_________________________
_A Program of the Georgia Forestry Commission
with support from the U.S. Forest Service

Community Wildfire Protection Plan
An Action Plan for Wildfire Mitigation and Conservation of Natural Resources
Macon County

June 2017

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Prepared by: Bryan Spillers, Chief Ranger, Macon/ Taylor County Carl Melear, CWPP Specialist Forest Protection Beryl Budd, Wildfire Prevention Specialist (revised 2017) Georgia Forestry Commission PO Box 696 Oglethorpe, Georgia 31068 The following report is a collaborative effort between various entities. The representatives listed below comprise the core decision-making team responsible for this report and mutually agree on the plan's contents. Community Representatives: James Conner, EMA Director, Macon County Regina McDuffie, County Manager, Macon County Mickey George, Commission Chairman, Macon County Board of Commissioners Jimmy Davis, Commissioner, Macon County Board of Commissioners Ben Haugabook, Commissioner, Macon County Board of Commissioners Richard Felton, Commissioner, Macon County Board of Commissioners Bob Melvin, Commission Vice Chairman, Macon County Board of Commissioners
Local Fire Department Representatives: Billy Martin, Oglethorpe Bobby Fulks, Ideal Micah Kauffman, Montezuma
Local Georgia Forestry Commission Representatives: Bryan Spillars, Chief Ranger, Macon/Taylor County Unit

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PLAN CONTENTS

PAGE

I. Objectives ............................................................................................................. 4 II. Community Collaboration ...................................................................................... 4 III. Community Background and Wildfire History ......................................................... 6 IV. County Base Maps ............................................................................................... 12 V. Wildland Urban Interface.........................................................................15 VI. Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment Summary & Risk Hazard Maps ............ ......18 VII. Community Risk Assessments..................................................................21 VIII. Prioritized Mitigation Recommendations ........................................................... 22 IX. Action Plan.......................................................................................................... 24 X. Grant Funding & Mitigation Assistance ................................................................ 28 XI. Glossary................................................................................................................ 29 XII. Sources of Information.............................................................................31 Appended Documents Macon County Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment Summary (SouthWRAP) NFPA 1141 Standard for Fire Protection Infrastructure for Land Development in Suburban and Rural Areas.

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I. OBJECTIVES
A Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) provides a community with a road map to reduce its risk from wildfire. A CWPP is designed through collaboration between state and local fire agencies, homeowners and landowners, and other interested parties such as city councils, utilities, homeowners associations, environmental organizations, and other local stakeholders. The plan identifies strategic sites and methods for risk reduction and structural protection projects across jurisdictional boundaries.
Comprehensive plans provide long-term guidance for growth, reflecting a community's values and future expectations. The plan implements the community's values and serves to protect natural and community resources and public safety. Planning also enables communities to address their development patterns in the Wildland Urban Interface and determine how they can reduce their risk through alternative development patterns. The formal legal standing of the plan and its central role in local government decision making underscores the opportunity to use this planning process as an effective means for reducing wildfire risk.
The mission of the following plan is to set clear priorities for the implementation of wildfire mitigation in Macon County. The plan includes prioritized recommendations for the appropriate types and methods of fuel reduction and structure ignitability reduction that will protect this community and its essential infrastructure. It also includes a plan for wildfire suppression. Specifically, the plan includes community-centered actions that will:
Educate citizens on wildfire, its risks, and ways to protect lives and properties, Support fire rescue and suppression entities, Focus on collaborative decision-making and citizen participation, Develop and implement effective mitigation strategies, and Develop and implement effective community ordinances and codes.
II. COMMUNITY COLLABORATION
Wildfire risk reduction strategies are most effective when approached collaboratively involving groups of residents, elected officials, community decision makers, emergency managers, and natural resource managers and when combined with effective outreach approaches. Collaborative approaches make sense as the initial focus of any community attempting to work toward wildfire risk reduction. In all Community Wildfire Protection Plan collaborations, the goal is to cooperatively identify problems and reach a consensus for mutual action. In the case of wildfire mitigation, a reduction in the wildfire risk to the community's lives, houses, and property is the desired outcome.
The collaborative core team convened in January 2009 to assess risks and develop the Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The group is comprised of representatives from local county government, local fire authorities, and the Georgia Forestry Commission.

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Below are the groups included in the task force:
Macon County Government County Fire Department Emergency Management Agency Board of County Commissioners
Georgia Forestry Commission
It was decided to conduct community assessments on the basis of the on high risk communities and the individual fire districts in the county. The Community Wildfire Protection Specialist and the representative of the local Georgia Forestry Commission office reconvened in early 2009 for the purpose of completing the following:

Risk Assessment

Assessed wildfire hazard risks and prioritized mitigation actions. The wildfire risk assessment will help homeowners, builders, developers, and emergency personnel whether the area needs attention and will help direct wildfire risk reduction practices to the areas at highest risk.

Fuels Reduction

Identified strategies for coordinating fuels treatment projects.

Structure Ignitability Identified strategies for reducing the ignitability of structures within the Wildland interface.

Emergency Services Forged relationships among local government and fire districts and developed/refined a pre-suppression plan.

Education/Outreach

Developed strategies for increasing citizen awareness and action and to conduct homeowner and community leader workshops. Outreach and education programs are designed to raise awareness and improve audience knowledge of wildfire risk reduction needs and practices. In the best cases, education and outreach programs will influence attitudes and opinions and result in effective action.

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III. COUNTY BACKGROUND AND WILDFIRE HISTORY
Located in central Georgia, Macon County is 130 miles south of Atlanta and covers 403 square miles. The state legislature created Macon County, the ninety-first county in Georgia, in 1837 and named Lanier the first county seat. The earliest inhabitants were the Cherokee; Muskogee, who later became part of the Creek Nation; and Uchee Indians. Created from parts of Houston and Marion counties, Macon County was named for Nathaniel Macon, a general in the Revolutionary War (1775-83). Macon joined a New Jersey militia company in the summer of 1776. In the fall of 1776 he left the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University) and returned to North Carolina. He studied law there until 1780, when he joined a North Carolina company as a private. Elected to the Second U.S. Congress, he served as both the U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate. Macon began his political career as a Democratic Republican but later became a Jeffersonian Republican. The first white inhabitants of the area were Indian traders. In the late eighteenth century British colonist Timothy Barnard became the Principal Temporary Agent for Indian Affairs south of the Ohio River and settled on the Flint River in what is now Macon County. Barnard married an Uchee Indian, and his settlement was a popular trading post until his death in 1820. Out of the southwest Georgia wilderness he carved what became known as Barnard's Paths, early trails to the Chattahoochee River and St. Marys. One of these trails connected to another trail that led all the way to St. Augustine, Florida. After the American Revolution he became assistant and interpreter to U.S. Indian agent Benjamin Hawkins. Because of his loyalty to the American cause, Barnard's wife and two sons were granted extensive land reserves in the area. In 1856 the county seat was moved to its current location in the town of Oglethorpe, another former Indian trading post located on the Flint River. Named for James Edward Oglethorpe, the founder of the colony of Georgia, the city sits on land first settled by Barnard before the American Revolution.
During the Civil War (1861-65), the most notorious Confederate prisoner-of-war camp, Andersonville Prison, was located in Macon County, about nine miles south of Oglethorpe. Designed to hold 10,000 Union prisoners, Andersonville housed 33,000 at its height, 13,000 of whom died of hunger and disease. In September 1864 most of the surviving Union prisoners were moved as Union general William T. Sherman swept through Georgia on his march to the sea. Henry Wirz, the Confederate captain in charge of the prison, became the only man Andersonville Cemetery executed for war crimes committed during the Civil War. Today the Andersonville National Historic Site includes a national cemetery, park, and prisoner-of-war museum. Most of the historic site is found in Macon County, and a small portion of its land lies in Sumter County. In 1936 sociologist Arthur F. Raper published his comparative study of Macon and Greene counties, Preface to Peasantry, which exposed the racial and economic inequalities of Georgia and the South. Raper sought to determine the

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effects of plantation life in those counties, arguing that slavery and sharecropping had created a culture of dependence. The end of plantation society was thus, according to Raper, a "preface to American peasantry."
Macon County has been the home of several famous Georgians. Writers John Donald Wade, a member of the Vanderbilt Agrarian movement, and Adrienne Bond, a vice president of Mercer University, lived there, as did Sam Henry Rumph, who developed the Elberta Peach. Named for his wife, the Elberta Peach led to Georgia's nickname, the Peach State. Agriculture has always been at the heart of Macon County's economy.
Great Beaver Creek Duck Race In addition to peaches, more milk is produced there than in any other county in Georgia. Macon County High School is located in Montezuma, one of the largest cities in the county. Named after the famous Aztec leader by soldiers returning from the Mexican War (1846-48), Montezuma is also home to the county's newspaper, the Citizen-Georgian, and has survived several floods, perhaps the greatest of which was the flooding of the Flint River in 1994. Other incorporated towns in the county are Ideal and Marshallville. Tourist attractions abound in Macon County. In addition to Andersonville National Historic Site, there is a historic driving tour of the county. Whitewater Creek Park offers hiking and camping, and tourists may also visit a large Mennonite community that runs Yoder's Deitsch Haus Restaurant, Bakery and Gift Shop. Annual celebrations include the Festival of Camellias, the Crape Myrtle Festival, the Beaver Ideal Railroad Depot Creek Festival, and the Oglethorpe Fall Festival. According to the 2000 U.S. census, the population was 14,074, an increase of 7.3 percent from 1990. By 2010 the population had increased slightly to 14,740
Fire History
Macon County has not had a significant problem with wildfire. During the last 10 years there have been 23 wildfires annually. The acreage burned averaged 83 acres annually for an average size of 2.7 acres. The most common cause during this period was attributed to debris burning with machine use listed as the second most common cause. Generally speaking, the western side of the County has most of the fires with a concentration to the south of Oglethorpe having the most of that area. The eastern half of the county, particularly the southeast, has the least due to the absence and fragmentation of surface fuel resulting from agricultural use.

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The table below details the wildfire activity for Macon County for 2017 fiscal year, July 1, 2016 thru June 30, 2017. Wildfire activity and acreage burned has increased this fiscal year due to drought and dry conditions.

County = Macon

Cause

Fires

Campfire

Campfire

2

Debris: Ag Fields, Pastures, Orchards, Etc

Debris: Ag Fields, Pastures, Orchards, Etc

2

Debris: Construction Land Clearing Debris: Construction Land Clearing

0

Debris: Escaped Prescribed Burn Debris: Escaped Prescribed Burn

2

Debris: Household Garbage

Debris: Household Garbage

2

Debris: Residential, Leafpiles, Yard, Debris: Residential, Leafpiles, Yard,

Etc

Etc

1

Debris: Site Prep - Forestry Related Debris: Site Prep - Forestry Related

3

Incendiary

Incendiary

1

Lightning

Lightning

0

Machine Use

Machine Use

5

Miscellaneous: Firearms/Ammunition

Miscellaneous: Firearms/Ammunition

0

Miscellaneous: Other

Miscellaneous: Other

0

Miscellaneous: Power lines/Electric Miscellaneous: Power lines/Electric

fences

fences

5

Miscellaneous: Spontaneous Heating/Combustion

Miscellaneous: Spontaneous Heating/Combustion

1

Miscellaneous: Structure/Vehicle Fires

Miscellaneous: Structure/Vehicle Fires

1

Miscellaneous: Woodstove Ashes Miscellaneous: Woodstove Ashes

0

Railroad

Railroad

1

Undetermined

Undetermined

2

Totals for County: Macon Year: 2017

28

Acres 29.90

Fires 5 Yr Avg
1.40

Acres 5 Yr Avg
9.35

13.23 1.40 5.20

0.00 0.20 0.39 4.50 1.40 2.31 4.86 0.40 0.97

0.13 1.00 5.11

8.46 0.65 0.00 25.22

1.60 4.36 0.80 0.35 1.20 1.64 1.80 6.91

0.00 0.20 1.86

0.00 0.20 1.44

10.10 2.60 5.72

4.45 0.20 0.89

0.10 0.40 0.09 0.00 0.60 0.60 3.00 0.80 1.81 6.69 1.20 1.92

111.29 17.40 50.93

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The table below outlines wildfire activity for 2007 thru 2016. The Macon County average size wildfire is compared to the Statewide average. Large wildfires in SE Ga. and the Okefenokee Refuge during 2007 and 2011 influenced the high Statewide averages during those years. In 2016 Macon County had the lowest activity on record due to above average rainfall during the year.

Year

Number of Fires

Acreage Burned

Average Size

Statewide Average Size

2007

41

103.41

2.52

18.64

2008

19

10.37

.55

4.56

2009

22

145.45

6.61

3.90

2010

15

46.87

3.12

3.93

2011

52

329.89

6.34

17.56

2012

31

137.01

4.42

5.08

2013

23

43.72

1.90

4.53

2014

18

68.88

3.82

5.02

2015

15

29.79

1.99

4.42

2016

3

0.97

.32

6.29

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11

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IV. COUNTY BASE MAPS

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14

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V. WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE (WUI)
There are many definitions of the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), however from a fire management perspective it is commonly defined as an area where structures and other human development meet or intermingles with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels. As fire is dependent on a certain set of conditions, the National Wildfire Coordinating Group has defined the wildland-urban interface as a set of conditions that exists in or near areas of wildland fuels, regardless of ownership. This set of conditions includes type of vegetation, building construction, accessibility, lot size, topography and other factors such as weather and humidity. When these conditions are present in certain combinations, they make some communities more vulnerable to wildfire damage than others. This "set of conditions" method is perhaps the best way to define wildlandurban interface areas when planning for wildfire prevention, mitigation, and protection activities.
There are three major categories of wildland-urban interface. Depending on the set of conditions present, any of these areas may be at risk from wildfire. A wildfire risk assessment can determine the level of risk.
1. "Boundary" wildland-urban interface is characterized by areas of development where homes, especially new subdivisions, press against public and private wildlands, such as private or commercial forest land or public forests or parks. This is the classic type of wildland-urban interface, with a clearly defined boundary between the suburban fringe and the rural countryside.
2. "Intermix" wildland-urban interface areas are places where improved property and/or structures are scattered and interspersed in wildland areas. These may be isolated rural homes or an area that is just beginning to go through the transition from rural to urban land use.
3. "Island" wildland-urban interface, also called occluded interface, are areas of wildland within predominately urban or suburban areas. As cities or subdivisions grow, islands of undeveloped land may remain, creating remnant forests. Sometimes these remnants exist as parks, or as land that cannot be developed due to site limitations, such as wetlands.
(courtesy Fire Ecology and Wildfire Mitigation in Florida 2004)

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WUI is described as the area where structures and other human improvements meet and intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels.
Wildland Urban Interface Hazards Firefighters in the wildland urban interface may encounter hazards other than the fire itself, such as hazardous materials, utility lines and poor access.
Hazardous Materials
Common chemicals used around the home may be a direct hazard to firefighters from flammability, explosion potential and/or vapors or off-gassing. Such chemicals include paint, varnish and other flammable liquids; fertilizer; pesticides; cleansers; aerosol cans, fireworks, batteries and ammunition. In addition, some common household products such as plastics may give off very toxic fumes when they burn. Stay OUT of the smoke from burning structures and any unknown sources such as trash piles.
Illicit Activities
Marijuana plantations or drug production labs may be found in wildland urban interface areas. Extremely hazardous materials such as propane tanks and flammable/toxic chemicals may be encountered, as well as booby traps.
Propane tanks
Both large (household size) and small (gas grill size) liquefied propane gas (LPG) tanks can present hazards to firefighters, including explosion. See the "LPG Tank Hazards" discussion for details.

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Utility lines
Utility lines may be located above and below ground and may be cut or damaged by tools or equipment. Don't spray water on utility lines or boxes.
Septic tanks and fields
Below-ground structures may not be readily apparent and may not support the weight of engines or other apparatus.
New construction materials
Many new construction materials have comparatively low melting points and may "off-gas" extremely hazardous vapors. Plastic decking materials that resemble wood are becoming more common and may begin softening and losing structural strength at 180 F, though they normally do not sustain combustion once direct flame is removed. However, if they continue to burn they exhibit the characteristics of flammable liquids.
Pets and livestock
Pets and livestock may be left when residents evacuate and will likely be highly stressed, making them more inclined to bite and kick. Firefighters should not put themselves at risk to rescue pets or livestock.
Evacuation occurring
Firefighters may be taking structural protection actions while evacuations of residents are occurring. Be very cautious of people driving erratically. Distraught residents may refuse to leave their property, and firefighters may need to disengage from fighting fire to contact law enforcement officers for assistance. In most jurisdictions firefighters do not have the authority to force evacuations. Firefighters should not put themselves at risk for those that won't evacuate!
Limited access
Narrow one-lane roads with no turn-around room, inadequate or poorly maintained bridges and culverts are frequently found in wildland urban interface areas. Access should be sized-up and an evacuation plan for all emergency personnel should be developed.

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VI. SOUTHERN WILDFIRE RISK ASSESSMENT SUMMARY & RISK HAZARDS MAPS

The Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment tool, developed by the Southern Group of State Foresters, was released to the public in July 2014. This tool allows users of the Professional Viewer application of the Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment (SWRA) web Portal (SouthWRAP) to define a specific project area and summarize wildfire related information for this area. A detailed risk summary report is generated using a set of predefined map products developed by the Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment project which have been summarized explicitly for the user defined project area. A risk assessment summary was generated for Macon County. The SouthWRAP (SWRA) products included in this report are designed to provide the information needed to support the following key priorities:

Identify areas that are most prone to wildfire

Identify areas that may require additional tactical planning, specifically related to mitigation projects and Community Wildfire Protection Planning

Provide the information necessary to justify resource, budget and funding requests

Allow agencies to work together to better define priorities and improve emergency response, particularly across jurisdictional boundaries
Define wildland communities and identify the risk to those communities

Increase communication

and outreach with local

residents and the public

to create awareness and

address

community

priorities and needs

Plan for response and suppression resource needs

Plan and prioritize hazardous fuel treatment programs

Wildland Urban Interface Map from the Macon County SWRA Report

19 Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) risk map (above) and WUI Risk Index Acres chart (below)

20 Community Protection Zones map (above) and Fire Intensity Scale map (below)

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VII. COMMUNITY RISK ASSESSMENTS

Data from the Southern Fire Risk Assessment shows that values for the level of concern are in the moderate to low range. This is in line with the low fire numbers and the rapid suppression of those that do occur. The following communities were assessed for their susceptibility to damage from wildfire using the Georgia Forestry Commission Community Assessment form. Some of the areas that were assessed are not shown as being at risk by the Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment. This document rates the hazard to communities based on four criteria. The criteria are subdivision design, site hazard, building construction, and additional factors. The assessments were completed by Macon County Fire Departments in early 2009. Some communities were found to be outside the ranges for the levels of concern found in the Southern Fire Risk Assessment. No incorporated areas were assessed. Original copies of the assessments are located at the Macon County office of the Ga. Forestry Commission.

Map number
1
2

Community Name and map number
Hicks Trailer Park Bartlett Level

Location
Hicks Trailer Park Rd. Approx. 2 miles west from Hwy 128/90 intersection

Size and Structural Information
20 acres 15 lots 10 homes Unknown

Wildfire Hazard Rating
162 extreme
146 extreme

Jurisdiction
Marshallville Oglethorpe

3

Doe Run

Hwy 224 North Unknown

130 high 5 points

4

Marigold Circle Off Camp John 5 acres -15 lots 127

Marshallville

4

Hope Rd

12 homes

moderate

5

New Pine Level Off of Bryant 4 acres 15 lots 124

Marshallville

Church Rd 5

Hill Rd North 12 homes

moderate

6

Tyson Loblolly Hwy 90 W

195 acres 1

115

Oglethorpe

Farm 6

Loblolly Rd.

home 1 office moderate

8 chicken houses

7

Tyson Pine

Hwy 90 W.

100 acres 1

115

Ideal

Level Farm

Bartlett

home- 1 office 4 moderate

chicken houses

8

Village Apts. Sleepy Hollow 30 acres 60

69 Low Marshallville

Sleepy Hollow Rd.

Apts- 12 buildings

Apts.

Marshallville

Lane Apts.

9

Oaks Nursing Nursing Home 2 acres 86 beds 68 Low Marshallville

Home

Rd.

4 homes

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VIII. PRIORITIZED MITIGATION RECOMMENDATIONS

The following recommendations were developed during follow-up meetings with County and State fire response agencies. A priority order was determined based on which mitigation projects would best reduce the hazard of wildland fire to communities and infrastructure. The following priorities were considered.

Community Hazard and Structural Ignitability Reduction Wildland Fuel reduction or modification Improvements to capabilities of Wildland response agencies Public Education regarding risk of wildland fire

Proposed Community Hazard and Structural Ignitability Reduction Priorities

Hazard
Lack of defensible space
Access problems for initial attack
Structural Ignitability
Local Codes and Ordinances

Mitigation
Improve defensible space around structures in communities at risk
Improve access problems
Reduce structural ignitability
Improve and amend to codes and ordinances pertaining to infrastructure and community protection from wildland fire.

Method
All departments should examine structures in communities at risk in their response areas. Improvements to defensible space as referenced in firewise guidelines should be conveyed to residents through media or direct contact. All County response agencies and the Georgia Forestry Commission should closely examine access in all communities identified to be at risk. When problems are identified corrective measures should be made. Citizens in communities at risk should be educated regarding methods to reduce structural ignitability as referenced in firewise guidelines. This can be accomplished through media or direct contact. Examine all existing codes and ordinances for problems regarding direct conflicts to wildland safety or lack of needed codes or enforcement.

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Proposed Wildland Fuel Reduction or modification Priorities

Hazard Fuel Hazards near Communities at risk

Mitigation Prescribed Burning

Fuel Hazard in public or shared spaces

Fuel Modification or reduction

Method Determine Communities at risk where Prescribed burning would be appropriate to use. Seek cooperation from adjacent landowners. Find funding to cover cost of burning. Prioritize burn compartments and execute. Determine where hazards exist. Determine appropriate method for modification or reduction. Chipping, raking and piling, County pick-up, Organized Community Clean-up days could be beneficial.

Proposed Improvements to capabilities of Wildland Response Agencies Priorities

Problem or need
Lack of qualification or training

Improvement or
solution Provide training opportunities

Equipment needs

Improve or acquire Wildland fire equipment

Details
Examine training records of all wildland responders to insure training and qualifications match expected duties. Insure that all wildland responders have Basic Wildland Certification. Locate and secure funding for enhanced training from state and federal agencies.
Determine specific equipment needs to bring all wildland response equipment to NWCG Standards. Provide appropriate PPE to all County wildland responders. Provide wildland hand tools to County departments. Investigate needs for improvements to all wildland water handing and supply (dry hydrants, brush trucks, hose, etc.)

Proposed Public Education Priorities

Educational Priority
Increase public awareness concerning firewise principles and fire prevention through direct contact

Responsible party
County, State, and municipal governments

Method
Conduct firewise meetings by each fire response jurisdiction assisted by Georgia Forestry Commission (state) and USDA Forest Service (federal). Conduct a door to door campaign in particularly hazardous communities

Increase public awareness concerning firewise principles and fire prevention through use of media

County, State, and municipal governments

Use PSA's in local newspapers and local radio stations. Utilize firewise displays in local post offices and banks. Seek use of local EMC newsletter for firewise message. Create poster sized notices for use in common public places (stores, post offices, etc. adjacent to high hazard areas advising residents about the hazard and how to protect themselves and their property. Distribute public notices concerning firewise at local sporting events and other public gatherings.

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IX. ACTION PLAN

Steps to implement Community Hazard and Structural Ignitability Priorities

Hazard
Lack of Defensible Space Access problems
Structural Ignitability
Codes and Ordinances

Specific Action and Responsible Party
Using the risk summary in section 3, each department should conduct inspections of communities at risk in their jurisdiction or area of response for lack of defensible space. Findings will be conveyed to residents and treatment methods will be recommended in accordance with Firewise principles. Using the County Base map the Georgia Forestry Commission and Macon County Fire officials should visit all identified communities at risk for the purpose of locating and resolving access difficulties. This inspection should extend into the wildland adjacent to the communities at risk looking for hindrances to suppression tactics Macon County Fire officials should examine structures for structural ignitability concerns at the time when the communities at risk are inspected for lack of defensible space. Using firewise guidelines for reducing structural ignitability,( a checklist could be formulated and used) structures should be assessed and findings conveyed to residents. This could be through use of media or by direct contact. Macon County and municipal Fire Marshalls should closely examine all codes and ordinances for gaps and oversights which could cause problems in the wildland fire arena. Examples include proximity of propane tanks to structures, accumulations of debris, lack of proper identification pertaining address or street names etc..

Steps to implement Fuel Reduction or Modification Priorities

Hazard
Hazardous Wildland Fuel Accumulations
Hazardous Fuel Accumulations in communities and hindrances to suppression

Specific Action and Responsible Party
The Georgia Forestry Commission will prioritize prescribed burning projects adjacent to Communities at risk where burning is determined to be appropriate. The Doe Run Community would probably be the first priority. The pine stands to the north and west could be burned after securing the cooperation of the landowner and locating funding to cover the cost of burning. If this project is successful it could be used as an example of how this method could be used to reduce hazardous fuels on a landscape scale. Should this project not be conducted, permanent firebreaks should be established and maintained on the property line(s) to the north and west of the community. Similar measures could protect the Bartlett Level community near Oglethorpe. Using the risk summary in section 3, Fire departments could conduct community clean up days in communities at risk in their respective jurisdictions aimed at reducing hazardous fuels and hindrances to suppression in shared community space. Residents would be provided with guidance and access to disposal alternatives for materials removed.

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Steps to implement improvements to wildland response capability

Improvement needed
Improve training and qualification of Macon County Wildland firefighters
Improve or acquire wildland fire suppression equipment

Responsible Party and specific action
Chief Ranger Bryan Spillars, of the Georgia Forestry Commission and Macon Co. EMA Director James Conner should examine all training records for personnel under their supervision. All personnel should be certified Georgia Basic Wildland Firefighters or higher in qualification. Additional training and qualification should be sought for personnel identified in the Macon County Fire plan who are assigned specific Incident Command System (ICS) functions. Sources for available funds for training should be sought at State and Federal levels. All stations for Macon County Fire Departments should inventory their present equipment relating to their wildland capability. Funding sources should be investigated from available grants or other sources. Needs for job specific wildland responses should be examined by Chief Ranger Bryan Spillars and EMA Director James Conner.

Steps to educate or inform the Public regarding wildland fire prevention and responsibilities

Opportunity
Improve Public Education through direct contact
Improve Public Education through use of media

Responsible Party and Specific Action
Prior to the onset of fire season(s) rangers of the Georgia Forestry Commission and Macon County Fire personnel should conduct firewise meetings in conjunction with normally scheduled fire department meetings. People living in or near extreme and high risk communities should be invited to these meetings by use of door to door campaigns or by mailbox flyers. Notices regarding these meetings could be placed in local post offices or stores near communities at risk. A Firewise display should be acquired and utilized at this meeting. This display would be retained by the Macon County unit of the Georgia Forestry Commission and used for all firewise meetings in Macon County. Local news media should be invited to these meetings. Goals for potential Firewise certified communities in Macon County could be considered after these meetings are completed. Prior to the onset of fire season(s) or during periods of particularly high fire danger use of the media should be stepped up by personnel of the Georgia Forestry Commission. This should include use of all available media in the County. PSA's should be run weekly during periods of high to extreme fire danger. Signs or poster boards could be developed for display in public spaces near communities at risk advising residents that they live in areas that are susceptible to wildland fire and directing them to sources of information regarding wildland fire safety.

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Timetables for Actions
Steps to implement Community Hazard and Structural Ignitability Priorities
Steps to examine communities at risk for defensible space and structural ignitability should take place during the early fall of 2017. This should occur prior to the time when most citizens begin fall cleanup projects in order for recommendations regarding improvements to defensible space and reduction of structural ignitability to coincide with these seasonal actions.
Pre-planning to examine access and suppression problems should take place prior to the onset of the fall fire season of 2017.
Codes and Ordinances should be examined as soon as possible in order for the legal workings of changes to take place prior to the fall fire season of 2017.
Steps to implement Fuel Reduction or Modification Priorities
The prescribed burn project to reduce fuels near the Doe Run Community should
take place in late winter 2018. Any other priority burn projects or installation of pre suppression fuel breaks should take place during this same window.
Steps to reduce fuels in communities at risk should coincide with steps to
improve defensible space and reduce structural ignitability early fall 2017. Any actions that do not take place during this window could be undertaken during the late winter of 2018.
Steps to implement improvements to wildland response capability
Cooperation between state and local wildland suppression forces regarding
improvements to training and equipment should begin immediately.
Steps to educate or inform the Public regarding wildland fire prevention and responsibilities
Direct contact with residents in Communities at risk should take place prior to the onset of the fall fire season.
The use of media should coincide with the above action.

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Assessment of Actions
Reduction of Community hazard and structural ignitability
Direct measurement of the number of communities assessed would be the appropriate measure of success
Any meetings that result in cooperation between wildland departments should be logged along with minutes of those meetings. Goals should be set and reviewed after each meeting.
Any changes to or additions to codes and ordinances would be an obvious measure of success.
Steps to implement Fuel Reduction or Modification Priorities
Acres burned would be the appropriate measure for fuel reduction. A direct measure of linear feet of firebreaks would be an appropriate measure for pre suppression breaks.
Fuel reduction in communities at risk would be measured by the number of communities affected and number of projects completed.
Steps to implement improvements to wildland response capability
A direct measure of the number of capabilities or qualifications gained would be the appropriate measure of success.
Any equipment acquired or any equipment brought up to national standards would be the appropriate measure of success.
Steps to educate or inform the Public regarding wildland fire prevention and responsibilities
Direct measurement of the number of persons contacted, literature distributed, public notices posted, news articles published, radio programs aired, etc. would be the best measure of success.
Prescribed burning of woodlands is the best management practice to reduce hazardous fuel accumulation. The Georgia Forestry Commission can provide a prescribed burning plan, establish fire breaks, and can also provide equipment standby and assist with burning when personnel are available.

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X. GRANT FUNDING & MITIGATION ASSISTANCE
Community Protection Grant: US Forest Service sponsored prescribed fire program. Communities with "at-risk" properties that lie within ten miles of a National Forest, National Park Service or Bureau of Land Management tracts may apply with the Georgia Forestry Commission to have their land prescribe burned free-of-charge. Forest mastication, where it is practical with Georgia Forestry Commission equipment, is also available under this grant program.
FEMA Mitigation Policy MRR-2-08-01: through GEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program (PDM).
1. To provide technical and financial assistance to local governments to assist in the implementation of long term, cost effective hazard mitigation accomplishments.
2. This policy addresses wildfire mitigation for the purpose of reducing the threat to all-risk structures through creating defensible space, structural protection through the application of ignition resistant construction and limited hazardous fuel reduction to protect life and property.
3. With a completed registered plan (addendum to the State Plan) counties can apply for pre-mitigation funding. They will also be eligible for HMGP funding if the county is declared under a wildfire disaster.
Georgia Forestry Commission: Plowing and prescribed burning assistance, as well as forest mastication, can be obtained from the GFC as a low-cost option for mitigation efforts.
The Georgia Forestry Commission Firewise Community Mitigation Assistance Grants Nationally recognized Firewise Communities can receive up to $5000 grants to help address potential wildfire risk reduction projects. Grant submission can be made through local Georgia Forestry Commission offices or your Regional Wildfire Prevention Specialist.
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and American International Group, Inc. (AIG) offer grants to assist local fire departments in establishing or enhancing their community fuels mitigation programs while educating members of the community about community wildfire readiness and encouraging personal action.

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XI. GLOSSARY
Community-At-Risk A group of two or more structures whose proximity to forested or wildland areas places homes and residents at some degree of risk.
Critical Facilities Buildings, structures or other parts of the community infrastructure that require special protection from an approaching wildfire.
CWPP The Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
Defensible Space The immediate landscaped area around a structure (usually a minimum of 30 ft.) kept "lean, clean and green" to prevent an approaching wildfire from igniting the structure.
Dry Hydrant - A non-pressurized pipe system permanently installed in existing lakes, ponds and streams that provides a suction supply of water to a fire department tank truck.
FEMA The Federal Emergency Management Agency whose mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
Fire Adapted Community A community fully prepared for its wildfire risk by taking actions to address safety, homes, neighborhoods, businesses and infrastructure, forest, parks, open spaces, and other community assets.
Firewise Program A national initiative with a purpose to reduce structural losses from wildland fires.
Firewise Community/USA A national recognition program for communities that take action to protect themselves from wildland fire. To qualify a community must have a wildfire risk assessment by the Georgia Forestry Commission, develop a mitigation action plan, have an annual firewise mitigation/education event, have dedicated firewise leadership, and complete the certification application.
Fuels All combustible materials within the wildland/urban interface or intermix including, but not limited to, vegetation and structures.
Fuel Modification Any manipulation or removal of fuels to reduce the likelihood of ignition or the resistance to fire control.
Hazard & Wildfire Risk Assessment An evaluation to determine an area's (community's) potential to be impacted by an approaching wildland fire.

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Healthy Forests Initiative - Launched in August 2002 by President Bush (following passage of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act by Congress) with the intent to reduce the risks severe wildfires pose to people, communities, and the environment.
Home Ignition Zone (Structure Ignition Zone) - Treatment area for wildfire protection. The "zone" includes the structure(s) and their immediate surroundings from 0-200 ft. Mitigation An action that moderates the severity of a fire hazard or risk.
National Fire Plan National initiative, passed by Congress in the year 2000, following a landmark wildland fire season, with the intent of actively responding to severe wildland fires and their impacts to communities while ensuring sufficient firefighting capacity for the future.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) - An international nonprofit organization established in 1896, whose mission is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.
National Wildfire Preparedness Day Started in 2014 by the National Fire Protection Association as a day for communities to work together to prepare for the fire season. It is held annually on the first Saturday in May.
Prescribed Burning (prescribed fire) The use of planned fire that is deliberately set under specific fuel and weather condition to accomplish a variety of management objectives and is under control until it burns out or is extinguished.
Ready, Set, Go - A program fire services use to help homeowners understand wildfire preparedness, awareness, and planning procedures for evacuation.
Southern Group of State Foresters Organization whose members are the agency heads of the forestry agencies of the 13 southern states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Stakeholders Individuals, groups, organizations, businesses or others who have an interest in wildland fire protection and may wish to review and/or contribute to the CWPP content.
Wildfire or Wildland Fire An unplanned and uncontrolled fire spreading through vegetative fuels.
Wildland/Urban Interface - The presence of structures in locations in which the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) determines that topographical features, vegetation, fuel types, local weather conditions and prevailing winds result in the potential for ignition of the structures within the area from flames and firebrands from a wildland fire (NFPA 1144, 2008 edition.

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XII. SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Publications/Brochures/Websites:
FIREWISE materials can be ordered at www.firewise.org
Georgia Forestry Commission www.georgiafirewise.org
Examples of successful wildfire mitigation programs can be viewed at the website for National Database of State and Local wildfire Hazard Mitigation Programs sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service and the Southern Group of State Foresters www.wildfireprograms.com
Information about a variety of interface issues (including wildfire) can be found at the USFS website for Interface South: www.interfacesouth.org
Information on codes and standards for emergency services including wildfire can be found at www.nfpa.org
Information on FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) can be found at www.firegrantsupport.com
Information on National Fire Plan grants can be found at http://www.federalgrantswire.com/national-fire-plan--rural-fire-assistance.html
Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment website SouthWRAP www.SouthernWildfireRisk.com
Fire Adapted Communities www.fireadapted.org
Ready, Set, Go www.wildlandfirersg.org
National Wildfire Preparedness Day www.wildfireprepday.org
Appended Documents:
Macon County Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment Summary Report (SouthWRAP)
All files that make up this plan are available in an electronic format from the Georgia Forestry Commission.

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Georgia Forestry Commission 5645 Riggins Mill Rd. Dry Branch, GA 31020 800-GA-TREES GaTrees.org
The Georgia Forestry Commission provides leadership, service, and education in the protection and conservation of Georgia's forest resources. An Equal Opportunity Employer and Service Provider
This plan should become a working document that is shared by local, state, and federal agencies that will use it to accomplish common goals. An agreed-upon schedule for meeting to review accomplishments, solve problems, and plan for the future should extend beyond the scope of this plan. Without this follow up this plan will have limited value