Original Draft CWPP

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Original Draft CWPP DRAFT CITY OF SANTA BARBARA May 2020 Printed on 30% post-consumer recycled material. Table of Contents SECTIONS Acronyms and Abbreviations ..........................................................................................................................................................v Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................................................... vii 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Purpose and Need ........................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Development Team ......................................................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Community Involvement ................................................................................................................................................. 3 1.3.1 Stakeholders ................................................................................................................................................... 3 1.3.2 Public Outreach and Engagement Plan ........................................................................................................ 4 1.3.3 Public Outreach Meetings .............................................................................................................................. 5 1.4 Funding/Grant Management ......................................................................................................................................... 5 1.5 Signatories ........................................................................................................................................................................ 5 2 Plan Area Description ............................................................................................................................................................. 7 2.1 Location ............................................................................................................................................................................ 7 2.2 Fire Hazard Areas ......................................................................................................................................................... 11 2.2.1 State Fire Hazard Severity Zones ............................................................................................................... 11 2.2.2 City High Fire Hazard Area ........................................................................................................................... 11 2.3 Climate ........................................................................................................................................................................... 17 2.3.1 Climate Change ............................................................................................................................................ 18 2.4 Topography .................................................................................................................................................................... 20 2.5 Vegetation and Fuels .................................................................................................................................................... 21 2.5.1 Vegetative Fire Hazard ................................................................................................................................. 21 2.5.2 Vegetation Types .......................................................................................................................................... 25 2.5.3 Wildfire Types and Potential Fire Behavior ................................................................................................ 30 2.6 Fire History and Ignitions.............................................................................................................................................. 31 2.7 Development Patterns ................................................................................................................................................. 37 2.8 Existing Hazard Abatement/Fuels Treatment ............................................................................................................ 37 2.8.1 Defensible Space and Vegetation Management ...................................................................................... 37 2.8.2 City Vegetation Management Units ............................................................................................................ 38 2.8.3 Community Fuels Treatment Network ....................................................................................................... 39 2.8.4 Neighboring Jurisdictions Vegetation Management Areas ...................................................................... 39 2.8.5 City Wildland Fire Suppression Assessment District ................................................................................ 39 2.9 Evacuation ..................................................................................................................................................................... 45 2.10 Water Supply .......................................................................................................................................................... 46 3 Planning and Regulatory Environment .............................................................................................................................. 51 Page i 3.1 Fire Protection ............................................................................................................................................................... 51 3.1.1 Fire Protection Philosophy ........................................................................................................................... 51 3.1.2 Fire Protection Partnerships ....................................................................................................................... 52 3.2 City of Santa Barbara Codes and Standards ............................................................................................................. 52 3.2.1 City Fire Code ................................................................................................................................................ 52 3.2.2 City Building Code ........................................................................................................................................ 53 3.2.3 City of Santa Barbara General Plan ............................................................................................................ 53 3.2.4 City of Santa Barbara Local Coastal Program ........................................................................................... 53 3.2.5 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan ...................................................................................................................... 54 4 Wildfire Hazard Assessment ............................................................................................................................................... 55 4.1 Assessment Methods ................................................................................................................................................... 55 4.1.1 Field Evaluations .......................................................................................................................................... 55 4.1.2 GIS Analysis .................................................................................................................................................. 55 4.1.3 Fire Behavior Modeling ................................................................................................................................ 61 4.2 Hazard Assessment Results ........................................................................................................................................ 65 4.2.1 Modifications to High Fire Hazard Area ..................................................................................................... 65 4.2.2 Modifications to Vegetation Management Units ...................................................................................... 66 5 Values at Risk ....................................................................................................................................................................... 73 5.1 At-Risk Community ........................................................................................................................................................ 73 5.2 Values at Risk ................................................................................................................................................................ 73 5.2.1 Life Safety ..................................................................................................................................................... 74 5.2.2 Homes, Structures, and Neighborhoods ................................................................................................... 74 5.2.3 Critical Infrastructure ..................................................................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • Field-Expedient Weapons, Tools, and Equipment
    FIELD-EXPEDIENT WEAPONS, TOOLS, AND EQUIPMENT As a soldier you know the importance of proper care and use of your weapons, tools, and equipment. This is espe- cially true of your knife. You must always keep it sharp and ready to use. A knife is your most valuable tool in a sur- vival situation. Imagine being in a survival situation with- out any weapons, tools, or equipment except your knife. It could happen! You might even be without a knife. You would probably feel helpless, but with the proper knowledge and skills, you can easily improvise needed items. In survival situations, you may have to fashion any num- ber and type of field-expedient tools and equipment to sur- vive. Examples of tools and equipment that could make your life much easier are ropes, rucksacks, clothes, nets, and so on. 12-1 Weapons serve a dual purpose. You use them to obtain and prepare food and to provide self-defense. A weapon can also give you a feeling of security and provide you with the ability to hunt on the move. CLUBS You hold clubs, you do not throw them. As a field-expedient weapon, the club does not protect you from enemy soldiers. It can, however, extend your area of defense beyond your fingertips. It also serves to increase the force of a blow without injuring yourself. There are three basic types of clubs. They are the simple, weighted, and sling club. Simple Club A simple club is a staff or branch. It must be short enough for you to swing easily, but long enough and strong enough for you to damage whatever you hit.
    [Show full text]
  • Appendix C - Response to Science
    Ringo EIS Appendix C - Response to Science Appendix C – RESPONSE TO SCIENCE The following table summarizes the Forest Service consideration of publications that were provided during the comment period and which were directly referenced in the comments, or determined to either have some relevance to the analysis or indicate there is a difference of opinion within the body of the science. NEPA states that comments on the EIS shall be as specific as possible (40 CFR 1503.3 Specificity of Comments). Some of the following documents are considered non-substantive comments that do not warrant further response. In either case, the following table explains the consideration given by the Forest Service. Referenced Document Forest Service Consideration/Response Cited Science by Dick Artley Mr. Artleys Attachment #1- Scientists Reveal the Natural Resources in the Forest are Harmed (and some destroyed) by Timber Harvest Activities Al-jabber, Jabber M. “Habitat Fragmentation:: Effects and The picture in the Cascadia Wildlands Project publication shows clearcuts and talks Implications” about fragmentation and edge effects which results in crowding of the ark (Meffe et Clearcuts and forest fragmentation, Willamette NF, Oregon. al. 1997) where after logging, species all try to exist in the remaining patches of From: Cascadia Wildland Project, Spring 2003 unlogged forest. Clear cuts are not proposed for the Ringo project. There are http://faculty.ksu.edu.sa/a/Documents/Habitat%20Fragmentation%20Eff openings that will be created that are consistent with gaps and openings of at least 0.5 ects%20and%20Implication.pdf acres described in the Old Growth Definitions (USDA FS 1993, Region 6 interim Old Growth Definitions).
    [Show full text]
  • The 2007 Southern California Wildfires: Lessons in Complexity
    fire The 2007 Southern California Wildfires: Lessons in Complexity s is evidenced year after year, the na- ture of the “fire problem” in south- Jon E. Keeley, Hugh Safford, C.J. Fotheringham, A ern California differs from most of Janet Franklin, and Max Moritz the rest of the United States, both by nature and degree. Nationally, the highest losses in ϳ The 2007 wildfire season in southern California burned over 1,000,000 ac ( 400,000 ha) and property and life caused by wildfire occur in included several megafires. We use the 2007 fires as a case study to draw three major lessons about southern California, but, at the same time, wildfires and wildfire complexity in southern California. First, the great majority of large fires in expansion of housing into these fire-prone southern California occur in the autumn under the influence of Santa Ana windstorms. These fires also wildlands continues at an enormous pace cost the most to contain and cause the most damage to life and property, and the October 2007 fires (Safford 2007). Although modest areas of were no exception because thousands of homes were lost and seven people were killed. Being pushed conifer forest in the southern California by wind gusts over 100 kph, young fuels presented little barrier to their spread as the 2007 fires mountains experience the same negative ef- reburned considerable portions of the area burned in the historic 2003 fire season. Adding to the size fects of long-term fire suppression that are of these fires was the historic 2006–2007 drought that contributed to high dead fuel loads and long evident in other western forests (e.g., high distance spotting.
    [Show full text]
  • The Arrow Shafts Is Pseudosasa Japonica Or Commonly Called Japanese Arrow Bamboo
    The Japanese Arrow By Godai Katsunaga Intorduction The Ya, or arrow of Japan and was between 34 and 38 inches in length, made of fire hardened bamboo shafts and had a steel arrow head., During this period and earlier arrows used in combat were often marked to identify who owned them, this allowed samurai to get the proper credit for killing an opponent. Period Construction The bamboo used for the arrow shafts is Pseudosasa japonica or commonly called Japanese arrow bamboo. This bamboo grows in slender culms that are packed tightly together, forming a dense hedge, with large, dark green foliage. It is a tough and versatile bamboo that will thrive in shade and in sun while growing to about 15 foot tall and was common throughout Japan. Farmers and other workers harvested the bamboo in the early winter when the plants saps were down. To get the required diameter need to make arrows the plants that were between two and three years in age were preferred. After harvesting, the best bamboo was hand selected and ideally stored for about a year for drying, allowing most of the moisture in the plant material to evaporate. Preparation of each shaft included having the nodes shaved off and then softening the shaft by placing it in hot sand prior to straightening it by hand. After the shafts were straightened, they were exposed to high heat to remove any remaining moisture and harden the natural sugars, creating a stronger bond of the natural fibers; this was known as fire hardening. Fletching was done with hawk, eagle, crane or pheasant tail feathers and could be either three or four flights depending on the arrow head that would be mounted.
    [Show full text]
  • Full Agenda Packet
    NOTICE AND AGENDA FOR REGULAR MEETING DATE/TIME: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 1:30 PM PLACE: Board of Supervisors Chambers 651 Pine Street, Martinez, CA 94553 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Commission will hear and consider oral or written testimony presented by any affected agency or any interested person who wishes to appear. Proponents and opponents, or their representatives, are expected to attend the hearings. From time to time, the Chair may announce time limits and direct the focus of public comment for any given proposal. Any disclosable public records related to an open session item on a regular meeting agenda and distributed by LAFCO to a majority of the members of the Commission less than 72 hours prior to that meeting will be available for public inspection in the office at 651 Pine Street, Six Floor, Martinez, CA, during normal business hours as well as at the LAFCO meeting. All matters listed under CONSENT ITEMS are considered by the Commission to be routine and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless requested by a member of the Commission or a member of the public prior to the time the Commission votes on the motion to adopt. For agenda items not requiring a formal public hearing, the Chair will ask for public comments. For formal public hearings the Chair will announce the opening and closing of the public hearing. If you wish to speak, please complete a speaker’s card and approach the podium; speak clearly into the microphone, start by stating your name and address for the record.
    [Show full text]
  • Water Supply Management Report 2018-2019 Water Year
    FINAL January 28, 2020 City of Santa Barbara Water Supply Management Report 2018-2019 Water Year Prepared by Water Resources Division, Public Works Department City of Santa Barbara Water Supply Management Report 2019 Water Year (October 1, 2018 – September 30, 2019) Water Resources Division, Public Works Department January 28, 2020 INTRODUCTION The City of Santa Barbara operates the water utility to provide water for its citizens, certain out-of-City areas, and visitors. Santa Barbara is an arid area, so providing an adequate water supply requires careful management of water resources. The City has a diverse water supply including local reservoirs (Lake Cachuma and Gibraltar Reservoir), groundwater, State Water, desalination, and recycled water. The City also considers water conservation an important tool for balancing water supply and demand. The City's current Long-Term Water Supply Plan (LTWSP) was adopted by City Council on June 14, 2011. This annual report summarizes the following information: The status of water supplies at the end of the water year (September 30, 2019) Drought outlook Water conservation and demand Major capital projects that affect the City’s ability to provide safe clean water Significant issues that affect the security and reliability of the City’s water supplies Appendix A provides supplemental detail. Additional information about the City's water supply can be found on-line at: www.SantaBarbaraCA.gov/Water. WATER SUPPLIES The City has developed five different water supplies: local surface water; local groundwater (which includes water that seeps into Mission Tunnel); State Water; desalinated seawater; and recycled water. Typically, most of the City’s demand is met by local surface water reservoirs and recycled water and augmented as necessary by local groundwater, State Water, and desalination.
    [Show full text]
  • Geologic Hazards
    Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Assessment FINAL Specialist Report – GEOLOGIC HAZARDS Thomas Fire –Los Padres N.F. December, 2017 Jonathan Yonni Schwartz – Geomorphologist/geologist, Los Padres NF Introduction The Thomas Fire started on December 4, 2017, near the Thomas Aquinas College (east end of Sulphur Mountain), Ventura County, California. The fire is still burning and as of December 13, 2017, is estimated to have burned 237,500 acres and is 25% contained. Since the fire is still active, the BAER Team analysis is separated into two phases. This report/analysis covers a very small area of the fire above the community of Ojai, California and is considered phase 1 (of 2). Under phase 1 of this BAER assessment, 40,271 acres are being analyzed (within the fire parameter) out of which 22,971 acres are on National Forest Service Lands. The remaining 17,300 acres are divided between County, City and private lands. Out of a total of 40,271 acres that were analyzed, 99 acres were determined to have burned at a high soil burn severity, 19,243 acres at moderate soil burn severity, 12,044 acres at low soil burn severity and 8,885 acres were unburned. All of the above acres including the unburned acres are within the fire parameter. This report describes and assesses the increase in risk from geologic hazards within the Thomas Fire burned area. When evaluating Geologic Hazards, the focus of the “Geology” function on a BAER Team is on identifying the geologic conditions and geomorphic processes that have helped shape and alter the watersheds and landscapes, and assessing the impacts from the fire on those conditions and processes which will affect downstream values at risk.
    [Show full text]
  • Silent Weapons
    SURVIVAL PAPER #SP96-18 Survival Papers is a service program of Live Free, USA, P.O. Box 375, Dolton, IL 60419-9998, USA, www.live-free.org Dedicated to the support of responsible preparedness and self-reliance SILENT WEAPONS By Christopher Nyerges [Nyerges is the author of Testing Your Outdoor Survival Skills and Guide to Wild Foods. He has been conducting Wild Food Outings and Survival Skills Outings since 1974. A schedule of his classes can be obtained by writing to Survival News Service, Box 41834, Eagle Rock, CA 90041.] As evidenced by the many societies who still today effectively use silent, primitive weapons, the firearm is not the only method of defense or hunting. Still, aren’t all firearms better than any of the primitive weapons? The answer all depends on your perspective. If you consider the relative inherent accuracy of most modern firearms, the relative ease of operation by someone unskilled, and their relative stopping or killing power, then firearms definitely rank superior to most all other weapons. Yet, there are several important reasons for investigating primitive, silent weapons as a part of your overall, long-term survival strategy. The primitive weapons described here are silent, or nearly so. The value of silence in a survival situation is at least two-fold: You may not want to announce your whereabouts, and when hunting, you won’t frighten away every animal in the vicinity after your first rifle blast. In most cases, maintenance of modern firearms requires a simple cleaning kit. But assumes you have a press and all of the needed accessories.
    [Show full text]
  • Prioritizing Investments in Our Community's Recovery & Resiliency
    Prioritizing Investments in Our Community’s Recovery & Resiliency PG&E Settlement Funds Community Input Survey Data Compilation Responses collected September 15 to October 25, 2020 1 Begins on Page 3 ………………………………………………………. Graph data for Spanish Survey Responses Begins on Page 22 …………………………………..…………………. Graph Data for English Survey Responses Begins on Page 42 ……………….. Open-Ended Response: Shared ideas (Spanish Survey Responses) Begins on Page 44………………….. Open-Ended Response: Shared ideas (English Survey Responses) Begins on Page 189 ..………... Open-Ended Response: Comments for Council (Spanish Responses) Page 190………..……….. Open-Ended Response: Comments for Council (English Survey Responses) 2 SPANISH SURVEY RESPONSES Did you reside within the Santa Rosa city limits during the October 2017 wildfires? Total Responses: 32 yes no 6% 94% 3 SPANISH SURVEY RESPONSES Was your Santa Rosa home or business destroyed or fire damaged in the 2017 wildfires, or did a family member perish in the 2017 wildfires? Total Responses: 32 yes no 25% 75% 4 SPANISH SURVEY RESPONSES Do you currently reside within the Santa Rosa city limits? Total Responses: 32 yes no 13% 87% 5 SPANISH SURVEY RESPONSES Survey Respondents Current Area of Residence 32 Surveys Did not Respond Outside SR within 3% Sonoma County 3% Northwest SR 38% Northeast SR 22% Southwest SR 34% 6 SPANISH SURVEY RESPONSES Where do you reside? Outside City Limits No Response City Limits Out of County Out of State within Sonoma County Provided Northeast Sebastopol 1 - 0 - 0 unknown 1 Fountaingrove 1
    [Show full text]
  • UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA Santa Barbara Multi-Temporal Remote
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Santa Barbara Multi-temporal Remote Sensing of Vegetation Regrowth After a Large Wildfire A Thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Geography by Christopher Linscott Kibler Committee in charge: Professor Dar A. Roberts, Chair Professor Stuart H. Sweeney Professor Carla M. D’Antonio June 2019 The thesis of Christopher Linscott Kibler is approved. _____________________________________________ Stuart H. Sweeney _____________________________________________ Carla M. D’Antonio _____________________________________________ Dar A. Roberts, Committee Chair June 2019 Multi-temporal Remote Sensing of Vegetation Regrowth After a Large Wildfire Copyright © 2019 by Christopher Linscott Kibler iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the people whose guidance and support made this thesis possible. I would like to thank my advisor, Professor Dar Roberts, for his valuable mentorship and guidance over the last three years. Professors Stuart Sweeney and Carla D’Antonio also provided valuable advice about how to design and implement this study. In addition to my committee members, several other people made substantial contributions to this research. Anne-Marie Parkinson worked tirelessly to organize the fieldwork trips and analyze the field survey data. She was assisted by field technicians Monica Goodwin and Payton Thomas, whose diligence and perseverance enabled us to collect excellent data. Seth Peterson provided valuable advice about how to design and implement the remote sensing analyses. Members of the VIPER laboratory also provided useful guidance on many occasions. Finally, I would like to thank my girlfriend, Claire, for her encouragement and enthusiasm as I completed this project. I would also like to thank my parents for their unwavering love and support during all of my endeavors.
    [Show full text]
  • Communitywildfire Protectionplan
    COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN GROVE STREET FIRE SAFE COUNCIL, INC. FOR THE COMMUNITIES LOCATED ALONG THE GROVE STREET CORRIDOR IN THE WEST SONOMA HILLS Development This Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) was developed by the Grove Street Fire Safe Council, Inc. (GSFSCI) with guidance and support from Fire Safe Sonoma, the County of Sonoma, The California Fire Safe Council, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. This CWPP supplements the Sonoma County Community Wildfire Protection Plan. AUGUST 2020 Grove Street Fire Safe Council Inc. http://grovestreetfsc.org/ 1 DISCLAIMER Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of any governmental agency, organization, corporation or individual with which the authors may be affiliated. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. This Community Wildfire Prevention Plan (CWPP) is a work in progress. Various changes are anticipated throughout the Plan over the next several years. Readers are urged to consult with their own agencies having jurisdiction regarding the use or implementation of this Plan, as well as their own legal counsel on matters of concern. While the publisher and authors have used their best efforts in preparing this Plan, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by receiving this publication. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your specific situation.
    [Show full text]
  • OCR Document
    MORITZ ARBORICULTURAL CONSULTING 219 SHORELINE HIGHWAY MILL VALLEY, CALIFORNIA 9494 I After the Vision Fire RESTORATION, SAFETY & STEWARDSHIP FOR THE INVERNESS RIDGE COMMUNITIES Report of the EAC Phoenix Team Laurel M. Collins Tom Gaman Ray Moritz Carol L. Rice published by Environmental Action Committee of West Marin with financial support from Marin Community Foundation JUNE 1996 @ 1996 by Environmental Action Committee of West Marin. All rights reserved. CONTENTS: Foreword ..................................................................................................................................1 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................. 2 About the Phoenix Project……………………………………………………………………3 1.Introduction...............................................................................................................................5 How To Use This Report ..............................................................................................6 2. The Mount Vision Fire…. ........................................................................................................8 3.Discussion of Study Area..…………………………………………………………………….11 INSERT:Maps……….………………………………………………………………………….14ff 4. Fire Hardening Your Home…………..………………………………………………………15 5. Watershed Awareness for Inverness Ridge Communities……………………………………20 6. Findings & Recommendations Site-wide……………..…………………………………….31 7. Emergency Preparedness for Inverness Ridge Communities…………………………………49
    [Show full text]