Title
Chief Administrative Office recommending the Board appoint one member to replace Supervisor Veerkamp and one alternate to the South Fork American River (SOFAR) Collaborative. Additionally, it is recommended that the Board direct the Clerk of the Board to add this appointment to the annual Board appointments.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Supervisor Veerkamp has been representing El Dorado County at SOFAR meetings for several years during his term as County Supervisor. Supervisor Parlin has also been attending SOFAR meetings for many years, including several years before her election to the Board of Supervisors. Formally appointing a Board representative to SOFAR will ensure that the County is represented on this collaborative.
SOFAR Background:
The South Fork of the American River (SOFAR) Watershed was proposed for implementing the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy in 2014 because of the many values at risk to wildfire. The result of a century of fire exclusion and past management decisions have resulted in complex fire issues that are exacerbated by drought, climate change, uncharacteristic stand structures, fuel loading, and insects and disease. Communities, infrastructure, private timber, water, power, recreation, at-risk species, insect and disease designated areas, a high frequency of unplanned human ignitions and significant acres of young dense plantations are all reasons that this watershed is a high priority for collaborative action. The need for proactive fuels management and implementing a cohesive strategy in this watershed was underscored by the 2014 King Fire, which burned 12% of the project area, including large patches with high severity fire effects. The King Fire also yielded low and mixed burn severity that was in the natural range of variability for fire effects.
The SOFAR Cohesive Strategy project area is approximately 410,000 acres, including approximately 250,000 acres of the Eldorado National Forest. The project ...
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