Tag: Wildfire Protection Plans

Meeting Reports

Wednesday night’s CWPP meeting was very productive, per the attendees. I will expand on that this weekend. Today, Friday, is the BSMAAC meeting, which I will also report on this weekend, both here, in this post.

COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN

Turn out was decent, for the South Coast. We did have representation from Gorda Mtn., Willow Creek, Plaskett Ridge, Pacific Valley, and Alm’s Ridge. Noticeably lacking was any representation from the Lucia/Harlan/Hermitage section of the South Coast, or Big Creek, which was represented in the last meeting.

One suggestion that Steve Daus seems to be considering is splitting off the South Coast from the North Coast Plan. I did not get a feel for whether that is feasible. One question, of course, is where to divide the coast. One suggestion was N-F Rd. and southward. Of course, that leaves out our Lopez Point and Big Creek neighbors. I would think south of Dolan Ridge might be the answer, but really unsure. Betty, Katee, and I have all sent additional suggestions to Steve via email regarding the draft plan.

Other discussions included the ratings given to different areas based on population densities, ridges, roads, fuel loads (and types) as well as other considerations. Equipping our South Coast fire brigade also was discussed.

Steve also mentioned he wanted to find the previous dozer line maps from the USFS, but was not having much luck. So, I sent him the photos I had taken of the ones I had seen.

iPhoto Library
Chalk Fire

DSC_8355
Basin Fire

Hey, Steve — what can Big Sur Locals do that USFS cannot? Supply you with dozer maps!

It is hard to summarize a two-hour meeting in just a few paragraphs, but these are the main points, from my perspective.

The Big Sur Multi-Agency Advisory Council Meeting covered much more ground and time, lasting about 3 hours. I will report on that separately this weekend.

Big Sur Wildfire Protection Plan

Last night’s meeting was attended by about a dozen people.

There was a presentation of the process itself, answering questions along the way. The goal is to produce a planning level document which prioritizes wildfire protection strategies, using finite resources, and protecting targeted resources.

This planning document is to be much more detailed about what is on/under/around “target areas” than the Monterey County Wildfire Protection Plan, but consistent with it, and the later will be incorporated by reference into the Monterey County General Plan.

Thirty-seven “target” areas between Andrew Molera State Park in the north, and the San Luis Obispo County line were identified. These target areas incorporate private property parcels into “blocks.”

“For this level of planning it is conditions within, and adjacent to, these ownership blocks that will be for the focus of the information analysis and prioritization procedure.

With respect to future fuels modification project the focus will be primarily on:
– Ridge tops
-Upper mid-slope positions, and;
-Roads”

The project actively solicits community input,both through public meetings and written comments. If you wish to submit written comments, you may do so to: bigsurcwpp@gmail.com or in writing to:

Big Sur Community Wildfire Protection Plan
s/c Daus Environmental Services
P.O. Box 71058
Sunnyvale, CA 94086

If you would prefer to remain anonymous, you may submit your emailed comments to me, at kwnovoa@mac.com, and I will forward them on after removing any identifying information.

If you have any thoughts you wish to share about the process, the plan, the objectives and goals, now is the time to submit them.

A follow-up meeting will be held for the South Coast on July 29th from 7-9 pm. At that meeting a tentative rough draft as to locations and content will be available.

The Big Sur Land Trust is funding and underwriting these efforts.

BSCWPP Meeting

The meeting is tonight, 7/8/09 from 7-9 pm at the South Coast Community Center. A similar meeting is scheduled for the North Coast tomorrow night.

From Joyce, she writes:

Hi,
There is a meeting here tonight at PV school and one tomorrow night at the state park. I hope that many locals will attend.
My point of view on last year’s fires:
I know that on the second day of what became known as the Basin Complex Fire, Don Case’s house and his daughter’s house burned down on Stone Ridge, along with two other homes. A mandatory evacuation had been enforced.
No one, including the Big Sur Volunteer Fire Department, was allowed up the road. Don’s son and son-in-law got around the road-block and were able to save some photos, some tools, and some of Don’s paintings, before they were ordered off the hill. Everything else burned and melted.
I know that some of our neighbors and friends defied the law and stayed to fight the fire. They saved not just their own homes, but, as a result, the rest of Big Sur. Had they not made a stand and risked arrest and incarceration, the Fire would have won.
The Chalk Fire on the southcoast had different people in charge and they respected the will of the locals and allowed them to fight for their homes.
I urge you all to attend this meeting and have a voice in the way this community responds to disaster. Protect our rights to protect our property!
Joyce