Cambria Forest Committee
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF OCTOBER 28, 2009
LOCATION
Cambria CSD Suite #204
1316Tamson Drive
Cambria, CA 93428
DIRECTORS PRESENT: Brad Seek. Mark Miller. Galen Rathbun. Art Trinidade. Bill Schassberger. JoEllen Butler
Guests Present: Lynn Cullen, Laura Swartz, Crosby Swartz, Kathe Tanner, Judy Monaco, Janine Jacobs, Amanda Rice.
1.0 Meeting called to order: 6:05
2.0 August 26, 2009 minutes are approved (Butler/Miller)
3.0 PG&E received the old cash cards and will issue new ones.
4.0 Sub Committee Rpts.
4.1 Dir. Schassberger handed out a list of benefits (drafted by dir. Hawley) to the public when implementing the Forest Management Plan. He encouraged directors and guests to add to the list and bring it back to the next meeting.
5.1 Report from PG&E rep. (Lynn Cullen) on recent “Vegetation Management Action”. Reliability is a system-based program that started in 2007. The objective is to reduce outages that had been primarily caused by trees falling on the power lines. Between 2004-2006 there were 7 outages. 5 of those outages occurred during the fire season. 58 tree trims and 14 live tree removals occurred under reliability inNov/Dec of2007. Subsequent outages in 2008 and 2009 led to the tree removals that took place this year.
Targeted trees were Monterey Pines that had root or trunk failure, multiple stems, poor root structure, moderate to severe lean and Gall Rust. 76 trees were removed this year. Property owners were contacted and agreements were signed. Dir. Schassberger pointed out that some trees were cut without properly owner consent. Laura Swartz asked who
gave the homeowners permission to cut down trees without mitigation and permits.
Dir. Trinadade(County Code Enforcement) inspected all the trees that PG&E requested and approved about half of those trees to be removed.
The County had a subsequent discussion with the Coastal Commission and it was decided that a discretionary/land use permit would be required (under the Coastal Ordinance). It would address this year’s and any future reliability projects in Cambria. Mitigation would include a 6:1 tree replacement ratio. Any reliability project covering more than 10,000 sq.ft. (as measured by the canopy) would require a discretionary permit which includes Public notification, departmental review, andinput from other agencies such as CFC.
The permitting process will need to be completed prior to any activities in the future. Most of Cambria willbe treated as an Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area (ESHA) and therefore most projects of this kind will require Environmental Review. Dept. Recommendation could be anything from Negative Declaration to Environmental Impact Report.
County Planning Commission will have the final authority to approve the permit.
Once the process is completed the approved permit will be ongoing and last indefinitely. The parameters in the approved permit cannot be amended except by the applicant with county approval.
Dir. Trinadade pointed out the Forest Management Plan could be used as a basis or justification for the way projects, such as Reliability would be handled.
Cullen expressed the possibility of undergrounding lines as away to reduce outages butthis comes with some challenges such as high installation expense, root damage and maintenance problems.
Dir. Rathbun expressed concern about Reliability being done year after year as this would rapidly deplete existing mature trees. He also emphasized the need for mitigation onwhat has already been done.
Fern Canyon issues. With regard to who has the approval authority to remove trees on Conservation easements, Ms. Cullen suggested that Cambria CSD (who has the maintenance contract) review the conservation agreement with the Land Conservancy.
Cullen concluded after conducting an audit that the cut logs must be removed, as it was a condition oftheir contract agreement. Other logs will also be removed on the Ardath corridor as well. Directors and Guests expressed concern over the damage that would be created in removing the logs especially if the ground is wet. Dirs. Rathbun and Schassberger suggested that as many logs as possible be left in place to rot. Dir. Miller didn’t believe that the logs left in place would pose a fire hazard. The Swartz’s wanted logs that were along the right ofway and leaning against standing trees, removed.
Ms. Cullen responded to complaints regarding a lack of public notification that PG&E would do a better job of informing the community in advance of any forest projects unrelated to the regular compliance program.
Dir. Schassberger asked that PG&E and the County review the 9 questions expressed in the previous meeting to make sure that the concerns were adequately answered.
4.2 Annual lot clearing Covered in the PG&E report
4.3 Tree Planting and Education
a. Fiscalini Ranch-Planting on Nov 29 at 10am-12noon Over 350 trees to be planted with 53 sign upvolunteers. Dir. Butler is coordinating. Meet at Tipton trailhead.
b. Grammar School- Nov 21 at the school 10am-12noon Dir. Schassberger will coordinate.
c. Fern Canyon- Dec 19 9:30-10:30am. Blair McCormick will be coordinating.
d. Cambria teenagers from the Youth Center. They will be used either to plant at the Grammar school or on the Fiscalini Ranch.
e. County and State Codes document presented to CCSD Directors by Galen Rathbun. Amanda Rice Volunteered to put the codes on the NCAC website and possibly other web sites. Dir. Rathbun invited anyone email him with a request for the codes and he will reply with a PDF.
5.0 Previous Business
5.2 Abbreviation ofthe CFC Mission Statement. Dir. Miller will bring the draft for the next meeting.
5.3 New CFC meeting location and dates. Next meeting to be held 6pm at the Rabo Bank. Future location and dates will be discussed.
6.0 Public Comment
7.0 Other. Amanda Rice thanked Fiscalini Ranch and CFC members for attending the 350 event. People were very pleased with the tree donations and the various signups.
8.0 Meeting adjourned 7:57pm
