Kneeland Helitack Base
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
STATE OF CALIFORNIA Capital Outlay Budget Change Proposal (COBCP) - Cover Sheet DF-151 (REV 07/20) Fiscal Year Business Unit Department Priority No. 2021 3540 Forestry and Fire MA-12 Protection Budget Request Name Capital Outlay Program ID Capital Outlay Project ID 3540-078-COBCP-2021-GB 2485 0006682 Project Title Kneeland Helitack Base: Relocate Facility Project Status and Type Status: ☒ New ☐ Continuing Type: ☒Major ☐ Minor Project Category (Select one) ☐CRI ☐WSD ☐ECP ☐SM (Critical Infrastructure) (Workload Space Deficiencies) (Enrollment Caseload Population) (Seismic) ☒FLS ☐FM ☐PAR ☐RC (Fire Life Safety) (Facility Modernization) (Public Access Recreation) (Resource Conservation) Total Request (in thousands) Phase(s) to be Funded Total Project Cost (in thousands) $ 850 Acquisition $ 18,285 Budget Request Summary The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) requests $850,000 General Fund for the acquisition phase of the Kneeland Helitack Base: Relocate Facility project, located in Humboldt County. This is a new project. Total estimated project costs are $18,285,000. Requires Legislation Code Section(s) to be Added/Amended/Repealed CCCI ☐ Yes ☒ No Click or tap here to enter text. 6596 Requires Provisional Language Budget Package Status ☐ Yes ☒ No ☒ Needed ☐ Not Needed ☐ Existing Impact on Support Budget One-Time Costs ☐ Yes ☒ No Swing Space Needed ☐ Yes ☒ No Future Savings ☒ Yes ☐ No Generate Surplus Property ☒ Yes ☐ No Future Costs ☒ Yes ☐ No If proposal affects another department, does other department concur with proposal? ☐ Yes ☐ No Attach comments of affected department, signed and dated by the department director or designee. Prepared By Date Reviewed By Date Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap to enter a date. Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap to enter a date. Department Director Date Agency Secretary Date Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap to enter a date. Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap to enter a date. Department of Finance Use Only Principal Program Budget Analyst Date submitted to the Legislature Sally Lukenbill 1/8/2021 STATE OF CALIFORNIA COBCP - Narrative DF-151 (REV 07/20) A. COBCP Abstract: CAL FIRE requests $850,000 General Fund for the acquisition phase of the Kneeland Helitack Base – Relocate Facility project. This project includes site acquisition and the construction of a helicopter hangar, a support vehicle garage, a 22-bed barracks building, a generator/pump/storage building, a wash rack canopy, a hazmat/retardant storage, and a helicopter training tower. Additionally, the scope of work will include site work and utilities as needed. Total project costs are estimated at $18,285,000, including acquisition ($850,000), preliminary plans ($1,228,000), working drawings ($1,228,000) and construction ($14,979,000). The construction amount includes $12,278,000 for the construction contract, $614,000 for contingency, $1,228,000 for architectural and engineering services, $120,000 for agency-retained items, and $739,000 for other project costs. The current project schedule estimates acquisition to begin in July 2021 and be completed in July 2023. Preliminary plans is estimated to begin in July 2023 and completed in July 2024. Working drawings is estimated to begin in July 2024 and completed in July 2026. Construction is estimated to begin in October 2026 and completed in April 2028. B. Purpose of the Project: Background Currently, CAL FIRE is in the process of replacing its existing helicopter fleet of 12 Super Huey helicopters, with 12 Sikorsky S70i Blackhawk helicopters. Funding for the new helicopters was phased out over four fiscal years; one helicopter was funded in the Budget Act (BA) of 2017, four in the BA of 2018, another four in the BA of 2019, and the remaining three in the BA of 2020. To accommodate the new aircraft and address inefficient facilities, CAL FIRE has phased capital outlay projects for ten existing helitack bases statewide. CAL FIRE obtained authorization in the Budget Act of 2014 to fund, staff, and support the replacement of the current “ad-hoc” arrangement at the current HB, with a new/permanent CAL FIRE helitack base. Funding was authorized to operate the helitack base, consistent with the Blue Book, including one helitender as well as lease costs for a temporary facility necessary to house personnel. Preliminary discussions were made with the land owner and they were interested in selling the property to the state for both resource preservation and fire protection purposes. Tactically and logistically, the site is the best option for relocation as it is further inland and would increase the sphere of influence to respond to incidents, reduce the impact of coastal fog during operations, increase the availability of the helicopters for nearby units, and provide enough useable ground to build the new helitack base. The site also has exceptional approach and departure paths. Problem The Kneeland Helitack Base (Kneeland HB), constructed in 1982 in the city of Kneeland (Humboldt County), is on 4.2 acres of state-owned land adjacent to the Humboldt County Airport. The Kneeland HB is a rural Humboldt County-owned airstrip that is not controlled by an on-site Federal Aviation Administration tower. The primary mission of the Kneeland HB is to provide rapid aerial response to emergencies, including fires, floods, and medical incidents, in the northwest corner of the state, and as needed throughout the state. The closest helitack bases are the Howard Forest Helitack Base, 100 miles to the south of the Kneeland HB, the Vina Helitack Base, 114 miles to the southeast, and the Bieber Helitack Base, 150 miles to the east. The Kneeland HB staffs one helicopter year-round, with a pilot, and one to four captains. During the months of May through October, a crew of 12 firefighters, and up to 17 personnel, are staffed at the Kneeland HB. During an average year, the helicopter will fly 350 hours, responding to over 160 fires, a minimum of 20 medical emergencies and medical short haul rescues, logging an average of more than 5,900 personnel hours. The Kneeland HB transports fire crews to inaccessible areas and also provides retardant support. The expansion of the Kneeland HB at its current location is limited by the county airport to the south, as well as the steep sloping landscape to the north, which is also privately-owned, ranch property. Page 2 of 5 STATE OF CALIFORNIA COBCP - Narrative DF-151 (REV 07/20) The current site of the Kneeland HB poses two distinct issues for CAL FIRE, requiring its relocation/replacement. Firstly, the site is in the northern region of California and is operated by CAL FIRE for helicopter-derived resources, used in achieving the Department’s overall mission. This region of northern California receives an average rainfall of 47 inches per year and that, combined with its proximity to the coast, causes the Kneeland HB to experience limited visibility due to frequent fog and low clouds. CAL FIRE helicopters cannot fly in fog or clouds due to poor visibility. Helicopters fly under visual flight rules because these aircraft are not equipped to fly under instrument flight rules. Unlike commercial airline pilots, the helicopter pilot must be able to see where he is flying because he cannot use instruments to fly in the fog. Frequently, CAL FIRE aircraft are unable to return to the Kneeland HB due to fog (which creates a lack of visibility) and are diverted to either Rohnerville Air Attack Base, approximately 39 miles to the southwest, Eel River Conservation Camp, approximately 53 miles to the southeast, or the Redding Airport, approximately 80 miles to the east. If diverted, the helicopter crew must then rent hotels in Fortuna, Garberville or Redding, for lodging, until visibility is restored and the aircraft can return to the Kneeland HB. Second, the current site of the Kneeland HB does not have on-site, water accessibility. Water is supplied by a spring box located on adjacent property. Historically, CAL FIRE has had to utilize a service contract with a neighboring party for access to this off-site, spring-box, water source. The soil in the area is unstable and prone to landslides. This situation has resulted in severed water lines, and erosion issues. This lack of reliability on a non-CAL FIRE source has proven troublesome at times; at one time, the water supply usage was cut-off, during the term of the contract, due to disagreement(s) between parties. It would be beneficial to CAL FIRE to acquire a site with on-site water, no longer having to rely on outside parties for their water resources; this is a critical component of a CAL FIRE site. C. Relationship to the Strategic Plan: This project relates to the following goals in the CAL FIRE 2019 Strategic Plan: Goal: Seek to improve our core capabilities of emergency response, natural resources protection, and prevention and regulatory oversight. Objective: The CAL FIRE mission includes provisions for an all-hazard response capability for the Aviation Program. The state has committed to the replacement of the current rotor wing fleet, critical infrastructure improvements, and an increase in staffing at all levels to include program management and oversight. CAL FIRE’s Fire Protection Program is currently in the process of procuring several helicopters to replace the Department’s current aging helicopter fleet. D. Alternatives: 1. Construct a new helitack base, on Advantages acquired property The proposed site for acquisition is currently located in an area that would provide adequate access and increased sphere of influence to respond quickly to incidents. The proposed site is strategically located and is large enough to construct the necessary facilities. Page 3 of 5 STATE OF CALIFORNIA COBCP - Narrative DF-151 (REV 07/20) Will implement legislatively revised operations and staffing plans.