Submitted by Ken Watts
The Island Park Sustainable Fire Community (IPSFC) organization hosted a tour of the Sawtelle wildfire area on August 31, the anniversary of the fire. You will find detailed information about the tour, written by Liz Davy, elsewhere in the paper. This was probably one of the best tours that I have had the pleasure of participating with, in the Island Park area. What made it so great was the level of expertise that was assembled to educate the public on wildfires and defending your property from wildfires. The expertise included staff from IPSFC, the Forest Service, Fremont County Emergency Management, and others. Likely the most informative portion of the tour was the discussion of how the decision was made to “fight” the fire. This process is not only very scientific but it also includes many logistical considerations that are critically important to attaining the desired outcome. A team is assembled to make the decisions and there are many levels of checks and balances in the process. In Island Park, you are in very good hands when it comes to wildfires. The expertise and experience of the Forest Service District Ranger, Bill Davis is evident. His support, including Jon White, is also very impressive. Jon has been working to keep the Island Park public safer for many years. You are part of the equation. Keith Richey (FCEM) discussed our responsibilities for our own safety via the Ready-Set-Go program of preparedness. The public must play a vital role in assuring their safety. Keith can provide you very valuable information. When it comes to boots on the ground for private property owners, the IPSFC is an incredibly valuable resource. IPSFC is supported by the Idaho Department of Lands, donations, and other agencies. For years, they have helped the people of Island Park evaluate their properties for fire risk and have helped to mitigate the risk in many cases. They can help you mitigate your own risk also. Their slash pickup effort has been wildly successful and popular. Liz Davy has been an integral asset to IPSFC for many years. The Forest Service and the BLM (Channing Swann) have been working for years in fuel reduction efforts in the Island Park area. These efforts not only reduce wildfire danger but also promote a better ecosystem. Wildlife and people benefit. It takes a real team of talented people to mitigate the risk of wildfires and we are part of that team. Please get involved and do your part to protect us all, including our fury friends. We really do have some local agencies that work in the public interest. Take time to thank them. They really care about you and your safety.
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Making Sense of It All
This blog will help you make sense out of all the information on the website, how it affects IP, our history, and how efforts continue to put IP into various forms of conservation status. Archives
May 2023
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