Colusa County Community Wildfire Protection Plan 2021 Report to the Colusa County Board of Supervisors and CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Prepared for the Colusa County Resource Conservation District Sunrise Blvd., Suite B Colusa, CA 95932 Under an Interagency Agreement with the Resource Conservation District Tehama County January 2021 With funding provided by the California Fire Safe Council Table of Contents ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................................................... 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................. 7 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................ 8 Human-Wildland Interactions and Communities at Risk within Colusa County ......................................... 8 Communities at Risk .................................................................................................................................... 8 PROJECT BACKGROUND .......................................................................................................................... 14 Increasing Wildfire Threats ........................................................................................................................ 14 Community Wildfire Protection Plan ......................................................................................................... 14 Broadly Based Policies and Plans for At-Risk Communities ..................................................................... 14 GOAL AND OBJECTIVES OF THE COLUSA COUNTY COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN PROCESS ............................................................................................................................................ 15 Colusa County CWPP Priorities ................................................................................................................. 16 Description of Processes and Methodology ............................................................................................... 16 Technical and Landowner/Community Stakeholder Input Processes. ....................................................... 16 Colusa County Community Wildfire Protection Plan Stakeholders ............................................................ 17 Stakeholder Meetings ................................................................................................................................. 18 Planning Methodology ................................................................................................................................ 18 Summary of Fire and Fuel Risk Strategy and Development of Mitigation Projects ................................... 19 Countywide Base Map ................................................................................................................................ 20 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW ..................................................................................................................... 24 Federal Environmental Compliance Process in Project Execution ............................................................ 24 National Environmental Policy Act ....................................................................................................... 24 State Environmental Compliance Process in Project Execution California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) ...................................................................................................................................................... 24 CEQA Exemptions ................................................................................................................................. 24 Negative Declarations ............................................................................................................................ 25 Environmental Impact Reports .............................................................................................................. 25 Timber Harvest Plans ............................................................................................................................. 26 COLUSA COUNTY CWPP PLANNING UNIT DESCRIPTIONS .............................................................. 26 Location, Geographic and Environmental Conditions ................................................................................ 26 Development of Colusa County CWPP Planning Units ............................................................................. 26 Western Colusa County Planning Unit ....................................................................................................... 28 Sacramento River Corridor Planning Unit .................................................................................................. 28 Sacramento Valley, Delevan, Colusa And Butte Sink Wildlife Areas Planning Unit ................................. 29 COLUSA COUNTY’S PLANNING AREA LANDSCAPES, DEMOGRAPHICS AND FIRE SHAPED ECOSYSTEMS .............................................................................................................................................. 32 FIRE RISK ENVIRONMENT OF COLUSA COUNTY ............................................................................... 34 Fire Facilities within Colusa County...................................................................................................... 40 Overview of Developed and Natural Assets at Risk Within the Colusa County CWPP Planning Area ........ 43 Mendocino National Forest ........................................................................................................................ 43 Bureau of Land Management Parcels ......................................................................................................... 43 Community of Stonyford and its Wildland Urban Interface Area ............................................................. 43 Communities of Lodoga and Sites ............................................................................................................. 43 State Route 20, 16 and 45 ........................................................................................................................... 43 Major County Roads .................................................................................................................................. 44 Minor Roads and Trails .............................................................................................................................. 44 Utility Infrastructure ................................................................................................................................... 44 Hydrologic Features and Watersheds ......................................................................................................... 45 Other Significant Assets ............................................................................................................................. 45 Business and Commercial Development ............................................................................................... 45 Cultural Resources ................................................................................................................................. 45 Air Quality ............................................................................................................................................. 45 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Critical Habitat, Vernal Pools and Listed Species ...................................... 46 COMPLETED, PROPOSED AND IN PROCESS EFFORTS IDENTIFIED DURING THE COLUSA COUNTY CWPP PLANNING PROCESS .................................................................................................... 46 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 46 Project Categories ....................................................................................................................................... 47 Shaded Fuel Breaks .................................................................................................................................... 47 Defensible Fuel Profile Zone (DFPZ) ........................................................................................................ 47 Roadside Clearings ..................................................................................................................................... 48 Summary of Results from Project Prioritization Process ........................................................................... 48 COUNTYWIDE COMPLETED, IN PROGRESS, AND PLANNED/PROPOSED FIRE AND FUELS MANAGEMENT PROJECTS ........................................................................................................................ 48 Completed Efforts....................................................................................................................................... 48 CAL FIRE Napa-Lake-Sonoma CAL FIRE Unit Strategic Fire Plan ........................................................ 48 Glenn County Community Wildfire Protection Plan ............................................................................. 49 Colusa County Sherriff’s Department Rapid Notify Emergency Communications System .................. 49 In Progress Efforts .....................................................................................................................................