucks to get down them and turn around. Wildfire suppression in that area would most likely be from smaller brush trucks with water tanks, bobcats with small water tanks, and the North Carolina Forest Service's fire suppression bulldozers and plows or other equipment for clearing a small firebreak. Mr. Hirni stated that a typical fire line(area cleared to prevent fire from spreading) is about three feet, and that they actually use very little water to contain fires in Orange County. Proposed Conditions for Use of OWASA Land for MST While the 2009 letter from the OWASA Board of Directors to the BOCC supports the use of OWASA land for the MST, the three conditions are broad. Thus, OWASA staff developed draft conditions to include portions of the MST on OWASA land for the Board of Directors to consider, and these were discussed at the June 23, 2016 Board of Directors meeting. After carefully considering public comment, feedback from Board members, and additional research, staff revised the set of conditions (Attachment 4). Also provided is a summary of items that individual Board members suggested on June 23 and whether those conditions were included in the list of conditions and staff's reasons for including or excluding them (Attachment 5). 4.5