To: Board of Supervisors
From: Public Works
Agenda Section: Time Certain Matter
SUBJECT:
title
9:50 a.m. - Certification of the Humboldt County Community Wildfire Protection Plan 2019 Update
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Certify that the attached Humboldt County Community Wildfire Protection Plan 2019 Update meets the standards of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act;
2. Authorize the Chair of the Board to execute the attached Humboldt County Community Wildfire Protection Plan 2019 Update certification and agreement signature page; and
3. Direct the Clerk of the Board to return two fully executed copies of the attached Humboldt County Community Wildfire Protection Plan 2019 Update certification and agreement signature page to the Department of Public Works for further processing.
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
2016-2017 State Responsibility Area Fire Prevention Fund
Tree Mortality Grant Program
Title III of the Federal Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act
DISCUSSION:
The purpose of the Humboldt County Community Wildfire Community Protection Plan (CWPP) is to inspire and guide actions that will help mitigate the potential for wildfire loss in all vulnerable communities within the boundaries of Humboldt County. The CWPP has served as the guiding document for the work of the Humboldt County Fire Safe Council (HCFSC), a committee appointed by the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, and has been an excellent tool for planning and securing funding for numerous projects that have helped local residents and community groups prepare for the impacts of wildfire. Keeping this plan current and actionable is more important than ever as California faces unprecedented losses of life, property and ecological values to wildfire.
The attached CWPP is the second comprehensive update of the countywide fire plan. The original plan was completed in 2006 and the last update was completed in 2013. This third edition of the CWPP incorporates new information and understanding of wildfire risks and revises the overall strategy for preparedness and response to wildfires in Humboldt County. The attached CWPP is organized as follows:
• Part 1 - Background and Introduction provides an overview of what a CWPP is, why it is necessary, the update process, the intended audience and implementation progress since the 2013 update.
• Part 2 - Risk-Assessment Summary summarizes the risk assessment detail contained in Part 5 of the CWPP.
• Part 3 - Countywide Action Plan identifies a set of metrics and priority actions to meet the goals and objectives of the HCFSC over the next 5 years.
• Part 4 - Planning Unit Action Plans contains information on local fire risks and preparedness for each of the 14 planning units within Humboldt County, functioning as a “mini-CWPP” for each. These unit actions plans can be used as standalone plans to guide action in their respective areas of the county and/or to shine a light on existing local community wildfire protection plans.
• Part 5 - Risk-Assessment Detail describes the planning-area context in a qualitative assessment of the factors that contribute to wildfire in Humboldt County, including, without limitation, assets and values at risk, fire history and behavior, response capacity and community preparedness in the face of wildfire.
• Part 6 - Appendices contains background and supporting information for the rest of the CWPP. The HCFSC requested that the main body of the CWPP be streamlined to make it more user-friendly and accessible to a wider audience. However, there are details that the HCFSC did not want to lose; those are now found in the appendices.
The attached CWPP is the culmination of 2 years of collaboration among the members of the HCFSC. In addition to the broad range of fire protection and prevention entities represented by the HCFSC, the CWPP update process included extensive communication and coordination with local fire departments and fire safe councils, state and federal agencies, personnel from various county departments and the general public.
As part of the CWPP update process, public workshops took place in 14 Humboldt County communities. The focus of the workshops and one of the main objectives of the CWPP process is to engage in meaningful discussions at the community level to determine wildfire preparedness and adaptation priorities and strategies. At each workshop, local residents worked with firefighters and agency partners to identify projects to help prepare their homes, neighborhoods and communities for wildfire. Information gained from this process was used to update the planning unit action plans contained in Part 4 of the CWPP.
A public review period on the main body of the draft CWPP update was held from Aug. 17, 2018 to Oct. 12, 2018. All comments received were reviewed and incorporated as applicable and feasible into the final draft plan. The 14 planning unit action plans were drafted, reviewed by stakeholders and finalized on their own individual staggered schedules. Additional details regarding the CWPP update process and contents can be found in Part 1 of the attached CWPP.
A CWPP, as defined by the Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA), is a plan for a community at risk that is developed collaboratively, identifies and prioritizes fuel reduction projects and recommends measures to reduce the ignitability of structures. Appendix A - CWPP Requirements includes a summary of the HFRA standards for plan certification and staff analysis demonstrating how the attached CWPP meets such standards. The attached CWPP must be certified as meeting these standards by the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, the Humboldt-Del Norte California Department of Forestry, Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) Unit Chief, and the Humboldt County Fire Chiefs’ Association. Certification that the contents of a CWPP conform to the applicable HFRA standards does not constitute plan adoption.
Accordingly, staff recommends that the Board certify that the attached CWPP meets the standards of the HFRA, and authorize the Chair of the Board Chair to execute the attached CWPP certification and agreement signature page.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Certification of the attached CWPP will not impact the Humboldt County General Fund. However, if the attached CWPP is successfully used to leverage grant funds to support implementation projects, there could be a net positive financial impact for the county and other program recipients. Contributions from the Humboldt County General Fund to support CWPP implementation would be approved by the Board of Supervisors on a case by case basis.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
The recommended actions support the Board of Supervisors’ Strategic Framework by creating opportunities for improved safety and health, protecting vulnerable populations and providing community-appropriate levels of service.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The members of the HCFSC, including, without limitation, CAL FIRE and Six Rivers National Forest
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board of Supervisors may choose not to certify the attached CWPP. However, this alternative is not recommended because of the community fire safety benefits that will be gained from maintaining and implementing a relevant and up-to-date CWPP.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. 2019 CWPP Cover Pages and Table of Contents
2. 2019 CWPP Parts 1, 2 and 3
3. 2019 CWPP Part 4
4. 2019 CWPP Part 5
5. 2019 CWPP Part 6
6. 2019 CWPP Certification and Agreement Cover Page
7. 2019 CWPP Part 4 Maps
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: D-7, H-1, C-12
Meeting of: January 12, 2010, May 28, 2013, January 24, 2017
File No.: N/A