Special Notice / Hearing: None
Vote Required: 4/5ths
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Don Mattei, Interim Director, Department of Emergency Management
Subject: Acceptance of 2022 CAL FIRE Evacuation Route Planning and Development Grant Funds
RECOMMENDATION:
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Measure K: Recommendation to:
A) Adopt a resolution authorizing the County Executive or designee(s), to accept a grant from the California Fire Safe Council and to execute the agreement associated with that grant to implement priority fuels treatment projects along emergency evacuation routes for the term of September 1, 2022, through February 29, 2024, in an amount not to exceed $380,000; and
B) Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request (ATR) in the amount of $380,000, recognizing unanticipated revenue from the California Fire Safe Council 2022 CAL FIRE Evacuation Route Planning and Development Grant Program; and
C) Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request (ATR) transferring $187,500 of Measure K funds from the County Executive’s Office to the Department of Emergency Management to supplement emergency evacuation route fuel reduction efforts.
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BACKGROUND:
The California Fire Safe Council manages the CAL FIRE Evacuation Planning & Development Grant Program to support counties with evacuation route identification, planning, fuel reduction, maintenance, and signage for use during emergencies. The Department of Emergency Management (DEM), in conjunction with San Mateo County Fire and ZoneHaven, have completed an automated systematic evacuation program which has carefully calculated neighborhood populations and potential traffic densities along arterial and branch evacuation routes.
The County areas have been divided into zones which can be evacuated simultaneously or independently to allow for adequate traffic flow. San Mateo County Department of Public Works is tasked with hazardous vegetation management along the right of ways of the public roads, including evacuation routes. Currently there is no program in place for the maintenance or removal of large hazardous brush or trees along the right of way in the public roadways. There are hundreds of miles of roads that are not maintained by Public Works because of sub-standard dimensions and administrative restrictions.
DISCUSSION:
In 2022, DEM applied for and was awarded funds under the CAL FIRE 2022 Evacuation Route Planning and Development Grant. Awarded funds will allow the County to implement priority fuels treatment projects that will maximize the number of routes and acres cleared in remote areas of the County where there are overlapping social and wildfire risks. The projects include work along the Guadalupe Canyon Parkway in Daly City; Marsten Ave in Belmont; Springdale Road in Emerald Hills; Highway 92 in Half Moon Bay; San Hill and Bear Gulch Roads in Woodside; Vista Verde and Palomar Drives in Palomar Park; Portola and Los Trancos Roads in Portola Valley; and Sneath Lane and Claremont in San Bruno.
All these areas are within the Cal Fire’s mapped Very High Fire Severity Zones. These roadways connect critical infrastructure within the Wildland Urban Interface area such as elementary schools and assisted living facilities. The project scopes have been developed through the County Wildfire Resiliency Task Force, which includes representatives from Cal Fire/County Fire, and Fire Safe, Parks and Department of Emergency Management. The projects funded by the grant will improve arterial evacuation routes and reduce ignition potential with adjacent power lines. Communities along these evacuation routes will better understand the needs associated with fuels clearance and will be more aware of the need to prepare for fire and how to evacuate.
The Department of Emergency Management is also requesting the use of Measure K Fire Mitigation funds to extend the scope of work required throughout the County to ensure that the most critical evacuation routes within the County are addressed prior to a fire emergency. The Fire Safe Council and CalFire/County Fire are also contributing in-kind services toward the grant in the amount of $6,000.
The resolution has been reviewed and approved as to form by the County Attorney.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The 2022 CALFIRE Evacuation Route Planning and Development grant in the amount of $380,000 has no net county cost. The County contribution of $187,500 is from FY 2022-23 Measure K funds allocated for fire mitigation.