Just a reminder that the BSMAAC meeting is this Friday, March 26, 2010, at 10 am, at the Conference Room at the Big Sur Lodge. Remember to park down below and walk up.
*AGENDA ADDED BELOW *I don’t have the agenda for the meeting yet, but I do know there will be discussion on Bill Monning’s AB 2074, which creates a “Wilderness” designation for the east portion of Andrew Molera State Park. This bill was initiated and supported by the VWA. Local concerns have been expressed that this wilderness designation, which prevents the use of mechanized equipment, including chain saws, could easily prevent the maintenance of the firebreaks necessary to preserve the community of Big Sur.
Dovetailing with that discussion will be a presentation by Kelly O’Brien to address the Monterey County Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
Sam Farr will be discussing his bill, House Bill 4040 which was introduced into Congress before the last BSMAAC meeting without any community input. It will create a USFS Management Unit of the Monterey District of the LPNF. The purpose of such a Unit, as I understand from Sam’s discussion, and from reading the bill, is to make the Monterey District more autonomous fiscally.
Here is a link for a map of the proposed Wilderness Area for the Andrew Molera State Park:
http://www.ventanawild.org/images/stories/proposedmolerawilderness.jpg
A copy of AB 2074 can be found here:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_2051-2100/ab_2074_bill_20100218_introduced.html
This bill says, in part, “The department may take measures to control fire, diseases, and insects as provided in subdivision (c) of Section
5093.36.”
Public Resources Code section 5093.36, subdivision (b) provides in part: ” … no permanent road within any wilderness area. There shall be no temporary road, no use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment[] ….” Subdivision (c) provides in part: “The following special provisions are hereby made:
(1) Within a wilderness area, measures may be taken as may be necessary for the control of fire, insects, and diseases, subject to conditions that the state agency with jurisdiction over the wilderness area may deem desirable.”
Tom Hopkins, President of the VWA states that this bill has considered the wildfire firefighting concerns, as evidenced by the 200 ft. set back from the center of Jeep Trail Rd, a traditional fire break. He offers the professional opinion of CDF Fire Captain Steve Benoit who says in part:
VWA will be offering a power point presentation to illustrate the proposal.
The Revised Agenda just received does include House Bill 4040, but here it is:
BIG SUR MULTI-AGENCY
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Congressman Sam Farr and Supervisor Dave Potter, Co-Chairs
FRIDAY, March 26, 2010 10:00 A.M.
Pfeiffer Big Sur Lodge Conference Center
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Big Sur
AGENDA
10:00 a.m. I. CALL TO ORDER Congressman Sam Farr
II. ROLL CALL AND INTRODUCTIONS
III. APPROVE MINUTES OF November 13, 2009
10:15 IV. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
10:25 V. OLD BUSINESS
VI. NEW BUSINESS
1. Presentation AB 2074 / Andrew Molera State Park Assembly member Bill Monning
as Wilderness Land With Gordon Johnson, California Wilderness Project and Tom Hopkins, Ventana Wilderness Alliance
2. CPOA Power Point on AB 2074 Butch Kronlund, CPOA
3. Presentation FireScape Monterey Presentation Sherry Tune, USFS
4. Presentation on HR 4040 – Congressman Sam Farr
Big Sur Management Unit Act
5. Report on Listing of USS Macon on National Register Paul Michel, MBNMS Of Historic Places
11:00 VII. REPORTS FROM MEMBER AGENCIES
(please bring written report)
Big Sur Resident Member
Big Sur Chamber of Commerce
Coast Property Owners’ Association
Monterey County Planning Department
Monterey County Board of Supervisors
Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District
California Coastal Commission
Caltrans
State Parks and Recreation
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
United States Forest Service
27th District, State Assembly
15th District, State Senate
United States Congress
12:30 p.m. VIII. REPORTS FROM OTHER AGENCIES
1:00 IX. NEXT MEETING ON April 30, 2010
Remaining Dates in 2010:
July 30, 2010
October 29, 2010
(10:00 a.m. Pfeiffer Conference Room, Big Sur Lodge)
1:05 X. ADJOURNMENT
(Ed. note: these times are very optimistic. Rarely does a meeting of this size end before 2 pm.)
This promises to be an important and lively meeting, so if possible, please plan on attending.
Should be lively indeed….Who has the popcorn concession?
LOL. darn, I did not think of that!! With all the PP presentations, someone should make the arrangements!