CATHEDRAL
MOUNTAIN RANCH ASSOCIATION
P. O. BOX 504
NYE, MT 59061
(406)
328-6263
October 7, 2003
Ms.
Paula Rosenthal
DNRC
Forestry
2705
Sprugin Road
Missoula,
MT 59804
Re: 2004 Wildland Urban Interface Grant Application – Cathedral Mountain Ranch
Dear
Ms. Rosenthal:
Enclosed for your consideration is Cathedral
Mountain Ranch Association’s completed application for participation in the
2004 Western States Wildland Urban Interface Grant Program. Also attached are a few captioned
photographs illustrating certain of the areas and hazardous fuel conditions on
the Cathedral Mountain Ranch (CMR) property that our homeowners association
hope to mitigate under a 2004 matching fund grant project. You may recall certain of these specific
areas of concern from the site visit you kindly participated in last month.
As our Resident Wildfire Committee discussed
with you at the property, in recent years dead and dying trees from
drought-aggravated disease and insect infestations in particular pine species
at CMR have expanded to a point where residents cannot themselves mitigate the
wildfire hazard. The wildfires in the
nearby Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness and related fire fighting and defense
monitoring at CMR related to those fires this past summer, have heightened the
concern and commitment of our residents and lot owners to aggressively reduce
the wildfire risk at CMR.
We certainly appreciate all the information
and counsel you have provided our Wildfire Committee with respect to the
wildlands-urban interface, fire prevention, defense strategies, information
sources, and the possibility for CMR participation in a matching grant
program. Your willingness to respond to
our after hour queries, travel well out of your way to observe the conditions
at CMR and arrangements to squeeze meetings with our organization into your
busy schedule, commands our respect for your professionalism and is also very
much appreciated.
As you review our application, please feel
free to contact Mr. Clossin, Mr. Green or any other of our Board or Committee
members should you require additional CMR information or clarification of any
of our qualifying comments.
Respectfully
yours,
The CMRA Board Members and Resident Wildfire Committee
Bill Clossin, Wildfire Committee Chairman Becky Chenault, Board and
Wildfire Committee
P.O. Box 535 4
Riddles Cliff
Nye, MT 59061 Nye,
MT 59061
(406) 328-6243 ayla@vcn.com
wclossin@alumni.arcadia.edu
Mike Goddu, CMRA Board Pres. Catherine Green, Board and Wildfire
Committee
3788 Orange Lane 9947 S. Blackwood Circle
Boulder,
CO 80304 Highlands
Ranch, CO 80126
goddu@ghjconsulting.com tgreen@perm.attbbs.com
Ralph
Green, Board and Wildfire Committee Mark Reynolds, CMRA Board
P.O.
Box 1330 1953
Patricia Lane
Columbus,
MT 59019 Billings, MT 59102
(406)
322-8733 doc4is@att.net
CATHEDRAL
MOUNTAIN RANCH
- 2004 Hazardous
Fuels Reduction Program -
Concentrations of dead and diseased trees (hazardous fuels) adjacent to access routes critical for emergency
travel by residents, firefighters and equipment in event of wildfire. In this example, the only route serving
the Lodge and several residences.
Dead and diseased tree advance… Approximately 80% of pine stand in this area of CMR is dead or diseased
and creates substantial hazardous fuel accumulations and wild fire risk.
Example of pervasive disease effects and elevated risk from hazardous wildfire fuel accumulations at CMR
Site within higher priority Phase 1 Project area targeted for removal of hazardous fuels and concurrent
Restoration of disturbed area with more fire-resistant plants
Example of conditions within Priority 1 Project area as defined by coincident hazardous fuel concentrations
(dead trees and ladder fuel) and areas of higher cabin density or home clusters.