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Alpine County Wildfire Risk Mitigation Plan and Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration CEQA Public Meeting December 17, 2020 ---PAGE BREAK--- Presentation Overview • Development • Goals • Content and implementation WRMP • Summary of public outreach • Structure of IS/MND • Environmental impacts Draft IS/MND Schedule • How to submit public comments • Immediate questions or concerns contact: Madeleine Jones (650) 487-6566 [EMAIL REDACTED] Comments ---PAGE BREAK--- Description of the Wildfire Risk Mitigation Plan ---PAGE BREAK--- Development of the WRMP • Conduct stakeholder outreach, fire modeling, research • Public Workshops held in February and April 2020 • Determine candidate projects in 12 potential treatment areas WRMP Planning • Steering Committee identified three priority projects: Bear Valley, Manzanita, Markleevillage • Appropriate vegetation management activities defined • Collaboration with Steering Committee and landowners WRMP Preparation • Incorporates minor revisions from Steering Committee after initial draft review • Currently available for public review Draft WRMP ---PAGE BREAK--- Goals and Objectives of the WRMP • Goal: Reduce wildfire risks and protect important resources throughout the County. • Objectives: – Identify important resources and assets – Identify the high fire hazard areas – Define and prioritize projects ---PAGE BREAK--- WRMP Content • Wildfire management planning builds off the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) • Areas of greatest wildfire hazard were identified through computer analytics and modeling • Describes specific areas of wildfire risk and hazard throughout the County • Candidate projects are identified and ranked by priority • Emphasizes community outreach efforts and the importance of public participation • Identifies environmental review requirements for future projects ---PAGE BREAK--- Priority Projects • Three priority projects will be implemented upon secure of funding (Bear Valley, Manzanita, Markleevillage) ---PAGE BREAK--- Implementation • WRMP includes implementation of several potential fuel treatment activities: – Mechanical mastication – Hand thinning – Prescribed burn (not proposed for priority projects) • Non-priority candidate projects to be defined and implemented by the County in the future ---PAGE BREAK--- Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration ---PAGE BREAK--- Environmental Review Process • CEQA triggered by discretionary action of Lead Agency • CEQA Purpose – Provide information to public and decision makers of potential impacts of a project and how they can be avoided or reduced • Public Outreach Process – Public review into key periods of the process Prepare Wildfire Risk Mitigation Plan Initiate Environmental Review and Public Outreach Publish Draft IS/MND (December 9, 2020) 30-day Public Review Period for Draft IS/MND Board of Supervisors Hearing to Adopt IS/MND and WRMP (February 16, 2020) Address Public Comments and Publish Final IS/MND We are here File Notice of Determination CEQA Process ---PAGE BREAK--- Structure and Content of the Draft IS/MND • Actions Analyzed in Draft IS/MND – Implementation of three WRMP priority projects and future projects in non -priority treatment areas – Analysis considers specific techniques and tools included in each potential treatment area ---PAGE BREAK--- Structure and Content of the Draft IS/MND • Potential Future CEQA Review – Most future projects identified in the WRMP will not need additional formal CEQA review – Some smaller projects may be completed under a Categorical Exemption from CEQA – County will verify that non -exempt future projects are consistent with the analysis in this IS/MND. Verification will require future analysis, including surveys, to ensure conditions have not substantially changed – Some future projects may require additional environmental approvals tiered from IS/MND and similar project EIRs ( e.g. CAL FIRE Vegetation Treatment Program) ---PAGE BREAK--- Resource Topics Addressed in the Draft IS/MND • Aesthetics • Agriculture and Forestry Resources • Air Quality * • Biological Resources * • Cultural Resources * • Energy • Geology and Soils * • Greenhouse Gas Emissions • Hazards and Hazardous Materials * • Hydrology and Water Quality * • Land Use and Planning • Mineral Resources • Noise • Population and Housing • Public Services • Recreation * • Transportation * • Tribal Cultural Resources * • Utilities and Service Systems • Wildfire * • Mandatory Findings of Significance * * Indicates mitigation measures are implemented to reduce potential impacts ---PAGE BREAK--- Key Impacts and Mitigation – Air Quality Mitigation: Application of the fugitive dust-control measures, pile burn buffer, development of a Smoke Management Plan • Particulate matter (PM10) from pile and prescribed burns LTS with Mitigation • Smoke impacts to sensitive receptors and workers LTS with Mitigation ---PAGE BREAK--- Key Impacts and Mitigation – Biological Resources Mitigation: Seven measures ranging from worker training to pre-activity surveys, avoidance of areas or timing, cleaning of equipment to avoid invasive species spread • Impacts to rare plants and special status wildlife including fish, birds, insects, amphibians and mammals LTS with Mitigation • Impacts to sensitive habitats including riparian, wetlands, meadow, and forest communities LTS with Mitigation ---PAGE BREAK--- Key Impacts and Mitigation – Cultural and Tribal Resources Mitigation: Worker training, avoidance areas for known sites, surveying in areas of new ground disturbance that have not been recently surveyed, consulting tribes regarding known or located resources, following procedures for discovery of human remains, tribal site visit, tribal consultation for future projects • Impacts to known and previously undiscovered historic, prehistoric, and tribal cultural resources LTS with Mitigation • Impacts to human remains LTS with Mitigation ---PAGE BREAK--- Key Impacts and Mitigation – Geology, Soils, and Hydrology Mitigation: Implementation of erosion control and slope stabilization, minimize fire lines* by using existing barriers and restoring the lines, protection zones around water bodies to be identified and avoided during WRMP activities • Impacts from topsoil loss and erosion from ground disturbance and prescribed burning* LTS with Mitigation • Impacts from landslides due to vegetation removal on slopes LTS with Mitigation • Impacts from erosion that can result in sedimentation of waterways LTS with Mitigation * Prescribed burning is not proposed in the priority projects ---PAGE BREAK--- Key Impacts and Mitigation – Hazards and Wildfire Mitigation: Spill prevention and response best management practices, fire prevention and fire suppression practices, management of stockpiling for pile burns, adherence to Smoke Management Plan and preparation of Burn Plan • Accidental release of hazardous materials through use of vehicles or equipment LTS with Mitigation • Risk of loss, injury or death involving wildland fires LTS with Mitigation ---PAGE BREAK--- Key Impacts and Mitigation – Recreation Mitigation: Coordination with recreational facility management entities, temporary closure of facilities to protect recreationalists, public noticing • Reduced or restricted access to recreational facilities and impact on recreationalists’ safety LTS with Mitigation ---PAGE BREAK--- Key Impacts and Mitigation – Transportation Mitigation: Buffer between pile burns and public roadways, provide notice prior to prescribed burn event, ensure emergency access along public roads, parking to not block access • WRMP activities causing motorists to become distracted LTS with Mitigation • Potentially significant impact from blocking emergency access LTS with Mitigation ---PAGE BREAK--- Accessing the WRMP and Draft IS/MND Mitigation-Plan The WRMP and IS/MND are posted on the County website: ---PAGE BREAK--- Schedule ---PAGE BREAK--- CEQA Review and WRMP Schedule Dec 9, 2020 Open 30-day Public Review of Draft IS/MND Dec 17, 2020 Public Meeting on Draft IS/MND Jan 8, 2021 Close 30-day Public Review of Draft IS/MND Feb 4, 2021* Publication of Final IS/MND and Final WRMP Feb 16, 2021 Board Hearing on Adoption of the IS/MND and WRMP * Tentative publication date ---PAGE BREAK--- Questions and Comments ---PAGE BREAK--- Public Comments • Comments on the IS/MND are due by January 8, 2021 • E-mail scoping comments to [EMAIL REDACTED] • Comments obtained during the public review period will be addressed in the Final IS/MND • Comments received after January 8, 2021 but before the Board of Supervisors meeting on February 16, 2021 will still be included in information provided to the Board prior to their decision • All comments obtained during this meeting are being recorded ---PAGE BREAK--- How to Comment During this Public Meeting • Submitting a comment during this Zoom meeting: – Click the hand icon to virtually raise your hand and we will unmute you – Type your comment in the chat box – If dialing in by phone only, we will accept phone comments after comments from online attendees • Questions or comments on the Wildfire Risk Mitigation Plan may also be emailed to Zach Wood: [EMAIL REDACTED] • Comments on other projects or County activities will not be taken during this meeting • Please submit all comments in writing so that they can be accurately recorded and addressed in the Final IS/MND