I. Introduction

A group of self-directed citizens concerned with wildfire safety issues from the Virginia Highlands Community formed The Fire Safe Highlands Coalition. This group, in cooperation with the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Service, contracted with Resource Concepts, Inc. (RCI) to develop the Virginia Highlands Community Wildfire Risk Assessment and Fuel Reduction Plan. Gnomon, Inc. was sub-contracted by RCI to provide forestry expertise and Geographic Information Services (GIS) used for mapping and risk analyses.

The Virginia Highlands subdivision encompasses 12,000 acres of privately owned land consisting of 1,169 one-acre lots clustered in the interior of the subdivision. Ten-acre parcels surround the one-acre core, with 40-acre parcels forming the outer most extents of the subdivision.

The purpose of this project is to identify risks and develop strategies for fuel treatments that will reduce the hazard to homes in the Virginia Highlands Community during a wildland fire. The objectives of this project were to:

1. Evaluate the existing fire hazard data previously compiled for the project area.
2. Compile and analyze additional ecological site and risk data pertinent to formulating recommendations to reduce fire hazards in the Virginia Highlands Community.
3. Utilizean ecological approach to ascertain both the condition and trend of the rangeland vegetation to identify fuels management treatments that would best complement the natural setting and improve ecosystem health.
4. Delineateand describe fire-risk zones within the one and ten-acre parcel areas and develop site-specific recommendations to reduce risks of wildfire for each zone.

The recommendations developed for this report are specific to the Virginia Highlands Community. They expand on the standard recommendation generally discussed for the region based upon differences in risk factors and site-specific characteristics observed throughout the project area.

Recommendations are detailed further for the Highlands Community based upon “Zone Delineations” for the one and 10-acre parcels to address even more specific concerns in smaller geographic areas within the Highlands.

Both the general, standard recommendations and the very site-specific zone recommendations provide a critical starting point for homeowners and community groups to take proactive steps in reducing the risks for loss of life and property from wildfire. Additional assistance is available to individual property owners from the local Storey County Fire Department (SCFD), the Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF), and the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).