CAL FIRE Prescribed Fire Planning and Permitting

Brian Mattos

Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit Forester

Vegetation Management Program

Mike van Loben Sels

(209) 742-1900

Vegetation Management Program

Mike van Loben Sels

(209) 742-1900

* *

Fuel Management Programs

1. Vegetation Management Program (VMP)Chaparral Management EIR 1981

2. California Vegetation Treatment Plan (CALVTP)“New”CAL VTP EIR 2019

3. Fire Plan ProjectsUsed with “other” CEQA/NEPA documentation

4. LE 5 & 7 (and LE-8) permits Burning Permits from CAL FIRE for landowners

5. Grant ProgramsCCI, Forest Health, Urban and Community Forestry,

Fire Prevention, CFIP, Volunteer Assistance….

Vegetation Management Program

Vegetation Management Plan (VMP)

• Established through the Chaparral Management Plan Programmatic EIR in 1981.

• Allows the State to go into an agreement (RM 75, up to ten years) with the landowner and take on all or partial liability for the prescribed fire and project activities.

• Allows vegetation treatments on private property across California with mechanical and hand crew treatments, including broadcast burning and pile burning for fuel reduction.

• No DFW Fees associated with EIR program.

• Landowner has input over the objectives of the project, for burning and vegetation modification.

Contents of a Vegetation Management Plan

• Standard Agreement (RM-75)

• Cost, Analysis & Apportionment

• Burn Plan & Prescription

• BEHAVE Run(s)

• Vicinity Map

• Project Map

• Parcel Map

• Incident Action Plan

• Smoke Management Plan

• Public Information Plan

• Aerial Imagery

• Soil Survey

• Erosion Hazard Rating

• Values at Risk

• Agency Letters

• Environmental Checklist

• CNDDB Review

• Confidential Archaeology Report

• Project Go-No Go Checklist

• Completion Report

Broad Goals of the VMP

1. Reduction of conflagration fires

2. Optimization of soil and water productivity

3. Protection and improvement of intrinsic floral and faunal values

Subgoals of the VMP

VMP Project Guide

Post VMP ApprovalFlow Chart

VMP Project Guide

• CAL FIRE personnel meets landowner, tours the property, and decides project feasibility.

• Identify Project Limits.

• Assessor Parcel Map, Parcel numbers, zoning of the project area and Landowners personal knowledge of cultural or historic resources.

VMP Project Guide cont.

• VMP coordinator facilitates other agency input.

• California Department of Fish and Wildlife• Rare and threatened plants and animals• Habitat retention• Season of burn and nesting sites• Natural Diversity Data Base Search

• Local Air Pollution Control District• Any sensitive air districts, permit fees or other costs

• Others, as appropriate

VMP Project Guide cont.

• CAL FIRE writes the Project plan based on environmental concerns made by agencies and project objectives, estimates the project cost summary accounting for any pretreatment events and the Project itself, and the Incident Action Plan.

• Cooperators sign the RM-75, the contract agreement.

• VMP coordinator sends project package to Region.

• Once reviewed and approved, Unit Chief prioritizes projects. Start any pretreatment work as necessary.

VMP Project Guide cont.

• Notification of start of project is made per policy.• FC 400 to Region for prior approval.

• Meet Air Pollution Control District (APCD) permit requirements. • CAL FIRE policy to enter any burns into PFIRS at least

two weeks in advance.

• Need to coordinate 72 hour forecast go/ no go with APCD.

• Permit fee, if any, needs to be paid by cooperator or Unit.

VMP Project Guide cont.

• Make proper notifications as per Incident Action Plan. • Region• Media• LE and other agencies• Site Specific weather forecast for burn day• Others

• Conduct Project

• Project Completion Report prepared.

Disadvantages of the VMP Contract• CAL FIRE capacity is limited

• Projects are dependent on weather and other factors—there is no guarantee of having a good burn window within the life of the VMP contract

• Preparation time can be lengthy

• Landowner(s) must allow government to access your property

• Currently no VMP coordinator in Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit

Landowners have other options for reducing wildland vegetation

• Objectives may include fuel reduction, hazard abatement, habitat improvement, and maintenance of previously treated areas

• They may choose to cut, pile, and burn vegetation

• Landowners can conduct broadcast burning projects on their own lands, traditionally known as Project Type Burns (LE-7) Currently, liability for this type of burn rests solely on the landowner conducting the burn

• Landowners may choose to apply for participation in the Vegetation Management Program (VMP); under approved VMP projects, CAL FIRE assumes the liability for conducting the prescribed burn

Types of documents or programs.

Ministerial or Discretionary?

Forest Practice

VMP

62A burn permit

CAL FIRE 719

CAL VTP

Other groups and Non

Profits

Projects with LE 5 and 7 Permits

The Department has two permits that are issued for landowners to conduct burns on non-federal land in the State (LE-5 and LE-7).

• Form LE-5 is an inter-agency burning permit for non-standard piles. The permit holder retains liability for the burn and may be charged for suppression cost and damages caused to the property of others if a burn escapes.

• Form LE-7 is the project type burning permit. It allows landowners to conduct controlled burns on burn days as determined by the local Air District when burning is not prohibited. The permit holder retains liability for the burn and may be charged for suppression cost and damages caused to the property of others if a burn escapes.

• These permits set Minimum Precautions for Project Type Burning (Form LE-8) that must be taken by the permit holder to conduct the burn. When issuing permits, the Department provides direction or technical advice on ways to conduct a safe an effective burn based on the local knowledge of weather, vegetation, topography, fire history and any other relevant factors.

• The LE-5 and the LE-7 are non-discretionary and don’t require CEQA.

Rx FIRE BURN PERMITS DURING FIRE SEASON

• In the Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit, CAL FIRE may provide standby fire suppression resources, if available. These resources may assist with holding operations , but are not committed to the burn unless it is declared a wildfire.

• Burn permits may be suspended at any time due to adverse weather conditions, adverse burning conditions, or state-wide incident activity resulting in CAL FIRE resource draw down.

• A prescribed burn which goes across control lines, but remains on the landowner’s property, will not be considered an escape if it can be controlled with resources at scene.

California Vegetation Treatment Plan (CALVTP)

• “NEW” CALVTP

• Board of Forestry certified EIR 12/30/2019

Program Objectives CALVTP….

1. Serve as the vegetation management component of the state’s range of actions underway to reduce risks to life, property, and natural resources by managing the amount and continuity of hazardous vegetative fuels that promote wildland fire consistent with California’s 2018 Strategic Fire Plan (Board and CAL FIRE 2018);

2. Substantially increase the pace and scale of vegetation treatments to contribute to achieving a statewide total of at least 500,000 acres per year on non-federal lands, consistent with the former Governor’s EO B-52-18, which results in a CalVTP target up to 250,000 acres per year after considering other types and areas of vegetation treatments;

3. Increase the use of prescribed burning as a vegetation treatment tool, consistent with the provisions of Senate Bill 1260, Statutes of 2018, and PRC Section 4483(a);

4. Contribute to meeting California’s GHG emission goals by managing forests and other natural and working lands as a net carbon sink, consistent with the California Forest Carbon Plan (Forest Climate Action Team 2018), California’s 2017 Climate Change Scoping Plan (CARB 2017), Fire on the Mountain: Rethinking Forest Management

5. Improve ecosystem health in fire-adapted habitats by safely mimicking the effects of a natural fire regime, considering historic fire return intervals, climate change, and land use constraints.

Translation please….CALVTP

1. Serve as a management tool to reduce risks from high vegetation fuel loads.

2. Increase Pace and Scale of fuel reduction to achieve Governor’s goal: 500K acres per year.

3. Increase the use of prescribed burning as a vegetation treatment tool.

4. Manage Forests and working lands to reduce Green House Gas emissions by reducing large catastrophic fires.

5. Improve eco-system health by increasing fire on the landscape.

Fire Plan Projects

• What the CAL FIRE or Contract County Administrative Units have planned for the next five years.

• What we currently “have on the books”

• Fire Plans are by Unit. OSFM website https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/divisions/wildfire-prevention-planning-engineering/fire-plan/

• Notice of exemption or other CEQA documentation.

• Training burns

• VMPs

• VTP’s

• Other-(35 CEQA waivers for emergency projects in 2019)

• LRA assist

Burn Plan and Smoke Management Plan

Develop Fuel Treatments & Burn Prescription Parameters

BEHAVE Table

Target

Minimum

FDFM

Maximum

FDFM

RH 30% 25% 59%

Temp 75 100 30

4mph 8 mph <2 mph

7 5 9

LFM herb 45% 30% 60%

LFM woody 95% 80% 120%

Direction of smoke denoted by Smoke management plan

Fuel Model Fli Forward Backing Target Max Target Max Target Acceptable Target Acceptable

TL3 LowFDFM 13 BTU/FT/S 4cph <1cph 2' 1 70% 1 hour 3 hour

Target 5 BTU/ft/s 2cph <1cph 1' 1' 49% 1 hour 4 hour

SH5 LowFDFM 3604 BTU/ft/s 120cph 4cph 20' 346' 70% 1 hour 3 hour

Target 1353BTU/ft/s 48CPH 3CPH13 12 116' 49% 1 hour 4 hour

SH7 LowFDFM 3179 BTU/ft/s 78cph 2cph 18' 316' 70% 1 hour 3 hour

Target 1403 BTU/ft/s 36cph 2cph 13' 119' 49% 1 hour 4 hour

Prob of ignition Burn out Time

Assumption Parmeters

Wind Speed midflame

Fuel Moisture 1hour

Rate of Spread Flame Length Scroch Height

Environmental Checklist

First Order Fire Effects Model (FOFEM)

First Order Fire Effects Model (FOFEM)

Smoke Management Plan

FC 400, Go/No Go Checklist

Spot Weather Forecast

Completion Report

Questions?