Balancing Fire Hazard Reduction and Sensitive Resources in Suburban Forests and Open Space PLACER COUNTY PARKS DIVISION FIRE HAZARD REDUCTION PROGRAM Placer.

Balancing Fire Hazard Reduction and Sensitive Resources in Suburban Forests and Open Space

PLACER COUNTY PARKS DIVISION FIRE HAZARD REDUCTION

PROGRAM

Placer County Department of Facility ServicesParks Division Division

FY 2014-15Parks Project Summaries


VEGETATION, FUELS & RANGE MANAGEMENT PLAN

Prepared by: Placer County Resource Conservation District, Farm Advisory, University of California Cooperative Extension, and Doug Ferrier, Professional Forester



The Plan identifies options for modifying vegetation to reduce effects of a wild land fire by modifying existing fuel load. The Plan is intended to create and maintain natural resource protection in the setting of passive recreational uses. Passive recreation includes observing a variety of flora and fauna species and in that regard this fuels management and grazing plan will protect critical wildlife habitat.





The Placer County Parks Division has implemented a system of shaded fuel breaks designed to slow down a moving fire and to allow a safe point for trying to suppress a fire.

Shaded fuel breaks remove only a portion of the existing vegetation in certain strategic areas so if a fire should approach one of these areas, its behavior is modified to the point that it can be safely suppressed. Much less bare ground is created with a shaded fuel break.


FUEL REDUCATION ORDINANCE INVENTORY

The Inventory was prepared in 2013 by Doug Ferrier, California Registered Professional Forester, Resource Conservation District.

Inventory Placer County owned or leased parcels for their status in meeting County Ordinance 9.32.150, the “Duty to abate hazardous vegetation ordinance” for fire prevention purposes.

338 parcels of land were inspected.


FUEL REDUCATION ORDINANCE INVENTORY

The duty to abate ordinance requires that vegetation be modified from a 100’ wide strip of land around flammable structures so that the vegetation does not pose a fire hazard even if the structure is on adjacent property.Reports were developed listing the property name, treatment recommended, priority, and cost.

The report is the basis for future funding requests, including grant applications.



MAINTENANCE

To maintain these areas so they retain their fuel break features, techniques such as livestock grazing, prescribed fire, cut/pile/burn material, manual pruning, mechanical masticating and herbicide spraying are used.

Shaded fuel breaks which are not maintained will defeat the entire purpose of the fuel breaks.



ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE

Categorical Exemption Class 1(h) (Section 15301) Maintenance of Existing Native Growth.

Hidden Falls Regional Park EIR and CUP were Certified by the Placer County Planning Commission on January 28, 2010.



GRANTS – HIDDEN FALLS REGIONAL PARK

$150,000 CCC’s in labor for fuel load reduction at Hidden Falls Regional Park.

$506,207 Sierra Nevada Conservancy for Hidden Falls Fuel Load Management Program – included purchase of $47,500 all terrain mower

$85,000 from Placer County Air Pollution Control District Grant for a Masticator.



GRANTS – SQUAW VALLEY PARK

$245,500 Sierra Nevada Conservancy.

$103,000 community contributions.

Fuel load reduction work as part of a comprehensive vegetation management plan at Squaw Valley Park.



RONALD L. FEIST PARK4.6 Acre Wetland Preserve

Dead plant matter (thatch) accumulates and can have an adverse affect on habitat function.

Thatch decreases plant diversity and increases risk of catastrophic fires.

Reducing plant matter increases nutrient cycling, increases plant diversity (especially native species), controls the spread of non-native, invasive plant species.


RONALD L. FEIST PARKGOALS

Reduce amount of plant matter to reduce fire fuel loads.

Reduce plant matter to allow for nutrient cycling and seed germination.

Control invasive plants. Careful timing of removal of targeted invasive plant populations reduces competition between native and non-native plants.


DOYLE RANCH CATTLE GRAZING

Grazing lease is in place through 2016 over a 20- acre open space parcel.

No cost to the County, no charge to rancher.

Rancher installed gates and fencing.

Allows for public use of trails through the open space.


DRY CREEK OPEN SPACE FUEL LOAD REDUCTION

In 2014, the Placer County Parks Division began clearing fire fuel loads from open space within the Dry Creek corridor.

The goal is to remove large accumulation of burnable material to reduce the effect of a fire when it occurs.



Down and dead flammable material is being removed. This reduces wildfire risk. It also eliminates the material from becoming a blockage or damming during floods.

Small ladder fuel trees and brush that would allow fire to reach the upper canopy is being removed.

Blackberries are being removed. They grow taller and burn hotter than native grasses. The hotter fire can damage the cambium layer of oaks, thus killing the trees.

Trees that have structural defects and pose a hazard.



The Parks Division is removing trees that are growing under the canopy of larger dominant trees. The smaller trees have no developed canopy due to intensive shading from larger more developed oaks.

Removing excessive trees that are drawing nutrients and water from the soil that would otherwise be available to the more developed trees. They do not provide shade, habitat or other positive benefit to the woodland stand.

Flag select small trees in open areas that will be preserved to produce additional shade and serve as future canopy trees.



The Parks Division is not removing material within 20’ to 40’ of the creek bank. This will maintain shade and cover.

A side benefit of clearing thick brush is that the brush is attractive for illicit activity. This is a safety concern for fire and for users of the open space.


PLACER COUNTY PARKS DIVISION FIRE HAZARD REDUCTION PROGRAM –

FUTURE PLANS

The Parks Division has identified 4 other high priority sites.

Following recommendations in the Fuel Reduction Ordinance Inventory report, Parks staff has identified 17 high priority sites.

Funding is being pursued from the County, CCC’s grants, and other resources to continue the program.

Native Plants

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Grasslands and Agriculture

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Oak Woodlands

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Balancing Fire Hazard Reduction and Sensitive Resources in Suburban Forests and Open Space PLACER COUNTY PARKS DIVISION FIRE HAZARD REDUCTION PROGRAM Placer.

Documents

inventory placer county

meeting county ordinance

existing vegetation

hazardous vegetation

system of shaded fuel

fuels management

grazing plan

existing fuel load