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.
Body
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 area includes the upper 75% of the South Fork of the American River Watershed, 50% of the King Fire burned area, and 49 miles of the Highway 50 corridor. The Hwy 50 corridor has had five large fires within the last 40 years that have spread throughout the watershed: the Pilliken Fire (1973), the Wrights Fire (1981), the Cleveland Fire (1992), the Freds Fire (2004) and the King Fire (2014), all of which were human starts. Values at risk within the watershed include communities, private recreation cabins, private timber, sensitive species and habitat, old growth forest remnants, managed forested lands, water delivery systems, hydroelectric power generation facilities, the Highway 50 transportation corridor (Gateway to South Lake Tahoe), and cultural sites.
SOFAR Membership:
SOFAR is made up of diverse organizations contributing to achieve cohesive strategy goals. Participation and membership is open to all stakeholders: individuals, businesses, agencies or organizations that live, work, operate, manage public and/or private forest or watershed lands, or assist in local sustainability of the environment, community, and economy. Membership requires signing the Charter and acceptance as a member by the group at a regularly scheduled meeting. A member may leave the Collaborative at any time and for any reason with a letter to the Collaborative withdrawing from the Charter. Members work to understand each other’s interests, and develop recommendations that include and address the range of interests represented. This commitment to inclusion is a foundation of the collaborative process, and constitutes a fundamental part of acting in good faith.
More information can be found at http://sofarcohesivestrategy.org/about/
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could decide not to have representation on the SOFAR Collaborative.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
N/A
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
N/A
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Update County Website and add the SOFAR Collaborative to the annual Board appointments.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Infrastructure
Provide, operate and maintain our infrastructure, public facilities, and associated services that protect our community, environment and economic well-being
CONTACT
Lori Parlin, Shelley Wiley