Firewise

Since 2012 Sunriver has participated in the Firewise USA recognition program developed by the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA). “The program was designed to help people and communities learn about wildfire and how they can make their homes and neighborhoods safer.” (NFPA)

The Firewise USA criteria is focused on reducing fire risk in the Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) which is the 100’ area surrounding a structure. In many places, including Sunriver, individual properties’ HIZs overlap, so the program recognizes neighborhoods and small towns at the community scale.

Criteria for Firewise USA recognition includes:  

• Completion of a community wildfire risk assessment that is updated every 5 years
• Establishment of a board or committee that upholds the Firewise USA status
• Creation of an action plan for the community that is updated every 3 years
• Performance of educational outreach and/or a yearly activity
• Vegetation removal
• Minimum dollar investment in wildfire risk reduction
• Renew recognition each year

Community collaboration is at the heart of the Firewise USA program because wildfire knows no boundaries! All of the following parties contribute to keeping Sunriver Firewise:

• The SROA Board of Directors
• SROA staff
• Sunriver Police & Fire Departments
• Sunriver homeowners and residents
• Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office
• Oregon Department of Forestry

Fire mitigation is truly a team effort and SROA is proud to participate in a program that recognizes group coordination and cooperation.

Tree City USA

Since 1980, the Arbor Day Foundation has honored Sunriver as a Tree City USA for its long-standing commitment to community forest management.

Of the 60-plus Tree City communities in Oregon, Sunriver is the only unincorporated community to still receive such an honor due our very early involvement and before unincorporated communities became ineligible for the award.

Award criteria, set by the Arbor Day Foundation, includes:

• Spending a minimum dollar amount per capita on community forestry activities
• Having ordinances (e.g. governing documents) that include who is responsible for tree and forest care within the community
• Celebrate Arbor Day each year
• Maintaining a tree board or department

SROA maintains a strong commitment to natural resource management particularly with regards to forest health and wildfire risk reduction.

“The credit goes to the SROA board and Sunriver community,” said Patti Gentiluomo, Sunriver Owners Association Natural Resources director. “Thanks to their unwavering support, we’ve been able to maintain this long-standing honor.”

Each year, SROA performs ladder fuels reduction and other forest health activities on commons throughout Sunriver. Contractors, under the direction of SROA, perform tree and shrub trimming and removal to reduce the risk of wildfire and to improve overall forest health and safety.

Tree City USA is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service.