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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 09081992 - 1.139 %TO:_ BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra 5 L v " FROM: Phil Batchelor, County Administrator Costa A : 3 County DATE: September 3, 1992 SUBJECT: AUTHORIZATION FOR THE CHIEFS OF THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY AND EAST DIABLO FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS TO REMOVE THEIR SIGNATURES FROM THE STATE'S WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS: 1 . Express the Board' s dismay at the position the State Department of Parks and Recreation has taken in regard to the grazing of cattle on Mt. Diablo as a means of fuel reduction, thereby endangering firefighting personnel, homes surrounding Mt. Diablo State Park and the park' s resources . 2 . In response to the failure of the State Department of Parks and Recreation to adequately address the issue of the likely build-up of massive amounts of fuel in the thousands of acres of grasslands in Mt. Diablo State Park if grazing is terminated, authorize the Chiefs of the Contra Costa County and East Diablo Fire Protection Districts to remove their signatures from the State Department of Parks and Recreation' s Wildfire Management Plan for Mt. Diablo State Park. BACKGROUND: The Board of Supervisors has been on record in support of grazing on Mt. Diablo as a means of fuel reduction and therefore fire prevention for many years, namely in Resolutions 87/556 and 87/556A in September 1987, Resolution 88/220 in April 1988, additional indications of support in January and April of 1989, and Resolution 91/387 on June 11, 1991 . In Resolution 88/220 on April 26 , 1988, the Board of Supervisors approved the Wildfire Management Plan for Mt. Diablo and authorized the chiefs of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District and the then Eastern Diablo and Tassajara Fire Protection Districts (now the East Diablo Fire Protection District) to sign the plan and work- with the State to keep the plan up to date and to concur in modifications to the Plan as they deem appropriate. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: __X__YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON SeDfpmher 8, 1992 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS (� I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. ATTESTED 4 /9 Contact: PHIL BATCHELOR.CLERK OF THE BOARD OF CC: SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Please see page 2 . BY DEPUTY f -2- On June 11, 1991, the Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution 91/387 which requested the State Park and Recreation Commission to amend the General Plan for Mt. Diablo State Park to allow the continuation of cattle grazing and the Demonstration Ranch in Mt. Diablo State Park. On July 31, 1992 the Chief of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District wrote to the County Administrator noting that the State Department of Parks and Recreation had been unresponsive to local concerns regarding the fuel loading and fire potential currently existing in the Mt. Diablo State Park. Chief Maxfield went on to indicate that "We. . .have grave doubts as to the efficacy of the Wildfire Management Plan as it is currently being implemented. " In view of these concerns, Chief Maxfield and Chief Hein (as well as San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District Chief Deardorff) have recommended that they withdraw their signatures from the Wildfire Management Plan, thereby expressing their disapproval of the manner in which the Plan is being implemented currently. Approving this request would appear to be entirely consistent with the longstanding position of the Board on this issue and we, therefore, recommend that the Board approve the recommendation made by Chief Maxfield and Chief Hein. cc : County Administrator Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Chief, East Diablo Fire Protection District Chief, San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District Donald Murphy, Director Department of Parks and Recreation 1416 9th Street, Room 1405 Sacramento, CA 95814