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| 60 Min. |
60 Min. |
| City Council - Work Session |
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| Information |
| HISTORY: |
The City entered into an agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1918 for the purpose of conserving and protecting the water supply of the City of Walla Walla. The agreement provides for the protection of the watershed, but allows for, "Measures necessary for the proper protection and care of the forests; the marking, cutting, and disposition of such timber as, in the judgment of the forest officers may be removed without injury to the water supply..."
CURRENT ITEM:
United States Forest Service (USFS) staff will present the Tiger-Mill fire fuel reduction project (informational only).
(The USFS is an agency of the USDA.)
Director Bealey will provide an introductory presentation.
PROJECT BACKGROUND:
The Notice of Proposed Action for the Tiger-Mill project was issued in January 2023. The City (and others) commented on the project during the public comment period (February 2023). An Environmental Assessment, Finding of No Significant Impact, and Decision Notice was issued February 2025. After the City received various objections to the project, a presentation from the USFS was requested to brief Council on the proposed project (the purpose of this item).
PROJECT OVERVIEW:
The project seeks to reduce risk, size, and severity of wildfire.
The Tiger-Mill Project is being proposed to protect the Mill Creek Municipal Watershed and restore ecosystem processes and functions that foster landscape diversity and achieve desired vegetation conditions.
-Project Purpose: Vegetation management (other than forest products); fuels management; Watershed management
-Activities: Fuel treatments; forest vegetation improvements; roadless area management; road maintenance; road improvements/construction; timber sales (From the USFS Tiger-Mill project webpage)
"The work authorized by the Decision Notice is necessary and prudent to provide a safe and reliable source of water for the City of Walla Walla, WA through the accomplishment of multi-use management objectives for these public lands. The purpose of this project is to increase opportunities to manage the spread of natural and prescribed fire safely and effectively, manage stands for resilience to future disturbances across the landscape, and to reduce the risk associated with wildland fires’ potential to degrade the municipal water supply. This will be done through the reduction of hazardous fuels, enhanced diversity in vegetation and protection of water quality. This work is important in forest management, establishing safer conditions for wildland firefighters, and in the long-term management of water resources within the municipal watershed and adjacent public lands." (From the February 2025 USFS Decision Notice - Decision Rationale for the Tiger-Mill project)
Water quality monitoring will be provided during the project as described in Appendix G (Project Monitoring) of the February 2025 Environmental Assessment, which states that a detailed monitoring plan will be developed in cooperation with the City of Walla Walla during the development of the burn plans.
KEY DOCUMENTS/INFORMATION:
- Project Overview Map for the Tiger-Mill project (Alternative A, 2025)
- 1918 agreement (1918)
- Fire history map (2024)
- Tiger-Mill Notice of Proposed Action (2023)
- City comment letter (2023)
- Washington Department of Natural Resources comment letter (2023)
- Tiger-Mill Environmental Assessment, Finding of No Significant Impact, and Decision Notice (2025)
- Environmental Assessment, Appendix G - Project Monitoring (2025)
- Tiger-Mill Project Peer Review (City Commissioned, 2025)
Additional information on the project can be viewed on the Forest Service's webpage: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/umatilla/projects/62658 |
| POLICY ISSUES: |
Support for wildland fire fighting and fuel reduction in the watershed has been a state/federal legislative priority of the City since 2016. See Resolutions 2015-121, 2015-122, 2016-05, 2016-129, 2016-130, 2017-109, 2017-110, 2018-124, 2018-125, 2019-118, 2019-119, 2020-121, 2020-122, 2021-153, 2021-154, 2022-120, 2022-121, 2023-101, 2023-102, 2024-100, 2024-101
Work on city-owned land requires city authorization. This took place in 2020 with the Tiger Creek Prescribed burn (authorized by Resolution 2020-063).
The City also contracts with the USFS for patrols (security) and monitoring (fire watch) of the watershed under a "Cooperative" agreement. The most recent authorization of the agreement was in 2023 (Resolution 2023-055). The City and the USFS have cooperatively managed the Mill Creek Watershed for protection of water quality through an Agreement originally executed on June 26, 1918 (Res. 442). Patrol/monitoring of the watershed is a watershed control requirement of WAC 246-290-690 (3)(e). |
| PLAN COMPLIANCE: |
STRATEGIC PLAN:
SAFE COMMUNITY - Organizational readiness around emergency management, infrastructure stability (maintenance/ repair/multimodal), and overall community safety.
HIGH PERFORMING ORGANIZATION - The City will develop a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration with organizations and partners within the community, financial stability/sustainability, and a well trained and supported work force.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:
Environment and Natural Resources Goal 1 Water, air, and soil resources in Walla Walla are protected.
ENR Policy 1.8 Protect the community from hazards, including, but not limited to, earthquakes, severe storms, wildfires and flooding.
ENR Policy 1.10 Plan for the anticipated impacts of climate change, and participate in broader efforts to minimize climate change.
Capital Facilities and Utilities Goal 1 Walla Walla’s capital facilities and utilities are well maintained and up-to-date to meet the demands of growth and economic development.
Capital Facilities and Utilities Goal 3 The provision of capital facilities and utilities is coordinated through collaboration with neighboring governments and private providers.
CFU Policy 3.1 Protect the City’s surface water supply in the Umatilla National Forest from the impact of wildfires through coordinated planning with the US Forest Service.
CFU Policy 3.2 Work with State and regional partners to ensure a safe and sufficient supply of potable water is provided to residents, keeping demand in balance with natural supply and growth. |
| ALTERNATIVES: |
| The USFS evaluated two alternatives (A and B) following the public comment period, with the primary difference between Alternative A and B being: 1) no commercial thinning in the Inventoried Roadless Area and Riparian Habitat Conservation Areas, 2) no thinning of large trees, 3) no thinning of old trees, and 4) road management. |
| CITY MANAGER COMMENTS: |
| Approved for council work session discussion. |
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