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Wesley S. Davis <br />Chairman <br />District 1 <br />Bob Solari <br />Vice Chairman <br />District 5 <br />BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />October 30, 2015 <br />Florida Forest Service <br />Mr. Jim Karels <br />Florida Forest Service Division Director <br />3125 Connor Blvd., Suite J-226, C-19 <br />Tallahassee, FL 32399 <br />Dear Director Karels, <br />Tim Zorc <br />District 3 <br />Peter D. O'Bryan <br />District 4 <br />Joseph E. Flescher <br />District 2 <br />The Florida Forest Service has been assisting Indian River County with Wildland Fire <br />Management Services for over 15 years. Both the Okeechobee District and the Region 4 <br />Wildfire Management Team have gone above and beyond to assist our conservation lands with <br />fuel reduction through roller -chopping, mowing, installing pre -suppression fire lines and <br />conducting prescribed burns. To date, the Florida Forest Service has assisted on over 500 acres <br />of county owned property purchased for environmental protection. Nearly all of the.conservation <br />areas owned and managed by the county are situated in highly urbanized areas with close <br />proximity to businesses, homes and other valuable properties. Through these projects millions of <br />dollars of structures have been afforded wildfire protection and the pyrogenic dependent habitats <br />have been improved. <br />Earlier this month, the Region 4 Wildfire Management Team spent 3 weeks assisting our <br />Conservation Lands Manager on a large conservation area within City of Sebastian city limits <br />that is in close proximity to churches, hospitals, government offices, a municipal airport and golf <br />course as well as millions of dollars of businesses. These efforts provide wildfire protection that <br />is unprecedented. Over 150 acres of overgrown vegetation were tirelessly roller -chopped and <br />mowed in an effort to reduce fuel height and create more accessible fire breaks in the event of <br />wildfire and future prescribed burning. In 2012, such a wildfire ravaged approximately 80 acres <br />and threatened homes, an industrial building and the municipal airport and golf course. The <br />Florida Forest Service worked tirelessly to protect homes and the adjacent properties alongside <br />the Indian River County Fire Department. Fire suppression mowing along the perimeter of the <br />property provided by the Florida Forest Service prior to this event helped to keep the wildfire <br />from spreading and damaging adjacent private property. <br />1801 27th Street, Building A <br />Vero Beach, FL 32960 <br />(772) 226-1490 <br />7 <br />