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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 13a - Arcadia Fire Hazard Reduction and Habitat Restoration Project DATE: March 1, 2022 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Barry R. Spriggs, Fire Chief By: Chen Suen, Deputy Fire Chief Maria Lourdes Taylor, Sr. Management Analyst SUBJECT: Arcadia Fire Hazard Reduction and Habitat Restoration Project Recommendation: Receive and File SUMMARY The Arcadia Fire Department (“AFD”) is collaborating with the California Conservation Corps (“CCC”) to participate in a Fire Hazard Reduction and Habitat Restoration Project, which involves vegetation reduction and debris clearance on City-owned properties in the Wildland Urban Interface (“WUI”) area. CCC has received funding from state Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds (“GGRF”) to reduce fire hazard and maintain the habitat in this area. Part of this collaboration is that the City will be receiving in-kind contributions of labor costs totaling about $300,000 through the work of CCC crews in the WUI area. In turn, on-duty Arcadia Fire personnel will provide training and mentoring to CCC members on potential career planning for the fire service while the project is being carried out. It is recommended that the City Council find that the project is categorically exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) and receive and file this report. BACKGROUND Annually, brush inspections are conducted by the Arcadia Fire Department on all City- owned properties. The City of Arcadia is responsible for several locations within the WUI including storm run-off and water storage locations adjacent to wildland areas. In December 2021, the City was presented with an opportunity by CCC to enhance its brush inspection services by implementing a Fire Hazard Reduction and Habitat Restoration Project over two years. The CCC received a grant from the state’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to conduct this type of project. The project’s goal is to create defensible space necessary in these wildland fire hazard zones for effective fire protection. The subject sites were identified by the AFD’s Fire Prevention Bureau and the Public Works Services Department. Fire Hazard Reduction & Habitat Restoration Project March 1, 2022 Page 2 of 4 DISCUSSION The California Conservation Corp (“CCC”) and its Corp Members The CCC has a program that provides young adults aged 18 to 25 years one year of paid service by the State, where these Corps members work on environmental projects and respond to natural and man-made disasters. Through this work, they gain skills and experience that could lead to meaningful careers including working in the fire service. Their motto is “Hard Work, Low Pay, Miserable Conditions and More!” The CCC is dedicated to developing the Corps members into citizens with character, credentials, and commitment. The AFD will work with Corps members during this Project and provide training and mentoring on a potential career in the fire service. The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant Funds to CCC The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds (“GGRF”) grant program was established in 2012 with the revenues created from California’s Cap-and-Trade Program. The Cap-and- Trade Program reduces pollution by imposing limits on emissions and major emitters must buy an allowance for every ton of carbon dioxide they release into the air. As such, the State law requires that the fees retrieved from this program be spent on projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As part of its funding allocation, the CCC received $2.5 million in annual funding to complete forest health projects. The CCC’s available grant funds from the GGRF will financially support the Arcadia Fire Hazard Reduction and Habitat Restoration Project to fully cover the labor cost of the CCC crews assisting the AFD in clearing the vegetation and debris on City-owned properties in the WUI area. It is estimated the project will require 30 CCC members for 30 days to complete the work. Overview of the Fire Hazard Reduction & Habitat Restoration Project The Project will take place over a two-year period. Year One (or the “2022 Project”) will include a two-day training effort to help the CCC fire hand crews prepare for the 2022 Wildland Fire Season. All the actual work will be performed by City personnel in this phase. Attachment No. 1 shows the location of the project during this period, which will incorporate sections of brush alongside Canyon Road. Year Two (or the “2023 Project”), with a much larger scope, will extend over a two-month period. These areas will include City-owned areas located in a hillside above the properties on Vista Avenue, Canyon Road, Monte Place, and Highland Vista Drive. Attachment No. 2 shows the location of this project. Due to the larger areas to be covered in in this phase, the 2023 Project will utilize the CCC crew members, with their labor costs being fully funded by the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds (“GGRF”). Fire Hazard Reduction & Habitat Restoration Project March 1, 2022 Page 3 of 4 Scope and Goal of the Project To preserve forest health, the Project is a fire hazard reduction and habitat restoration effort designed to mitigate the wildfire hazards adjacent to homes and populated areas. The work will only be done on City-owned sites within the WUI area. The Project treatment is designed to change the potential fire behavior and impacts of a wildfire by modifying the vegetation arrangement. This reduces the fire’s intensity and potential for fire brands that may impact treatment areas, adjacent homes, and populated areas. The work will consist of the removal of annual wild grasses and undesirable non-native plants and reducing vegetative horizontal and vertical fuel ladders. Non-native grasses will be removed or cut down to 3 inches in length or less and left in place. Brush and tree debris will be broken down to wood chips when possible. When chipping is not possible, large branches will be cut, dropped, and left in place perpendicular to the slope to avoid the potential for it to roll down the hill. The remaining branches shall be chipped or disbursed on site. Prior to initiating this project, the AFD will notify residents in the area about the reason, timeframe, and benefits of this two-year project. Finally, the Arcadia Fire Department will work with CCC to complete any administrative and logistical requirements necessary to avail both parties in utilizing the remaining Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds for this Project, which includes the in-kind labor contributions to be provided by the CCC crews to the City of Arcadia. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT The project has a Class 4, 15304 Minor Alterations to Land categorical exemption and does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), As such, this matter is exempt under CEQA. FISCAL IMPACT The cost associated with the Project includes portable sanitation for the CCC crews and removal of vegetation debris by the Public Works Services Department personnel totaling about $30,000 in expenditures. Given that these are part of the City’s routine operational functions, these expenses are already included in the City’s Operating Budgets and no additional expenses will be incurred. For the 2023 Project, which will include a much larger scope of vegetation and debris clearance in the WUI area, there will also be no fiscal impact since the CCC will provide in-kind contributions by funding all the labor costs of its Corps members using the Fire Hazard Reduction & Habitat Restoration Project March 1, 2022 Page 4 of 4 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, up to a maximum of about $300,000 in labor expenses. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council find that the proposed Arcadia Fire Hazard Reduction and Habitat Restoration Project is categorically exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”); and to receive and file this report. Attachment No. 1: 2022 Project Area map Attachment No. 2: 2023 Project Area map Attachment No. 1 2022 Project Area Sections of Brush alongside Canyon Road Attachment No. 2 2023 Project Area Hillside above houses on Vista Avenue, Canyon Road, Monte Place, Highland Vista Drive