Humboldt County Community Wildfire Protection Plan 2013 UPDATE

Transcription

1 Humboldt County Community Wildfire Protection Plan 2013 UPDATE

2 Humboldt County Fire Safe Council A committee appointed by your Board to oversee the maintenance and implementation of the County s fire plan and inform and make recommendation to your Board.

3 What is a CWPP? Authorized and defined by the Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA) passed by Congress in A community plan to reduce the risk of wildfires within the wildland urban interface (WUI). Why have a CWPP? Provides for community-based decision making and prioritization. Promotes local, state, and federal collaboration. Identifies community needs with regards to prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and wildfire response Identifies ways to reduce wildfire risks to communities and associated assets. Provides grant funding priority for identified projects.

4 Minimum Requirements of a CWPP 1. Collaboration Must be collaboratively developed by local and state government, in consultation with federal agencies and interested parties. 2. Prioritized Fuel Reduction Must identify and prioritize areas for hazardous fuel reduction treatments. 3. Treatment of Structural Ignitability Must recommend measures that homeowners and communities can take to reduce the ignitability of structures in the area addressed by the plan.

5 Required Signatories 1. The applicable local government (i.e. counties or cities) 2. The local Fire Department(s) 3. The state entity responsible for the area addressed by the plan (CAL FIRE).

6 COLLABORATORS: FIRE CHIEFS' ASSOCIATION OF HUMBOLDT COUNTY

7 Table of Contents Part I Introduction and Background Part II Risk Assessment Part III Countywide Action Plan Part IV Planning Unit Action Plans Part V Fire-Safe Communities

8 Part I: Background and Introduction Chapter I.1 Chapter I.2 Chapter I.3 Chapter I.4 Introduction Plan Context Planning Process 2006 Plan Implementation Progress Review

9 Planning Process 13 Planning Units 16 Community Workshops [Community Workshop Poster Announcement ] Community-Identified: Values/Assets at Risk Wildfire Protection Capabilities Potential Projects

10 Progress since 2006 MFPP Humboldt County Fire Chiefs Association Annual Report ( ) Six Firewise communities GIS Fire Planning Web Tool Fire-adapted Landscapes and Safe Homes (FLASH) project Over 350 acres treated BEFORE Photo Credit: Willow Creek Fire Safe Council AFTER Photo Credit for Annual Report Cover Page: Top: Humboldt Sentinel (November 1, 2012); Middle-left: Times Standard (November 1, 2012); Middle-right: Humboldt Sentinel (November 1, 2012); Bottom: Lost Coast Outpost (November 1, 2012).

11 Part II: Risk Assessment Chapter II.1 Chapter II.2 Chapter II.3 Chapter II.4 Chapter II.5 Wildfire Environment Values and Assets at Risk Wildfire Protection Capabilities Community Preparedness Risk Assessment Summary

12 Chapter II.1. Wildfire Environment Fire Hazard Severity Zones

13 Chapter II.2. Values and Assets at Risk Resources and Economic Assets at Risk

14 Chapter II.3. Wildfire Protection Capabilities Local Fire Protection Areas..

15 Chapter II.4. Community Preparedness Firewise Communities in Humboldt County: (Bridgeville) Narrow driveway BEFORE work: Upper Jacoby Creek Firewise Event Bridgeville Honeydew Orleans Petrolia Willow Creek Upper Jacoby Creek (Bridgeville) Narrow driveway AFTER work: Photo Credit: Upper Jacoby Creek Firewise Group Orleans Firewise Recognition Event Photo Credit: Humboldt County Fire Safe Council (FSC) Photo Credit: Bridgeville Firewise Board/FSC

16 Part III: Countywide Action Plan Implementation of action items is subject to the availability of funds and other resources and the willingness and ability of community members and Plan Partners to take action.

17 Part III: Countywide Action Plan 1. Enhancing Fire Protection: Helping Firefighters Protect the Community 2. Encouraging and Implementing Defensible Space Throughout Humboldt County 3. Creating Fire-Safe Communities: Empowering Residents to Take Responsibility 4. Promoting Fire-Safe Education 5. Implementing and Maintaining this CWPP 6. Reducing Hazardous Fuels Throughout Humboldt County 7. Preparing Humboldt Communities for Emergencies

18 Part III: Countywide Action Plan 8. Ensuring Safe and Effective Evacuation 9. Hardening Homes to Survive Wildfire: Reducing Structural Ignitability 10. Enhancing Emergency Notification and Communications 11. Designating Wildland-Urban Interface Areas 12. Utilizing Excess Fuels 13. Maintaining Air Quality 14. Integrating Fire-Safety Actions with Local Regulations and Policy 15. Designating Communities at Risk

19 Part IV: Planning Unit Action Plans Chapter IV.1 Redwood Park Planning Unit Action Plan Chapter IV.2 Up River Planning Unit Action Plan Chapter IV.3 East Klamath Planning Unit Action Plan Chapter IV.4 Hoopa Planning Unit Action Plan Chapter IV.5 Trinidad Planning Unit Action Plan Chapter IV.6 Redwood Creek Planning Unit Action Plan Chapter IV.7 Trinity Planning Unit Action Plan Chapter IV.8 Eureka Plain Planning Unit Action Plan Chapter IV.9 Kneeland-Maple Creek Planning Unit Action Plan Chapter IV.10 Eel Planning Unit Action Plan Chapter IV.11 Mad-Van Duzen Planning Unit Action Plan Chapter IV.12 Mattole-Lost Coast Planning Unit Action Plan Chapter IV.13 Southern Humboldt Planning Unit Action Plan

20 Each of the 13 Planning Unit Action Plans contain a section about the Unit s Unit Description Community Process Wildfire Environment Values and Assets at Risk Community Preparedness Wildfire Protection Capabilities Evacuation Community-Identified Projects Action Plan Photo Credit: Humboldt County FSC

21 Part V: Fire-Safe Communities Chapter V.1 Chapter V.2 Chapter V.3 Chapter V.4 From the House Out Ready, Set, Go! After the Fire Legal Requirements

22 Chapter V.1. From the House Out How to manage fuel in and around your home and the surrounding landscape to reduce structural ignitability. The Home Ignition Zone Within feet of the home. Hardened Homes Fuel Reduction Zones Image Source: Jack Cohen (2000), Wildland-Urban Fire, A Different Approach. Photo Credit: Humboldt County FSC BEFORE AFTER What to do with Thinned Materials Photo Credit: Willow Creek FSC

23 Chapter V.2 Ready, Set, Go! Ready: Help Firefighters Help You! Photo Credit: Upper Jacoby Creek Firewise Group Set: Be Prepared for Wildfire s Approach Go: Evacuating Safely Images Source: CAL FIRE.

24 Chapter V.3. After the Fire Post-Fire Response, Assess Your Situation Areas of concern: The Homesite Damage to the home or other structures Loss of landscaping Hazardous trees or vegetation Danger of flooding, on-site sedimentation Drinking water quality and other environmental impacts The Landscape Safety hazards trees, power lines, etc. Regeneration and recovery Wildlife habitat Watershed functions Erosion concerns Condition of remaining vegetation Photo Credit: Bridgeville Firewise Board/FSC Photo Credit: Humboldt County FSC Streams Proximity to home, roads, other facilities Hydrologic connectivity of existing drainage facilities Potential of increased woody debris load, stream flow, flooding, debris flow Need for treatments to upper watershed to minimize downstream impacts, impacts to property Photo Credit: fishandboat.com Roads Existing problems may be exacerbated by wildfire effects Damage to stream crossings, culverts Gullies, potholes, fill-slope failure, cut-slope failure, sediment deposits, wet spots Potential for culvert obstruction and diversion. Text Source: California Forest Stewardship Program. (2004). Post-fire response, assess your situation. Forestland Steward Newsletter, Spring Photo Credit: Humboldt County FSC Photo Credit: Upper Jacoby Creek Firewise Group

25 Chapter V.4. Legal Requirements Humboldt County Fire Safety Standards Photo Credit: Upper Jacoby Creek Firewise Group Environmental Protection Compliance Streamside Management Areas Air Quality Regulations NEPA & CEQA Federal Endangered Species Act Migratory Bird Treaty Act National Historic Preservation Act

26 Staff Recommendation Authorize your Chair to sign the signature sheet certifying that the CWPP meets the standards of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act. That the plan: Was developed collaboratively, Identifies areas for fuel reduction projects, and Recommends measures to reduce structural ignitability. Note: The County is not adopting this CWPP