Section 4526), Or Timberland Zoned Timberland Production (As Defined by Government Code Section 51104(G))
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
4 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING, IMPACTS, AND MITIGATION MEASURES 4 Environmental Setting, Impacts, and Mitigation Measures 4.1 Introduction 4.1.1 Overview and Approach This section of the Program EIR presents potential environmental impacts of the Program. An Initial Study was not prepared for the Program because Midpen decided to prepare a Program EIR from the outset of environmental review. CEQA Guidelines Section 15063(a) states that if the Lead Agency determines an EIR will be required for a project, the Lead Agency need not conduct further initial review and may begin work on the EIR. The Program would not result in significant effects for some CEQA topics. A brief discussion of these topics and why they are dismissed from further review is provided in the following section. 4.1.2 Effects Found Not to be Significant Overview This section describes the environmental resource topics for which significant effects would not occur as a result of Program implementation. The following resource topics are addressed briefly in this section and then dismissed from further analysis: Agriculture and Forestry, Energy, Land Use and Planning, Mineral Resources, Population and Housing, Public Services, and Utilities and Services Systems. Agriculture and Forestry Significance Criteria Consistent with State CEQA Guidelines Appendix G (Environmental Checklist), the Program could have a significant impact if it would: • Convert Prime Farmland, Unique Farmland, or Farmland of Statewide Importance (Farmland), as shown on the maps prepared pursuant to the Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program of the California Resources Agency, to non-agricultural use. • Conflict with existing zoning for agricultural use, or a Williamson Act contract. • Conflict with existing zoning for, or cause rezoning of, forest land (as defined in Public Resources Code section 12220(g)), timberland (as defined by Public Resources Code section 4526), or timberland zoned Timberland Production (as defined by Government Code section 51104(g)). • Result in the loss of forest land or conversion of forest land to non-forest use. Draft Program EIR for the Wildland Fire Resiliency Program ● January 2021 4-1 4 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING, IMPACTS, AND MITIGATION MEASURES • Involve other changes in the existing environment which, due to their location or nature, could result in conversion of Farmland, to non-agricultural use or conversion of forest land to non-forest use. Impacts Dismissed Midpen manages approximately 6,500 acres under its current Conservation Grazing Program. Five OSPs (La Honda Creek, Russian Ridge, Purisima Creek, Skyline Ridge, and Tunitas Creek) use conservation grazing as a method of vegetation management, including fuels reduction. These OSPs are along the San Mateo coast. Midpen leases suitable agricultural lands (currently over 8,500 acres) to tenants with expertise in managing livestock for this purpose. All leases are subject to grazing management plans to ensure that priority resource management goals are being met. Approximately 7,700 acres of OSP land is in Williamson Act contracts. These contracts are within 21 OSPs (Midpen, 2019). The majority of Midpen lands are designated as “other land” by Important Farmland maps published by the California Department of Conservation, Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program (California Department of Conservation, 2014a; California Department of Conservation, 2012; California Department of Conservation, 2014b). Forested lands are defined as land that can support 10 percent native tree cover of any species, including hardwoods, under natural conditions, and that allows for management of one or more forest resources, including timber, aesthetics, fish and wildlife, biodiversity, water quality, recreation, and other public benefits. Midpen lands encompass approximately 30,000 acres of forest and woodland habitat, including roughly 11,500 acres of redwood and Douglas fir associated coniferous forest and 18,500 acres of other hardwood forest and woodlands. The Program would involve expansion of vegetation management practices, implementation of prescribed fire, and installation of firefighting infrastructure (e.g., water tanks). Farmlands (primarily grazing lands) that are currently managed and leased by Midpen would not be adversely affected by the Program’s implementation as prescribed burning may improve forage quality on grazing land. Proposed activities under the WFRP would not convert or cause changes that would result in the conversion of designated farmland to non-agricultural uses, nor would the Program conflict with an existing Williamson Act contract. Implementation of the Program would involve selective, controlled removal of trees for the purpose of forest ecosystem resiliency and wildland fire management. The primary role for Midpen is the preservation and protection of forests and woodlands on its lands. Although the Program includes elements to manage forest canopy and structure, the intent is to promote robust and healthy ecosystems, not to permanently convert forest land. Implementation of the Program would not result in the substantial loss of forest land nor would it convert forestry land to non-forestry use. Farmland and forestry are not evaluated further in the Program EIR. Draft Program EIR for the Wildland Fire Resiliency Program ● January 2021 4-2 4 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING, IMPACTS, AND MITIGATION MEASURES Energy Significance Criteria Consistent with State CEQA Guidelines Appendix G (Environmental Checklist), the Program would have a significant impact on energy if it would: • Result in a potentially significant environmental impact due to wasteful, inefficient, or unnecessary consumption of energy resources, during project construction or operation. • Conflict with or obstruct a state or local plan for renewable energy or energy efficiency. Impacts Dismissed Several state or local plans for renewable energy or energy efficiency apply to the Program. The Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program was adopted by California Air Resources Board (CARB), with the goal of reducing the carbon intensity of transportation fuel in California by at least 20 percent by 2030 as compared to a 2010 baseline. The LCFS program applies to any transportation fuel sold, supplied, or offered for sale in California, except alternative fuel that is not a biomass-based or liquefied petroleum gas, and certain fuel for some specific vehicles and vessels (CARB, 2018). CARB also adopted a suite of regulations, collectively referred to as the Advanced Clean Cars program, that applies to vehicle model years 2015 through 2025 which aims to control smog and soot-causing pollutants and reduce fuel use, which in turn reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (CARB, 2012). Midpen has adopted a Climate Action Plan to identify goals and strategies to reduce GHG emissions generated by Midpen activities. The Climate Action Plan calls for a 20 percent reduction from the 2016 baseline in 2022 and ultimately an 80 percent reduction by 2050. Strategies are identified to reduce GHG emissions associated with four different sectors, one of which is “vehicle fleet, equipment, and business travel,” which would apply to the vehicles and equipment used during implementation of the Program. Some of the strategies correlate to reducing energy use, primarily non-renewable fuels. Applicable strategies include switching tanks and fueling stations to renewable diesel (V1, which was completed in September 2018), acquisition and testing of new electric equipment (V4), purchasing a hybrid or electric vehicle for field offices (V6), and assessing feasibility of alternative fire response models with lower emissions (V7) (Midpen, 2018). Refer to Section 4.7: Greenhouse Gas Emissions for further description and analysis of regulations intended to reduce GHG emissions that would also correlate to energy use. The equipment and vehicles that would be used to implement Program activities would consume energy, including gas, diesel, and motor oil. The use of mechanical equipment (e.g., brushcutters, chainsaws, chippers) would increase as well as the number of passenger vehicle trips to transport crew members to the work sites. The passenger vehicles used to transport crew members to Midpen lands would consume energy as well as the trucks and vehicles within Midpen lands to transport crew members and equipment to work areas. Vehicle engines and fuel used during implementation of the Program would comply with energy reduction and efficiency requirements at the State and local level. The diesel-powered Draft Program EIR for the Wildland Fire Resiliency Program ● January 2021 4-3 4 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING, IMPACTS, AND MITIGATION MEASURES off-road equipment and Midpen vehicles used during Program implementation would use renewable diesel in accordance with Midpen’s Climate Action Plan. The hours of equipment use to conduct the maximum annual Program activities is estimated to increase by nearly 20 times current levels of use to conduct fuel management activities, increasing annual energy use. Fuel consumption varies by the type of vehicle or piece of equipment and the associated horsepower, the terrain, and the amount of time that it takes to conduct the activity. The annual average number of workers proposed under the Program would increase from approximately five workers per day under existing conditions to 30 workers a day, assuming maximum Program implementation. The total miles driven a year associated with worker trips, transport of workers to work areas, and trucks arriving