CC SR 20200204 04 - Fuel Modification
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 02/04/2020
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Regular Business
AGENDA DESCRIPTION:
Consideration and possible action to receive and file a presentation on an updated Fuel
Modification Plan and other wildfire preparedness efforts, and award a contract
amendment to Fire Grazers, Inc. for fuel modification services
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Receive and file a presentation on an updated Fuel Modification Plan and other
wildfire preparedness efforts;
(2) Authorize a contract amendment to Fire Grazers, Inc. to expand contracted fuel
modification services; and,
(3) Authorize an additional appropriation of $43,815 for expanded fuel modification
related services.
FISCAL IMPACT: $43,815
Amount Budgeted: $1,291,700
Additional Appropriation: $43,815
Account Number(s): 101-400-3230-5101
(General Fund - Fuel Modification, Professional & Technical Services)
ORIGINATED BY: James S. O’Neill, Project Manager (Public Works)
REVIEWED BY: Elias Sassoon, PE, Director of Public Works
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, Interim City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. Amendment to Contract FY2020-020 with Fire Grazers, Inc. (page A-1)
(forthcoming)
B. June 18, 2019 Staff report and attachments (link)
C. July 16, 2019 Staff report and attachments (link)
D. September 3, 2019 Staff report and attachments (link)
E. September 17, 2019 Staff report and attachments (link)
F. November 19, 2019 Staff report and attachments (link)
G. Updated Fuel Modification Map (page G-1)
H. Updated Fuel Modification Table (page H-1) (forthcoming)
I. Updated Fuel Modification Schedule for 2020 (page I-1) (forthcoming)
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Staff has completed updating mapping of all areas of City property that are within 200
feet of structures (the “defensible space” required in Los Angeles County for Very High
Fire Hazard Severity Zones, which includes most of Rancho Palos Verdes), and has
identified 94 fuel modification areas (equating to 278.73 acres). Prior to this update, City
fuel modification maps specified 42 fuel modification areas (equating to 65.35 acres). As
part of this report, Staff is presenting the revised map, table, and schedule of work for
2020 that reflects the work required.
Because of the additional acreage, Staff is recommending an amendment to the Fire
Grazers, Inc. contract for goat grazing. Staff will return at a later date for an amendment
to the Stay Green contract for the adding the costs of addressing that additional areas
that cannot be addressed by Fire Grazers, Inc.
Staff estimates that $1.2 million is needed on an annual basis for fuel modification work,
including costs for biological and bird surveys, goat grazing, tree trimming and other
weed and brush clearance. This annual expenditure could potentially be reduced in
future years if the City invested in well thought out re-vegetation of some fuel
modification areas, and Staff is in discussions with the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land
Conservancy (PVPLC) to explore this option. Staff also estimates that an additional $1
million would be needed to complete efforts to eradicate acacia from the Peninsula.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION:
The Los Angeles County Fire Code requires the clearance of hazardous vegetation
around structures to create “defensible space” in Fire Hazard Severity Zones and High
Fire Hazard Severity Zones for effective fire protection of property, life and the
environment. Fuel modification reduces the radiant and convective heat, and provides
valuable defensible space for firefighters to make an effective stand against an
approaching fire front. The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) and
Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures, Weed Hazard and
Pest Abatement Bureau (Weed Abatement Division) jointly enforce these requirements.
Defensible space is defined as 100 feet from structures in Fire Hazard Severity Zones
and 200 feet from structures in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. These spaces
are further subdivided into two zones, the first extending 30 feet out from structures, and
the second extending the remaining 70 feet (or 170 feet in Very High Fire Hazard
Severity Zones), as shown in the diagram below:
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Rancho Palos Verdes is primarily designated a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone,
and according to an April 11, 2019, article in the Sacramento Bee, “holds a dubious
honor: it’s the most populated city in California to have 90 percent or more of its
population living within a very high fire hazard severity zone.” As such, defensible space
in the City is defined as 200 feet from structures.
Of the 8,620 acres that are within the City of Rancho Palos Verdes’ boundaries, the vast
majority of that acreage is privately owned. The City owns and is responsible for fuel
modification on approximately 1,604 acres within its boundaries; of that acreage,
1,381.7 acres is located within the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve (Preserve). The
Preserve is 1,402.4 acres, with Lunada Canyon (in the Agua Amarga Reserve) owned
by PVPLC, which is responsible for the fuel modification areas associated with those
20.7 acres.
Fuel modification on both private and public land in the City is subject to the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which requires measures be taken to protect
environmental resources as appropriate. (Homeowners are exempt, however, from
CEQA requirements for the first 100 feet.) This typically involves tracking habitat loss
and protection of federally and state listed endangered and/or other sensitive species.
In November 2019, the City Council adopted the City’s Natural Communities
Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP), which helps the City to
streamline the permitting of several City projects, including fuel modification. The
NCCP/HCP specifically states in Section 6.3.1 that, "At no time will NCCP/HCP
provisions take precedence over the requirements of public health, safety, and welfare
as determined by the Los Angeles County Fire Department.” It also states that removal
of coastal sage scrub or any other form of habitat modification or weed abatement for
the purpose of fire protection, such as the establishment of fuel modification zones and
fire breaks, thinning or brush clearing, provided such actions follow a regulation,
requires a written plan or a written order that is issued or required by the Los Angeles
County Fire Department or by another governmental entity. The NCCP/HCP allows the
City 30 acres of habitat loss within the Preserve resulting from fuel modification. The
City has an additional 40 acres of habitat loss available within the NCCP/HCP’s “Other
Miscellaneous City projects” category. Staff feels this is 70-acre allotment will meet and
expedite the City’s fuel modification needs.
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The City works with PVPLC and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service to track “take” associated with fuel modification to comply with
NCCP/HCP and CEQA requirements. Moreover, the NCCP/HCP states that, “fire and
fuel modification will be carried out with a priority for human safety, where practicable,
the City and PVPLC shall also consider the minimization of impacts to biological
resources, where appropriate.” In order to comply with the City’s NCCP/HCP
requirements, the City works with its habitat manager (PVPLC) and the wildlife agencies
to coordinate fuel modification and track habitat loss.
The City’s Fuel Modification Plan
The LACoFD website lists five methods the department uses to manage over-aged
chaparral stands:
Prescribed fire (a.k.a. “controlled burns”)
Mechanical brush removal – defined as using mechanical equipment, such as
bulldozers, “brush crushers,” brush rakes, disks or anchor chains
Chemical application – application of growth inhibitors, defoliators or killers
Biological control – using grazing or browsing animals, such as goats
Hand clearing – manual labor using tools such as chain saws and line trimmers
The City’s Fuel Modification Plan does not utilize all of the methods used by LACoF D.
Prescribed fire presents obvious community concerns, mechanical brush removal is
avoided, if possible, and the use of chemical application would be a violation of the
NCCP/HCP in the Preserve. This leaves biological control and hand clearing as the
primary methods used by the City.
The City’s plan is intended to guide the City and its contracted vendors on fuel
modification efforts on a regular basis. The plan presented to the City Council on July
16, 2019 (Attachment C) was comprised of a map and a corresponding table that
identified the 42 fuel modification areas (drawn originally in 2004), the anticipated
approach and schedule for each area. At that time, Staff also stated that additional fuel
modification areas still needed to be mapped.
Current and Future Fuel Modification Budget
The FY19-20 Adopted Budget originally included $310,000 for Fuel Modification
services, and was comprised of:
$140,000 for Fire Grazers, Inc. (the vendor that provides the goats);
$100,000 for other vendors (i.e. Los Angeles Conservation Corps and Long
Beach Conservation Corps); and
$70,000 for disking services performed by the County of Los Angeles.
Subsequent to the adoption of the FY19-20 budget, the City Council has approved
additional appropriations for fuel modification, as listed in the following table:
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Original
Appropriation
$310,000
July 16, 2019 Biologist studies and reports $50,000
September 3, 2019 Grant to PVPLC for Acacia removal $200,000
September 17, 2019 Supplement for Fire Grazers contract $10,000
Tree trimming, “up-limbing” and tree
removal (Acacia removal) $200,000
Geological studies and reports $25,000
Consultant services to oversee and
manage the City’s fuel modification efforts
and associated contracts
$125,000
November 19, 2019 Grant to PVPLC for more Acacia removal $307,200
$1,227,200*
*$707,200 was allotted for Acacia removal outside the fuel modification zones
Currently $520,000 has been allocated for fuel modification this year. However, Staff
estimates that approximately $1,200,000 (rounded-up) would be needed annually to
address all identified fuel modification areas. Although many factors may affect this
figure (such as rainfall, site-specific approaches to account for native vegetation, and
potential re-growth in an area during a single year), this cost estimate is based on the
following assumptions:
279 acres of fuel modification areas
An approximated cost of $3,000 per acre for fuel modification (based on average
per-acre costs of Fire Grazer’s contract, Stay Green’s contract, and accounting
for costs for bird surveys) equating to $837,000
A 25% contingency, equating to $209,250
$125,000 for oversight and management
This estimated budget does not include re-vegetation, which would minimize or
potentially eliminate or significantly reduce the need for annual clearing, thinning or
trimming in fuel modification areas. It also does not include a (theoretically, one-time)
cost for removing remaining Acacia from City properties, both inside and outside of the
Preserve.
Staff will also be exploring grant funding as a means to supplement and levera ge the
City’s fuel modification budget. The Governor’s proposed FY20-21 budget includes
programs that could provide funding for programs related to fuel modification, including:
$110.1 million to implement AB 38 (Wood, Chapter 391, Statutes of 2019), which
directs Cal OES and CAL FIRE to develop a joint powers authority to administer
a $100 million home hardening pilot program. AB 38 also mandates real estate
disclosure requirements for properties located in Very High Fire Hazard Severity
Zones starting on January 1, 2021.
$50 million to Cal OES to support additional preparedness measures that bolster
community resiliency, particularly during utility-initiated power shutdown events.
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This proposal would support a matching grant program to help local governme nts
prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the impacts of power outages.
Update to the Fuel Modification Map
Staff updated the Fuel Modification Map by digitally tracing all structures within 200 feet
of City properties, and mapping 200-foot buffers around those structures (Attachment
G). The original 42 fuel modification areas equated to 65.35 acres. With GIS mapping
completed, there are now 96 areas that equate to 278.73 acres. Some of the 94 areas
are encompass some of the original, smaller areas, and others are new areas that were
not previously mapped.
Not all mapped areas will require “brush clearance,” as they include maintained
landscaped areas (such as Hesse Park and Ryan Park) or paved areas (like some
portions of the Civic Center complex). Many areas are not abundant in habitat, and/or
may include disturbed vegetation or non-native plants. Other areas may not be able to
be cleared, trimmed or thinned due to steep slopes and/or the impracticality of placing
fences for the goats. These areas will be discussed with LACoFD and Department of
Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures to discuss what is ultimately
required.
Malaga Canyon, which equates to approximately 68 acres, is intentionally not included
in the plan at this time, because the fuel modification areas equate to more than half
(approximately 38 acres) of the Reserve. Staff expects to have meetings with PVPLC,
LACoFD and Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures to
address what will ultimately be required in this Reserve.
Addressing Utility Hazards
Staff has engaged Southern California Edison (SCE) representatives to address the
potential of undergrounding overhead power lines that may pose a fire threat. This
includes clearing vegetation and dry brush under existing power lines, particularly an
existing power line in the Portuguese Bend Reserve. The City has also spearheaded an
effort to change state regulations that would allow for the threat of fire to be a
justification for use of existing funds (Rule 20) set aside for undergrounding.
The City’s proposed policy on Rule 20 was recommended by both League policy
committees last week and is going to the Board of Directors in February for
consideration as a formal policy. The proposed policy now reads simply, “The League
supports the inclusion of wildfire mitigation as an eligible project to receive the California
Public Utilities’ Rule 20 funds and efforts to expand funding for Rule 20.” League staff
crafted this language to reflect two main elements agreed upon by the policy
committees and the City: adding wildfire mitigation as an eligible project to receive Rule
20 funds; and expanding funding for Rule 20 projects to support those wildfire mitigation
efforts. The Board of Directors will meet February 20-21 in Yountville.
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SCE and other electrical utilities have recently implemented policies to allow to allow
public safety power shutoffs (PSPS) in order to prevent their equipment from sparking
wildfires. Communities are looking for ways to offset the likely negative impacts of such
actions, and Staff is researching the potential impacts and potential ways for the City to
minimize such impacts to residents and the community. Staff applied for a grant from
the Governor’s Office for generators and education opportunities under a program to
address those concerns, and is awaiting a response to that application.
Educating Property Owners and Residents
Educating property owners and residents is an important aspect of the City’s plan. Staff
intends to develop educational materials, research education opportunities, or update
the City’s website with educational materials. The City has also recently retained
contract staff who can focus on these public outreach efforts.
Contract Amendment with Fire Grazers and Stay Green
As outlined in the Fuel Modification Plan presented on July 1 6, 2019, Fire Grazers and
Stay Green are scheduled to address the 42 original fuel modification areas. Staff is
presenting an updated map and corresponding table and schedule that reflects the
detailed mapping of all City properties by City GIS Staff. GIS Staff digitally traced every
structure that was within 200 feet of any City property (whether inside the Preserve or
not) and created the 30-foot and 200-foot buffers that equate to Zone 1 and Zone 2
around structures from the LACoFD fuel modification standards. This resulted in the
identification of 94 fuel modification zones, a number that is not expected to change
without new homes or structures being built.
With the increased fuel modification zones, the contracts with Fire Grazers and Stay
Green must be amended to reflect the new acreage. A t this time, Staff proposes
amending the Fire Grazers (Attachment A). An additional appropriation of $43,815 is
needed at this time. Staff will present an amendment to the Stay Green contract at a
later date, since a contract amendment to the Stay Green contract is being considered
separately on tonight’s agenda.
ALTERNATIVES:
In addition to the Staff recommendations, the following alternative actions are available
for the City Council’s consideration:
1. Discuss and take other action related to this item.
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PALOS VERDES ESTATES
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