This award will provide greatly needed resources in a priority watershed area in an area of the country known to be at very high risk from wildfire

This $150,000 Cooperative Agreement award from the Bureau of Land Management's Good Neighbor Authority (CFDA 15.015) program will enable Owyhee County, Idaho to implement a variety of wildfire mitigation and adaptation activities in a high-risk watershed area. The project objectives include reducing hazardous fuels through adaptive fuels reduction, enhancing citizen awareness and action through public outreach, and implementing these efforts through seasonal staffing. Key deliverables will include reduced fuel loads, increased landscape resilience, job creation, and community outreach. This award supports the strategic goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy and aligns with state and local wildfire mitigation plans for the targeted region. Owyhee County has a proven track record in delivering federal grant projects and collaborating with partner agencies on wildfire management initiatives.

We have a historical wildfire regime within this area and will continue to have wildfires well into the future. We need to adapt and work together to mitigate risks to these landscapes, as well as other values at risk, such as lives and structures, critical wildlife habitat, endangered plant species (e.g., slickspot peppergrass), archeological historical cultural sites, critical infrastructure, etc. Data and metrics will also help US to better dial in these services to provide the best available outcome for all values at risk. These grant funds will help owyhee county, and our partners move closer to the three goals of the national cohesive wildland fire management strategy of (1) safe and effective response, (2) creating resilient landscapes and (3) creating fire-adapted communities. These goals are important, attainable, and intertwined. The activities that we will perform are varied, and may include (depending upon funding) creating fuel breaks, mastication, removal and trimming of trees, weed trimming, restoration (e.g., herbicide and seeding), chipping of woody biomass, biological treatments (e.g., goat grazing), prescribed fire, helicopter logging, etc. All of the work t will fall under three different project objectives: project objective a reduce hazardous fuels in the boise WUI through adaptive fuels reduction, project objective b enhance citizen awareness and action through public outreach engagement, and project objective c implement projects within objectives a and b through seasonal staff. These projects that are listed under these objectives in this document and in the budget narrative fall in line with the strategic goals of this BLM grant program, the goals of the national cohesive wildland fire management strategy, the ADA county multi-hazard mitigation plan, the city of boise comprehensive plan (blueprint boise), the ADA county community wildfire protection plan, the idaho forest action plan, and various other associated state and federal plans for this important watershed area. The deliverables will include reduced fuel-loads with summary reports of project completion, increased landscape resilience, jobs creation and mentoring, reduced transmission of ground fire in key areas, reduced fuels around homes and other structures, and outreach to the community. We have a robust wildfire mitigation team (WMT) within the city of boise, with a proven track record of wildfire mitigation project completion and deliverables. We also have a proven track record of collaboration and working with our area partners. The intended beneficiaries are the land management agencies (e.g., BLM, USFS, IDL and the city of boise), property owners, wildlife from enhanced ecosystem benefits, native plants communities, and the general public, as well as other jurisdictions that we can help along the way by providing them support and direction through networking and collaboration.there are no subrecipients for this cooperative agreement.