Title
Supervisor Laine recommending the Board approve and authorize the Chair to sign a letter to Eldorado National Forest District Ranger, Dionne Uzes in support of their efforts to sustain and replenish the existence of Recreation Residence Tracts on National Forest Service lands.
FUNDING: N/A
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The Caldor Fire burned 221,835 acres in 2021, mostly on the Eldorado National Forest. The fire destroyed over 1,000 structures, including 177 Recreation Residences (summer cabins) within El Dorado County.
The Caldor Cabin Owners Recovery Project (“CCORP”) is an all-volunteer grassroots organization which formed immediately following the disaster, representing the interests of the Recreation Residence fire victims, their families, and supporters.
CCORP estimates that unless changes are made to Forest Service practices disallowing potential new permittees an opportunity to build and occupy a new Recreation Residence on previously occupied cabin sites where Caldor victims have chosen not to rebuild, such inaction would have the effect of permanently eliminating a minimum of 100 such cabins from El Dorado County. Failure to fully repopulate devastated Recreation Residence Tracts would have an adverse impact on the local and regional economy, local tax revenues and government services, rural community stability and individual Tract infrastructure, security, and viability.
CCORP is requesting the Board of Supervisors’ support to request that Eldorado National Forest allow for the perpetuation and viability of existing Recreation Residence Tracts on federal public lands, including provisions such as a lottery allowing for diverse new cabin permittees to become established on previously occupied lots that have fallen into disuse due to fire and other circumstances.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose not to approve the Chair’s signing of the letter.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
N/A
FINANCIAL IMPACT
V...
Click here for full text