File #: 10548A    Version: 1 Name:
Type: Zoning Item Status: Passed
File created: 5/2/2017 In control: Planning Commission
On agenda: 8/3/2017 Final action: 8/3/2017
Title: Bureau of Land Management Conditional Use Permit Case Number CUP-16-035 Assessor Parcel Number 308-041-002 Table Bluff County Park, Table Bluff/South Jetty area A Conditional Use Permit to allow for on-going invasive weed/vegetation removal and maintenance activities on an approximately 7 acre portion of Table Bluff County Park owned by Humboldt County. The maintenance activities undertaken are part of the South Spit Interim (Final) Management Plan of 2002, and are consistent with said plan. The project site has two maintenance and activity areas: 1) the Restored Native Plant Habitat Maintenance Area which is approximately 4.3 acres in size; and 2) the Educational Activity Area, which is approximately 2.74 acres in size. The removal and maintenance work in the Restored Native Plant Habitat Maintenance Area involves an occasional to annual visual inspection and manual removal of any European beachgrass (Ammophilia arenaria) resprouts and other incidental invasive, non-native plants. T...
Attachments: 1. 4.27.17 Memo H_Seemann, 2. 12_11_2002 conditional coastal commission concurrence, 3. BLM authorization letter 5-12-2017, 4. BLM FEMA Technical Memo final signed 1-27-17, 5. BLM Planning Commision Hearing Letter 7_24_2017, 6. Certification of the EIR, 7. Dune guidance 60 3(e)(7), 8. EIR Beach and Mngmt Plans, 9. South-Spit-EA_and_Decision Record 2003, 10. Oregon beach grass study CarrollLindsayJ2016, 11. south spit from google, 12. Carroll Study cover letter, 13. South spit comments with references, 14. south spit to Planning Comm cover letter, 15. CUP 16-035 Staff Report, 16. BOS approved Alternative

Title

Bureau of Land Management Conditional Use Permit

Case Number CUP-16-035

Assessor Parcel Number 308-041-002                     

Table Bluff County Park, Table Bluff/South Jetty area

 

A Conditional Use Permit to allow for on-going invasive weed/vegetation removal and maintenance activities on an approximately 7 acre portion of Table Bluff County Park owned by Humboldt County. The maintenance activities undertaken are part of the South Spit Interim (Final) Management Plan of 2002, and are consistent with said plan. The project site has two maintenance and activity areas: 1) the Restored Native Plant Habitat Maintenance Area which is approximately 4.3 acres in size; and 2) the Educational Activity Area, which is approximately 2.74 acres in size. The removal and maintenance work in the Restored Native Plant Habitat Maintenance Area involves an occasional to annual visual inspection and manual removal of any European beachgrass (Ammophilia arenaria) resprouts and other incidental invasive, non-native plants. The purpose of the work is to maintain the state of completed restoration of native dune habitat and native northern foredune grassland plant habitat areas. Maintenance work typically requires less than one standard work day by two to three people, per year. Any iceplant manually removed would be taken off-site to a green waste disposal site if the pile is too dense to dry quickly and is at risk of rooting. The Educational Activity Area: maintenance and removal activities consist of the removal of European beachgrass and/or iceplant by hand-pulling and with the use of hand tools. Piles of pulled beachgrass would be left to naturally decompose. The purpose of this work is to maintain a mosaic of degraded and recovered dune mat and northern foredune habitat. This degraded area is useful as an educational activity area for Ocean Day. Ocean Day is a statewide education program and usually occurs the first week of June. About 800 students from kindergarten through eighth grade participate locally. During the Ocean Day event, students gather at the Mike Thompson Wildlife Area on the South Spit for a day of beach clean-up and invasive plant removal. The Educational Activity Area has been determined to be the safest beach with public access for holding this event because it provides an upland safety zone in the event of a large earthquake that would be associated with a tsunami. Because this area is needed year after year, complete restoration is not the near-term goal. In accordance with the BLM's consistency determination CD-052-02 the ongoing federal agency activities as described do not require a Coastal Development Permit from the California Coastal Commission or the County.

 

Recommendation

Move to find the project exempt from environmental review pursuant to Sections pursuant to Sections 15323 Normal Operations Of Facilities For Public Gatherings, and 15333(d)(4) Small Habitat Restoration Projects, of the State CEQA Guidelines, make all of the required findings for approval of the Conditional Use Permit based on evidence in the staff report and adopt the Resolution approving the Bureau of Land Management project subject to the recommended conditions.