MHTF - Fire Protection Plan

[OldWolf99]

All - Fire is a serious concern no matter what forested area you live in. Has anyone spoken to the Forest Service about their thoughts? If so, can you share? If not, would anyone be adverse to asking them? I do not know of another group that would know more about forest fires. We would like to get the commission to commit to including this area in the Comprehensive Plan. As well as checking with the County emergency preparedness team to see what their plan is or if they have a plan.

[Willis]

In 2006 a wildfire threat sign was installed in front of the Blue Ridge Fire VFD' substation on Mission Road (Imho is should have placed on Rt 9 where all the Mountain could see it). But at least the Forestry Service recognized the threat. It's not God's gift to man but does serve as a reminder when dry conditions exist on the Blue Ridge's slopes. It was installed in conjunction with the WV Forest Service and the Firewise program (http://www.firewise.org/). Now I'm not too sure what further was done(I suspect not a heck of a lot could be done). The BRMVFD may know. State Senator Unger and Delegate Locke Wysong had some hand in the project.

A lot of the information available(see link) was common sense which some seem to lack to excess such as unsupervised burning of construction and yard waste, not clearing debris in the immediate area around a house and, of course having an escape/evacuation plan. I'm sure we, the Blue Ridge Community, could persuade the Forest Service to visit again to put on their dog and pony show. The one at the sign's dedication was an informal affair, but perhaps a more structured presentation would be effective.

[Starbuck]

I'd be up for attending this, as well as hearing evacuation plans if a fire were to make Mission Road impassable.

[OzGirl]

I have not been able to locate a plan for the conservation and cleanup of firetrails....Bare minimum the forestry department or whomever should have a commitment schedule to the trails maintenance and creation.

Also there are options to have drywells installed in several locations along the river - but up to this point private enterprise would have to foot-the-bill, I believe that dry wells in more locations for water should also be identified and installed on the mountain - since its so inherent to fighting fires with any success up here.

I believe the current placement of dry well locations are listed on a map.

All emergency services locations should have keycoded electronic access with the firechiefs having a master code to get into locations as is necessary. Since we run on volunteers you never know when an emergency officer may need access to a location with no-one able to give it to him/her this should include locations like Mission Park that with bathrooms and cooking facilities may be used as a staging/control or rest location for the firefighters etc.

Some ideas!

[OldWolf99]

I will place a call to the Emergency Preparedness group for the county to see what they have. I'll send an update either late this week or early next week. Until then what can we do on our own? Any ideas?

[OldWolf99]

Hi all - The MHTF website http://www.mountainheritagetf.org (http://www.mountainheritagetf.org/) has been updated if you are interested.

[ministerswife]

It's difficult to imagine anyone being "adverse" to a fire protection plan in this area. Willis says, and I support:


A lot of the information available(see link) was common sense which some seem to lack to excess such as unsupervised burning of construction and yard waste, not clearing debris in the immediate area around a house and, of course having an escape/evacuation plan. I'm sure we, the Blue Ridge Community, could persuade the Forest Service to visit again to put on their dog and pony show. The one at the sign's dedication was an informal affair, but perhaps a more structured presentation would be effective.

I read in the news sometime last year where someone's son came to visit her (this was in another area, but similar to ours) and while he was there he raked the leaves and cleared some 20 feet around her house. A day or two later the area had a fire, and the fire traveled up to the point where he had raked and cleaned the property, but didn't go any further or closer to the house. Amazing!

[trollibear]

I'm concerned about any discussion or complaining about fire protection.

Remember a thread a few years back about this which led to Mr Surkamp saying fire hydrants would be coming.

And on further discussion we found that that included public water which we ALL had to hook up to.

Be careful of what we wish for. Snyder will come a runnin!!!!!!!!!!!!

[OldWolf99]

I don't think Snyder wants any part of Shannondale. He has not been able to manage Keys Ferry Acres and it is only 1/2 the size.

[trollibear]

I don't think Snyder wants any part of Shannondale. He has not been able to manage Keys Ferry Acres and it is only 1/2 the size.

I don't agree with you. I worked for his wife at her Flower Shop as a disigner nine years ago, and he and Paul Asbaugh talked about Shannondale all the time.

Oh, the stories I could tell!!!!!!!

[Kensey]

I don't think Snyder wants any part of Shannondale. He has not been able to manage Keys Ferry Acres and it is only 1/2 the size.

Wanting and being able to handle what you want are two completely different things. I suspect Snyder, like many developers, wants anything he can legally develop. Plus, if development on the mountain stops, he's locked out of his home ground, and has to go elsewhere, where he's not the big dog he is here.

[STR1KER]

"I don't think Snyder wants any part of Shannondale."
Sorry Dude, but I gotta giggle here... I know yer "new" to the area w/in the past couple of years w/ that statement... It's ok, not everyone knows the back story about the infamous "MR. SNAKEY SNYDER"...

We as a group in Shannondale fought Snakey Snyder back in the 80's and put a stop to his insanity of bringing water and sewer to anywhere along Mission Rd. The 'Dale's been salt in his wound ever since. Don't believe anything he tells you.

Shannondale is one of his MAIN priorities to getting water and sewer on this mountain. He thinks if he can have the north side of the mtn, eventually precedent will be set to bring it to the Mission Road area.

Granted, he can't even take care of the properties he already has, and he's a couple phone calls away from the EPA breathing down his neck for the sludge that comes outta people's sinks, and tubs. That's not including the fact that some people don't even HAVE water 3 or 4 days out of the week.

He needs to focus on fixing the problems he's already created before he tries to acquire anything new. HE just doesn't want to put the $ out to fix his pipelines, etc.... He'd rather make a ton of $ by charging his people outrageous amounts for way below acceptable service.

Don't let him fool ya Mr. Smiley, one of his "dreams" is to F up the Dale, and any other property he can w/ "his services". He wants his water/sewer all over this mtn, in every direction, so he can make a mint in that shell game he calls Snyder Environmental, and Jefferson Utilities.

I do have a question though... Since when is it legal for ONE MAN to own water and sewer when it's supposed to be provided by the county/city/whatever? Look at other states - Penna, MD, VA -

Question to the transplants of the area that had public water and sewer -
Who supplied it & what did you pay for public water and sewer? Was it to the city/county/state? I'll bet it was, and not directly to one man that shifts $ from one company to another.

I dig the fact you're trying to help, I really do, but PLEASE learn of the past events as much as you can. There are more than a few undesirable people that only want items for personal gain, and Snyder's DEF. one of them.

[STR1KER]

Now, as far as an emergency water supply, one of our most IMPORTANT items, besides the river, is the Lake. It's such an IMPORTANT TOOL for fire safety and prevention in an area void of exit avenues.

Please contact "MINISTERSWIFE" - Ms. Mickey - in helping the SAVE THE LAKE MISSION. At this point, that lake is what has saved us on more than one occasion.

Until further emergency routes are created, we must preserve what we have currently available at our disposal.

Some of us will be meeting in the upcoming weeks re: emergency evacuation routes, and devising plans for the mountain community. More to come on this topic as available.

[OldWolf99]

Okay Str1ker, I hear ya!

[OldWolf99]

This is the first state I have lived in that the water was not controlled by a local utility. I know that in the mid-west they have very convoluted water plans and Rights issues. At one point the county did control the water. They did such a poor job of it no one could drink it without boiling first. That is when the mountain residents voted to give Snyder a chance because of his work in the rest of the county (which at the time was good). Snyder has at least gotten the water so you can drink it. He did put a large new tank at the top of Westridge Hills. He did repair the water in the campsites to where in some sections the moratorium has been lifted. However, in the areas with the highest property values all that has happened is that we no longer have to boil the water. We still have pressure issues. We still are under the moratorium. There is a section 8a.19.?? of WV Code that allows a local government to install a fire protection water system (specific design requirements are listed) then are required to turn it over to a utility or agency for management. The line size of 6" listed is the exact size needed to provide water to my area in KFA. I would really like the county to undertake that project.