The Monterey County Planning Commission will be having a discussion about special events this Wednesday morning. Attached is a copy of the staff report and the draft Director’s Interpretation.
Comments can be submitted to before Tuesday, 5:00 pm to Jacquelyn Nickerson at NickersonJ@co.monterey.ca.us and she will distribute to all the Planning Commissioners.
Kathleen Lee
Chief of Staff for
Supervisor Dave Potter
(831) 647-7755
OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUR INPUT
MONTEREY PENINSULA REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT PALO CORONA REGIONAL PARK OPEN HOUSE
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2016
As a continuation of the master planning process for the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District (MPRPD) invites community members to a public meeting to discuss recent events regarding Palo Corona Regional Park. The meeting will be held in the Fiesta Room at the Rancho Cañada Golf Club on Tuesday, October 25 from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm.
The Trust for Public Land (TPL) recently acquired one of the properties underlying the Rancho Cañada Golf Course and clubhouse facility with the intent to transfer the property to the MPRPD. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss ideas and concerns with repurposing the existing facilities, additional public uses, habitat restoration and conservation. The meeting will start with an open house format, followed by a brief presentation and then the opportunity for input from those attending.
If you have any questions please contact Rafael Payan at payan@mprpd.org or (831) 372-3196 extension 101. Or contact Steve Noll, Principal DESIGNWORKSHOP, by phone at (775) 588-5929 or email at snoll@designworkshop.com. MPRPD looks forward to your input helping plan the future of this park.
Rancho Cañada Golf Club is located at 4860 Carmel Valley Rd. in Carmel, CA 93923, approximately 1.4 miles east of Highway 1 just past Pacific Meadow Lane.
I’ve already got rain here, despite contrary predictions. Nice that everything is wet, and more seemed to be coming as dawn arrived, before I got enshrouded in clouds, but the big story is the storm this Thursday and Friday.
From NOAA NWS: “The trends seem to indicate that the heaviest rains with the late
week system will be focused somewhere between the Santa Cruz mtns and Santa Barbara county putting the central coast (i.e. Big Sur) potentially in the bullseye for an incoming southwest flow system. The ecmwf has been pretty consistent with this solution for days
now and the latest 06z gfs is more or less in line. Given the trajectory of the incoming low would expect the heavier rains with the late week system for the southern portions of the district most notably the Santa Cruz mtns and Big Sur hills where 1-4 inches may occur with the late week system Thursday into early Friday.”
And from my SLO forecaster: “In Northern California, a slow moving cold front associated
with this trough of low pressure will push southward today spreading rain as far south as Monterey Bay by tonight, before stalling over Big Sur and dissipating on Tuesday.”
AREAS OF GARRAPATA STATE PARK TO REMAIN CLOSED
State Parks Extends Closure to All Park Lands East of Highway 1 in Garrapata SP Due to Impacts from the Soberanes Fire
BIG SUR, Calif. – California State Parks is extending the closure to all Garrapata State Park lands east of Highway 1 through Spring 2017 when the closure will be reevaluated. The closure is for the safety of visitors and to allow the park’s natural resources to heal and infrastructure to be repaired.The park suffered a high intensity burn in July due to the Soberanes Fire with preliminary field reports identifying extreme burn and vegetation clearing, loose soils and severe trail entrenchment. Additionally, downed trees and the loss of trail infrastructure present a clear health and safety issue to visitors and to the natural resources. There is the anticipation that debris flows will be heavy during winter rains.
As of now, the entire Monterey District of the Los Padres National Forest remains closed until further notice. There is a $5000 fine, PER PERSON, for sneaking into the forest when it remains closed.
From Peter Garin, on the Arroyo Seco side of the fire:
“I just got back from talking to a group of BAER’s…
First of all, I have to thank Tim Short, the Chief Ranger for the Los Padres National Forest (Ed note: District Ranger, Monterey District) and Judith Downing, Emergency Management Specialist for inviting me to the presentation on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 19th. It was chaired by Kevin Cooper, the Los Padres BAER Team Coordinator.
It was one of the most, fast paced, concise, well organized meetings I’ve attended in a while. Although the first part of BAER study was presented on October 5th, in Big Sur which attended, the second part was presented and shared with various agencies that worked together on compiling the information as the fire was still being contained in Carmel Valley and Arroyo Seco. Now that the fire was contained they all rushed to get out the report that at the meeting was being presented and finalized. The report will then be distributed officially to all the various government agencies sometime next week. In short, I got a preview.
I got to see how the report was compiled by the experts who used satellite imagery, heat sensor maps, documentation from previous fires in the area, helicopter flights, and first hand “boots on the ground” staff inspections. The staff was compiled of geologists, hydrologists, erosion specialists, local Rangers, staff experts in roads, trails, archeology as well as cultural sites, botany and wildlife.
Without going into too much detail the following points emerged:
The brunt of fire is in the Carmel Valley and Big Sur Watersheds.
Every possible scenario has been considered concerning health and human safety.
Mapping and documentation was carefully calculated, and projections made on the best data possible.
Maps were created showing probable debris flow, volume of flow and the combined hazard of both.
Debris flow start when rain exceeds .05 inches in one hour even before soils are saturated.
Short, high intensity rains create the worst debris flows.
Constant vigilance over culverts, storm drains, key drainage points in trails and roads help immensely.
Preparation and organization mitigate most disasters.
Early warning systems that were just tested with the recent rain worked very well. (Ed Note: Some question re this, from what I heard, due to landlines down from storm)
Get advice before you try and implement erosion control yourself.
Experts can advise you on “Best practices”, and the NCRS will provide confidential advice for free.
Follow warnings. Pay attention to signage. Be sure you get the best advice possible, confirm the source.
There will be a meeting when the agencies have a chance to confer and will coordinate a date and time with Dee Heckman. The date and time will be announced.”
I have gotten a number of emails with info and links regarding what we can expect this winter and where to get information as close to “real-time” as is possible by county, state, and federal organizations. Again, the most accurate, immediate information generally will come from our community, but the info and links I will post here will help with plans and hopefully, advance warnings. Technology has come a very long way in predicting the potential challenges since the Basin Fire. In addition to posting the links in this post, I will be creating a new category for “Soberanes Fire Winter Information” in my links on the sidebar to your right. I will put an asterisk in front to keep it close to the top. This post contains reports by a couple of people, and thus it will be LONG, but chuck full of important information for this winter.
First, from Martha Diehl:
“I know we are all working on getting ready for winter, especially after this wake-up call rain we just had. I know Ken & I are hard at work trying to make sure we have the best predictions possible. Here is my report:
I recently received this list of useful public sites for raw data about winter risks from our excellent and hard working local National Weather Service (NWS) person, Mark Strudley. These links show some of the data that he and his colleagues will be using to create forecasts and decide when to issue watches (the primary early warning we will get) and warnings. We are trying to make as much of this information as possible available online so everyone involved can see it, in particular so everyone will understand how important it is to heed the watches and not wait for the warning! The following info comes from Mark:
‘Soberanes NWS page:
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/wrh/postwildfire/burnArea.php?wfo=mtr&fire=2016_Soberanes
USGS debris flow page:
http://landslides.usgs.gov/hazards/postfire_debrisflow/2016/20160722soberanes/
AHPS stream gaging page:
http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=mtr
Naval postgraduate school (NPS) runs meteorological stations at Granite Canyon Station (crab shack) and at Point Sur. Both stations have existing rain gages, that apparently only report when it is raining (and not otherwise). These sites and their data can be found here:
Granite Canyon: http://met.nps.edu/~lind/profiler/gcn_sfc.gif <http://met.nps.edu/%7Elind/profiler/gcn_sfc.gif>
Point Sur: http://met.nps.edu/~lind/profiler/pts_sfc.gif <http://met.nps.edu/%7Elind/profiler/pts_sfc.gif>
We will try to webscrape their data automatically so that the data is always in our system, allowing us to more efficiently base watches and warnings off this information (and calculate intensity). If ingest from these 2 stations proves successful, these 2 stations combined with the Big Sur RAWS rain gage may give us adequate coverage along the coast. We also have satellite transmitting rain gages at Whale Point and Highlands Peak to the south.
Whale Point: http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/weather/whpt.html
Highlands Peak: http://wrcc.dri.edu/weather/hipk.html
Granite Canyon: http://met.nps.edu/~lind/profiler/gcn_sfc.gif <http://met.nps.edu/%7Elind/profiler/gcn_sfc.gif>
Point Sur: http://met.nps.edu/~lind/profiler/pts_sfc.gif <http://met.nps.edu/%7Elind/profiler/pts_sfc.gif>
We will try to webscrape their data automatically so that the data is always in our system, allowing us to more efficiently base watches and warnings off this information (and calculate intensity). If ingest from these 2 stations proves successful, these 2 stations combined with the Big Sur RAWS rain gage may give us adequate coverage along the coast. We also have satellite transmitting rain gages at Whale Point and Highlands Peak to the south.
Whale Point: http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/weather/whpt.html
Highlands Peak: http://wrcc.dri.edu/weather/hipk.html
Orographics can increase rain rates. Simply put, when approaching rain clouds collide with the Santa Lucias and rise up their coastal flank, rain rates can increase as the clouds move inland and to higher elevations. Thus rain rates could be higher by the time precip reaches, for example, The Hoist or Botchers Gap. So, it would be advantageous to also have rain gages at elevation.’
Ken & I and many others are continuing to work with Mark to make sure he has the best tools possible to refine his forecasts. To that end, the CPOA has agreed to fund the purchase of one new stream gauge to be placed where Mark suggests to monitor one of our coastal streams in the burned area since our streams behave differently than the rivers that currently have gauges on them. We are very grateful to the CPOA and the generous donors who support their activities.
Mark has been working with private landowners to identify a useful site or sites for the additional gauge he has obtained. Once that is arranged he will tell us how critical it will be to add additional weather stations that can transmit the rate of rainfall in real time as discussed above. However there is no downside to having more data points, and this is something that individuals or organizations inclined to help could do privately and make the information available to the NWS. The following equipment models will successfully interface with the NWS with the ability to feed data to them via satellite:
Sutron ($5524): this is for a complete rain gage setup from Sutron (solar power, GOES communication)
Sutron ($3933): this is for a Sutron rain gage setup, assuming separate purchase of solar power and mounting hardware, in the hopes there are cheaper vendors for these items (probably not).
Campbell Sci ($6197): this is for a complete Campbell Sci rain gage setup (solar power, GOES). A little more expensive, and the software to program it is not freeware.
Note that these are not for complete weather stations…just rain gages. Campbell Sci makes an excellent complete weather station (twice the price of the attached quote, but has many different sensors on it), same as that used for the project RAWS gages.
Show Quoted Content
Sutron ($5524): this is for a complete rain gage setup from Sutron (solar power, GOES communication)
Sutron ($3933): this is for a Sutron rain gage setup, assuming separate purchase of solar power and mounting hardware, in the hopes there are cheaper vendors for these items (probably not).
Campbell Sci ($6197): this is for a complete Campbell Sci rain gage setup (solar power, GOES). A little more expensive, and the software to program it is not freeware.
Note that these are not for complete weather stations…just rain gages. Campbell Sci makes an excellent complete weather station (twice the price of the attached quote, but has many different sensors on it), same as that used for the project RAWS gages.
If you decide to obtain & install one of these devices, please contact Mark so he can arrange to access the data. I will put his contact info below. Feel free to contact me if I can help in any way!”
That is it for Martha. I will add the links mentioned above to my new link category for ease in retrieval, except those which have been in my weather links for many years now. I won’t be moving them into the new categories. Because this post is already longer than usual, I have divided it up into two parts, and will post the next one tomorrow am.
Hi Kate! Would you be willing to share this info with your followers again? Thank you!
Palo Colorado and Big Sur
Free pet food and supplies
Courtesy of the SPCA for Monterey County and our generous donors to support those effected by the Soberanes Fire
When: Thursday, October 20, 2016
Where:
Fernwood (Big Sur) from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Mid-Coast Fire Station (Palo Colorado Road). Food and supplies will be dropped off here for self-service and will be available after 2:00 p.m.
What: Dog food, cat food, puppy food, kitten food, kitty litter, and some limited food for rabbits and guinea pigs.
BIG SUR MULTI-AGENCY
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Congressman Sam Farr and Supervisor Dave Potter, Co-Chairs
FRIDAY, October 21, 2016 – 10:00 am
Pfeiffer Big Sur Lodge Conference Center
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Big Sur
AGENDA
10:00 a.m.I.CALL TO ORDER Supervisor Dave Potter
II.ROLL CALL AND INTRODUCTIONS
III. APPROVE MINUTES OF June 17, 2016
10:15IV.PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
10:30VI.OLD BUSINESS
1. Winter Storm Preparations Dick Bower, OES
2. Report from AT&T about status of telephone landlines Bettye Saxon
And microwave receptor
3. Condor Retrofit Project Update Michael Best,
PG&E
VII.NEW BUSINESS
Resolution Honoring Congressman Sam Farr Dave Potter
11:20VIII.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
30th District, State Assembly
17th District, State Senate
United States Congress
12:45 p.m. IX.REPORTS FROM OTHER AGENCIES
1:00 p.m. X.NEXT MEETING: TBA
1:05 p.m. XI.ADJOURNMENT
“Thank you to the Big Sur Lodge for their donation of beverages,
food, and use of the Lodge meeting space.”
Reminder: People attending the BSMAAC park in the
lower parking lot in the park and walk up the road.
For minutes and agendas from 2012 forward, please visit:
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/planning/cca/BSMAAC/bsmaac_main.htm
http://us.vocuspr.com/Publish/530638/vcsPRAsset_530638_85195_e4a2c9c8-38fd-4001-9b24-f63d98e4aeee_0.jpg
NEWS RELEASE
Los Padres National Forest
For Immediate Release
Contact: Andrew Madsen (805) 961-5759
Twitter: @LosPadresNF
Second BAER Team Assesses Soberanes Fire Impacts
GOLETA, CA, October 17, 2016…Los Padres National Forest officials announced that a second Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team was assembled on October 12 to begin a rapid seven-day assessment of the southern half of the Soberanes Fire burned area.
BAER is an emergency program aimed at managing imminent potential risks to human life and safety, property, or critical natural and cultural resources from post-wildfire damaging events. The BAER team determines the need for emergency treatments to minimize threats to life or property, and to stabilize and prevent unacceptable degradation to natural and cultural resources resulting from the effects of the fire.
While many wildfires cause little damage to the land and pose few threats to fish, wildlife and downstream communities, some fires create situations that require special efforts to mitigate post-fire impacts to natural resources and adjacent residents. The purpose of the BAER team is to assess and prevent damage from rain events on burned areas, not repair damage from either flames or flood after it occurs.
The BAER team’s role will be to assess watersheds on all lands, then inventory values at risk and determine the need for emergency measures and treatments on National Forest lands. The team will assess the watersheds for post-fire rain-related impacts such as potential flooding, debris flow, and increased soil erosion.
The U.S. Forest Service team includes the following specialists: wildlife biologists, archeologists, engineers, botanists, trails specialists, soil scientists, hydrologists, and recreation personnel.
The Soberanes Fire started on July 22 as a result of an illegal campfire and burned 132,127 acres. It was the biggest wildfire of the season in California and is currently 100 percent contained as of October 12. The fire burned on federal, state and private lands in Monterey County.
###
Jennifer Gray
Visitor Information Assistant
Public Affairs
Forest Service
Los Padres National Forest
Supervisor’s Office
p: 805-961-5795
jsgray@fs.fed.us
