Just a reminder with the burn ban in place and the holidays coming up, no fires and no fireworks.  Thank you 

Firewise News! Phase 3 of the shaded fuel break perimeter project is ready for sign ups! In fact, some residents have already signed up with our DNR forester, Dustin Mutch. 34 packets will be in the mail today with a letter from Firewise, a map of the proposed project, and a sign up sheet for the project that describes the purpose and scope. This last form is to be signed and returned to Dustin Mutch at the address on the form, by the end of October at the latest! Dustin's email and phone number are on the form if you have questions. If enough residents sign up, the work will be done by a licensed contractor hired by the DNR AT NO COST TO THE PROPERTY OWNER! Also, additional areas of the park may be included in the project if a group of residents let us know that they are interested. Talk to your neighbors. This is a great deal in a time of great danger from wildfires. Protect your investment. Keep us all safer. Sign up! BE FIREWISE!

Thank you to all the neighbors who came out to the Firewise Work Party on May 3rd! A great job was done. A large pile for the chipper was produced. And the land looked much better and safer after being thinned and  the brush removed.The Firewise view and  Adar's yummy cookies were our reward. Thank you also to all those who have worked to set up piles for the chipper on their own lots.

Rural 7, station 11 is always looking for new volunteers. You can get an application from LT Bill Bergthold at station 11 or at the main fire house in Goldendale, station 1. Thank you CPT Gerry Zager for all your years of service. 

Many thanks to those who filled potholes in our roads at the Pothole Work Party over the weekend: Tobiah and Adar Israel, Dave Kincaid, Bill Reid, Sharon Carr, Brent Boykin-Hicks, Pete Burlock, Bill Bergthold, and Gerry Zager. Thanks also to those who have filled potholes on their own. Your community spirit is appreciated!

Hey Firewise Ponderosa, here's some good news! We have been granted another DNR micro grant of up to $4000. This will be used for chipping and removal of dead hazard trees near the roads. So get your chipping piles ready, and put in a request for chipping in the Firewise section on the Ponderosa website. This will be done at no cost to the property owner. Work must be completed by June. Firewise and the Road Committee will be looking at the hazard trees. Contact Tobiah Israel if you have some good candidates. 
More good news! Our DNR Community Resilience Coordinator, Charlie Landsman, and our DNR Landowner Assistance Forester, Dustin Mutch, and Jaymison Cline, a Wildfire and Forest Health Specialist will be teaming up to help our community on March 26th. So when you see multiple DNR vehicles driving slowly down the roads, starting at about 9am, for a few hours on March 26th, wave and say thank you. They will be taking notes for our Community Wildfire Risk Assessment. (As they are doing for other communities in our county.) They will not take down any information that is personally identifiable to a single property. And they will not go on to anyone's property. They are collecting general information about the community, so that our wildfire risk, and what can mitigate it, can be assessed. This may lead to other help being made available for our community, like the Shaded Fuel Break Perimeter Project. By the way, phase 2 of the perimeter project has now been completed.!
Finally, Charlie recommends that any residents who have issues with insurance reach out directly to The Washington State Office of Insurance Commissioner at insurance.wa.gov/contact-us. He says that they have resources and some control over the insurance industry. So let them know if you are having insurance problems. Being Firewise is one way to help keep insurance problems at bay. So thank you all for your continued help and participation!

Good Firewise News!
Dustin Mutch, our DNR Forester has notified your Firewise Committee that the work on Phase Two  of The Shaded Fuel Break Project has begun! The Contractor's name is Eli Rad. So if you see Dustin or the workers in the neighborhood tell them "Thank You". We will be better prepared in time for fire season. Also Tobiah Israel has submitted our application for a DNR micro grant, and Charlie Landsman, our other forester, has received it and sent it on. So keep your fingers crossed!

Time to think Firewise! Snow is on the ground, but soon it will be spring and the contractor hired by DNR will start work on Phase 2 of the perimeter shaded fuel break project. And phase 3 is in the works also, with more sign-ups to come for those in the phase 3 perimeter. Individual cost share is also available to help you fund work on your own property. If you have questions, contact our DNR forester Dustin Mutch at 509-859-6437 or dustin.mutch@dnr.wa.gov. Your Firewise committee will also be working with the DNR to obtain another reimbursement grant. These funds can be used for fuel reduction like chipping, and hazard tree removal. Remember to get your piles ready for chipping with the piles accessible near the road with butts facing outward. Complete a chipping request on this website under Firewise. Chipping will be done for free as funds and weather allow. Firewise will also schedule a work party/education day in late spring. If you are in need of fuel reduction help and want your place to be the location of a work party contact Tobiah Israel at 509-773-6249. More information to come on all these projects. Many members of the community have been working on their places to make them safer from wildfire by thinning, limbing, burning slash, and creating defensible space. Thank you! Let's all keep up the good work.

Ponderosa Firewise has been awarded a $4,000 DNR reimbursement grant! This means that we can be reimbursed up to $4,000 for monies spent from our Firewise funds on chipping and large dead tree removal, if the work is done before the cut off date in June, 2024. So get those chipping piles ready. Make piles accessible to the road, and stack branches butts out for the chipper.
Don't forget to go to the Firewise section of this site and submit a chipping request.  And if you have large dead hazard trees that are near the road or near structures, call Tobiah Israel at 1-509-773-6249. Chipping and dead tree falling can be done for free while our funds last. And if we run out of funds, you can be on the list for when more funds are available. The tree falling will be done by a professional contractor. The chipping will also be done by a professional contractor on or after the April 27th work party. So don't delay. Get your requests in and enjoy some free assistance.