Title
Airports, a division of the Chief Administrative Office, recommending the Board:
1) Approve and authorize the Airports Director to sign the Agreement for Emergency Use of Facilities with the State of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) accepting funds for use of the Placerville Airport during the Crozier Fire, retroactive from August 7, 2024 to the end of the incident; and
2) Approve and authorize the Airports Director to sign the Emergency Facilities & Land Use Agreement with the United States Forest Service (USFS Agreement Number 1202RZ24K4202) accepting funds for use of the Placerville Airport during the Crozier Fire, retroactive from August 16, 2024 to the end of the incident.
FUNDING: State and Federal Funds.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The United States Forest Service (USFS) and the State of California, Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) began using the Placerville Airport as a helibase for air operations and support for fighting the Crozier Fire on August 7, 2024. USFS and CAL FIRE shared unified command to fight the fire; however, CAL FIRE was the main helibase operator from August 6 to August 16, 2024. The County and CAL FIRE utilized the approved Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for use of the Placerville Airport, and in accordance with the MOU, the County will receive revenue after submitting an invoice to CAL FIRE. The estimates for the per-day rate are based on the rates outlined in the MOU, however, due to the urgency of fire operations, the calculation for airport use fees and fuel flowage fees could not be determined to exact numbers as established in the MOU.
Helibase operations were transferred from CAL FIRE to the USFS beginning August 16, 2024, and the USFS requested that the County execute its Emergency Facilities & Land Use Agreement (EFLUA) for use of the Placerville Airport. The EFLUA includes the rates on page 1 and a map on page 4 for specific usage areas of the Placerville Air...
Click here for full text