TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: David Shew, Napa County Fire Administrator
REPORT BY: David Shew, Napa County Fire Administrator
SUBJECT: Vision for a Fire Resilient Future
RECOMMENDATION
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Receive a presentation on the fire resiliency vision for Napa County and an analysis of current fire prevention efforts. (No Fiscal Impact)
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BACKGROUND
Since the Fire Administration Team began their jobs on October 31, 2023, the staff has spent six months engaging with various groups in numerous meetings across the County. These meetings have resulted in an engaging dialogue about the role of the new Fire Administration, and staff has listened to ideas about past, current, and future ideas about fire resiliency. These conversations have culminated in a vision of a more fire resilient future for Napa County.
This report today will describe what that future may look like, outline a proposed plan composed of five key tenets to help achieve the plan, and describe how the current efforts being performed across the County today have provided a solid platform on which to continue. This plan will involve funding initiatives, policy and code adoptions, public education, vegetation management, and upgrades to our built environment and infrastructure. The plan is designed to span a thirty-year period to ensure these new actions are firmly in place, and more importantly, that there is broad acceptance to these social impacts and paradigm shifts that will occur.
Napa County is in a unique position - it has the network of groups and activities from which a solid plan can be created. The collective efforts of strong leadership, funding sources, hard work, and a laser focus on this future vision can create a world-renowned example of how to become a successful community living with wildfire.
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
No |
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Is it currently budgeted? |
No |
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Where is it budgeted? |
2100 Fire Fund |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
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Discretionary Justification: |
To expand on wildfire resiliency efforts. |
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Is the general fund affected? |
No |
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Future fiscal impact: |
Unknown dollar amount to fund continuing prevention activities and long-term maintenance |
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Consequences if not approved: |
Potential for future wildfire impacts to be more severe than we have seen in the past. |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.