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During the summer of 2003, Glacier National Park awarded a contract for an interagency wildland urban interface (WUI) and prevention education specialist. Jean Tabbert was tasked with assisting Glacier National Park and the Flathead National Forest in collecting and sharing materials for a WUI library, ordering and creating interpretive materials and conducting meetings for local communities and landowners about FIREWISE standards and fire prevention. About one month after Jean began work, Glacier National Park received the first of many lightning storms which sparked several large fires. These wildfires ultimately burned almost 140,000 acres in Glacier and put the summer of 2003 in the record books as the largest fire season in the Park's history. Ironically, the contract was awarded in order to assist local communities and cooperators prepare for a fire season like 2003 but, despite the scale of the season, the fires provided a timely educational opportunity and generated an interest in FIREWISE issues that would not have been matched in an average fire season. During a time when many landowners felt helpless and frustrated from multiple evacuations, the WUI contractor position served as a conduit for information and provided tangible actions that individuals could undertake to protect their homes and those of their friends and neighbors.
During the 5 months of the contract Jean was able to complete several vital WUI education projects. Example of this work includes:
- The completion of a portable interpretive poster board display on WUI issues for Glacier.
- The compilation of a complete library and bibliography of WUI information, FIREWISE brochures and handouts in both hardcopy and electonic formats for use by the Flathead Forest and Glacier National Park in future educational efforts.
- Creation of a short guest interpretive program that was presented at three campgrounds in Glacier.
- Completion of a Wildland Urban Interface lesson that will be inserted into the Glacier Naturalists 'Work House' book in hopes of incorporating WUI into further interpretive programs.
- Invitation of park in-holders and neighbors to several community meetings and amphitheater presentations about living in the urban interface.
- Worked with Flathead Forest prevention techs in conducted face to face homeowner contacts in the remote North Fork Valley and at local shopping centers to provide residents with defensible space and fire restriction information.
- Staffed 11 Robert Fire bus tours, incorporated defensible space into the script and distributed 'protect your home' flyers.
- Created a WUI page for Glacier National Park 's internet site.
- Worked closely with Glacier Naturalists and created WUI talking points for future interpretive presentations.
- Created a powerpoint presentation on WUI.
- Designed a flyer for reminding locals that fireworks are prohibited on federal lands and drafted a prevention public service announcement for use by the Zone Prevention Team.
- Compiled a list of future WUI education projects and recommendations for 2004 and eventual incorporation into a shared Glacier/Flathead fire interpretation position.
It was a very busy and chaotic year to attempt WUI education but the contract, and ultimately the outcome of the 2003 fire season was extremely successful. Six homes were ultimately lost during the 2003 season in Northwest Montana, a tragic loss but small in comparison to the hundreds of homeowners that now have a strong interest in fireproofing their properties and, thanks to the WUI education contract, a concept of what to do and how to start. It's impossible to calculate the number of homes that will be saved in the future because of this education effort, and many landowners have already started to protect their homes. We are certain that the interest in prevention and FIREWISE strategies in northwestern Montana will be at an all-time high in 2004.
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