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Case Study 4 : FAMILIES RELOCATE DURING PRESCRIBED BURN
In 2003, nearly 1,000 neighbors of the former Fort Ord relocated voluntarily for several days during a prescribed burn that removed vegetation from nearly 1,500 acres of land. There is still unexploded ordnance and explosives on this land, left over from when Fort Ord was a major military training center. The vegetation has to be cleared off before it is safe for cleanup workers to go on the land to remove these explosives. Once the explosives have been cleared satisfactorily, the land will be transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management which will manage the land as a nature preserve and recreation area.
Additional prescribed burns, on nearly an annual basis, will be necessary before all the land is cleared. There was no prescribed burn in 2004, but another burn may be scheduled for 2005.
The decision to use prescribed burns was controversial. The Army, in consultation with the Army, and the environmental regulators, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Department of Toxic Substances Control, implemented a major public outreach and involvement program to evaluate the regarding the options for vegetation removal. This outreach program included five information bulletins sent directly to more than 50,000 households, briefings for elected leaders, two community symposia, and a series of public comment meetings.
In 2002, following this program, the agencies concluded that prescribed burns were the only viable solution. The agencies agreed that the Army would set up a voluntary relocation program that would pay for people to relocate for several days while smoke would be in the air. Jim Creighton was retained to prepare a relocation plan to be implemented by the Army.
Creighton worked with the agencies to develop a "community bulletin" that was distributed to 50,000 households in Monterey County to publicize the availability of the relocation program. The Army placed advertisements in newspapers and issued media releases to newspapers, radio and television stations. The Army also distributed relocation guides through community groups, recreation facilities, school districts, labor unions and handicapped groups, and conducted public sign-up meetings. Representatives from the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Creighton, and Army representatives also conducted briefings for physicians as part of Grand Rounds at local hospitals.
More than 205 families relocated on November 19th, expecting the burn to occur on November 20th. But late on the 19th the Army concluded that the weather conditions had not developed exactly as hoped to minimize smoke, and cancelled the fire. As a result, the Army had to broadcast an "all clear" to all the people who relocated, with the Army picking up the tab for lodging, meals and transportation for the shortened relocation.
In 2003 the Army asked Creighton to actually manage the relocation program. The program again included a substantial public information program to let people know about the planned prescribed burn and relocation program. This included mailing two community bulletins to more than 50,000 homes each.
The Army conducted a prescribed the first burn in October 2003. 493 families relocated during this period. The relocation period was extended by two days when the fire escaped the primary containment lines and burned a much larger area than had been planned. The relocation program went smoothly, but the escaped fire led to major political controversy in the community.
The Army conducted a large public meeting at which community members could express their unhappiness with the amount of smoke generated by the fire, and Creighton facilitated several meetings with local fire chiefs to identify ways to control fires in the future. Based on these deliberations, Creighton prepared a new community bulletin discussing how the Army would control fires in the future, to avoid another escaped fire.
The Army did not conduct a prescribed burn in 2004, but a prescribed burn is planned for 2005. Jim Creighton will manage the relocation program if and when another burn occurs.
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