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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 02231999 - C59 TO: BOARD Oir SUPERN ISORS .,.... . Contra FROM: PHIL BATCHELOR, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Costa February 17, 1999 t.Y DATE: SUBJECT. LEGISLATION: SR 436 (RAINEY) SPECIFIC REOUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION: ACKNOWLEDGE that the Board is the SPONSOR of SB 436 by Senator Richard K. Rainey which will require the State Board of Forestry to include in the State Responsibility Area for purpose of fire response those islands in the Delta which are not in any fire district. BACKGROUND: The Board's 1999 Legislative Program contains the following issue; "SPONSOR legislation to include in the definition of State Responsibility Area, and therefore the responsibility of the State Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Delta islands which are currently not in any fire protection district." Senator Rainey has introduced SB 436 for this purpose. Under current law, certain lands are defined and the State Board of Forestry is required to include those lands within the State Responsibility Area and therefore the responsibility of the State Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. As introduced, SB 436 would add to those defined lands the following: Lands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta area Identified as Bradford Island,Jersey Island,Webb Tract,Quimby Island, Rhode Island and Franks Tract. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: _YES SIGNAr RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR _RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE'S: ACTION CSF BOARD ON February 23 1999 --APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TREE XX UNANIMOUS(ASSENT m ) 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 February* 23, 1999 Contact: PHIL BATCHELOR, LERK OF THE BOARD OF cc: See Page 2 SUPERV?SORSA, COUNTY AODM NISTRATOR BY - DEPUTY The problem currently is that none of these islands are in any fire protection district. However, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, East Diablo Fire Protection District and the Bethel Island Fire Protection District may respond to fires on these islands. Because the islands are not the responsibility of any fire district and are not a State responsibility, all jurisdictions which respond must absorb the cost of the response. In the case of fires in the peat bogs, the fires can continue to burn for days or weeks, running up a substantial cost. While the California Department of Forestry and Fire protection will respond to these fires as well, they are seen as a secondary responder, meaning that the County's resources must remain on-site throughout the fire and the County cannot recover its costs from the State. SB 435 would make these islands part of the State's responsibility. Therefore, once the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection arrived on the scene, they could relieve County fire district staff. in addition, the County could recover at least some of its resources from the State. In view of the fact that SB 435 is consistent with the Board's 1999 Legislative Program, it is recommended that the Board indicate its sponsorship of SB 435. cc: County Administrator Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Chief, East Diablo Fire protection District Chief, Bethel Island Fire Protection District Senator Richard Rainey Room 40901 State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 Les Spahnn Frim, Noack, Kelly & Spahnn 1121 L Street, Suite 100 Sacramento, CA 95514 -2- SENATE BILL No. 436 Introduced by Senator Rainey February 16, 1999 An act to amend Section 4126 of the Public Resources Code, relating to forest resources. LEGISLATIVE COUNSELUS DIGEST SB 436, as introduced, Rainey. State Board of Forestry: state responsibility areas. Existing law requires the State Board of Forestry to include specified lands within state responsibility areas. This bill would additionally require the board to include specified lands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta area identified as Bradford Island, Jersey Island, Webb Tract, Quimby Island, Rhode Island, and Franks Tract within those state responsibility areas. Vote: majority. Appropriation. no. Fiscal committee. yes. State-mandated local program: no. The people of the State of California do enact as follows: I SECTION 1. Section 4126 of the Public Resources 2 Code is amended to read: 3 4126. The board shall include within state 4 responsibility areas all of the following lands: 5 (a) Lands covered wholly or in part by forests or by 6 trees producing or capable of producing forest products. 7 (b) Lands covered wholly or in part by timber, brush, S undergrowth, or grass, whether of commercial value or 9 not, which protect the soil from excessive erosion, retard 99 SB 436 —2- 1 21 runoff of water or accelerate water percolation, if such 2 lands are sources of water which is available for irrigation 3 or for domestic or industrial use. 4 (c) Lands in areas whieh that are principally used or 5 useful for range or forage purposes, which are contiguous 6 to the lands described in subdivisions (a) and(b). 7 (d) Lands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Belts area 8 identified as Bradford Island, Jersey Island, Webb Tract, 9 Quimby Island, Rhode Island and Franks Tract. O 99