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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2-20-61 - 3~~ ... . ~~~~~ -~ ~.. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 s 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 BOARD OE SUPERVISORS COUNTY OF BUTTE, STATE OF CALIFORNIA RESOLUTION RE STATE WIDE FIRE PLANS OF THE CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF FORESTRY AND UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE WHEREAS, the County of Butte, State of California, has the responsibility for maintaining a stable economy within the County; and WHEREAS, the economy of the County of Butte is greatly dependent upon a continuous production of timber from its forested lands; and WHEREAS, disastrous fires in recent years have destroyed a vast amount of commercial timber; and WHEREAS, such fires have caused damage and destruction of property, watershed storage, rangeland and recreation facilities NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS of the COUNTY OF BUTTE, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, as follows, to wit: 1. That said Board of Supervisors recommends for full and complete consideration by the State Board of Forestry at the meeting of said beard to be held on the 23rd and 24th days of February, 1961, the state wide fire plans of the California Division of Forestry and the United States Forest Service and that said plans be implemented as soon as feasible as said plans represent current needs rather than future needs. The foregoing Resolution was introduced by Supervisor Pittman who moved its adoption, seconded by Supervisor Steinegger and said Resolution was passed this 20th day of February, 1961, on roll call by the following vote: AYES: Supervisors Alldredge, Pittman, Steinegger and Chairman Giles NOES : None ABSENT: Supervisor Pryde ~/ ATTEST: Chairm n of the Board of Supervisors, HARRIETT JAMES, County of Butte, State of California Butte Couzity Clerk and ex-officio Clerk of the Board of Supervisors By~~f Depu~ Clerk .. m ~, CALIFORFIIA STATE BOARD OF FORESTRY NOT 1 C E January 12, 1961 -~L~~~ Alotice is hereby given that the State Board of Forestry will meet on \VF'ebruaxy 29 and 24,1461, in Sacramento, to consider the adoption of a resolution pertaining to improved for®st fire protection in California. The location of said aseeting will be stated in official annoaence~nt and notice of meeting. Interested persona are invited tv submit in writing their coma~nts aatd reeomndations. Written comments should be sent to F. H, Raymond' Secretary, State Board of Forestry, 301 State Office Building No, i, Sacramento 14, to be receives not later than February 6, 1961. The proposed resolution is as follows: WEIEREAS, the State Board of Forestry has by law, the responsibility for maintaining an adequate faresC policy and is charged with approving of a fire plan fox the protection of State Responsibil$ty Areas, consisting of State and privately owned forest, brush, grazing and watershed lands, and is further required to be concerned with Federal sand matters pertaining to forestry; and td1iEREAS, this Board has inquired into the forest fire situation of 1960 by holding hearings on the subject at Sacramento on October 27 and , 1960, and at Riverside on November 2S and 2R, i960, whereat the forest fire control problems were discussed and specific £ire control actions reviewed by the several Federal, State and county agencies responsible therefor, and further testimony received from persons representing the timber industry, sand-owning interests, sand managers and interested citizens, and, as a result thereof, has found the following conditions to exist, tomwit: .The recent drought years in CaliforniF have produced a g$eater naambex of large, destructive forest and watershed fi~effi hffis been experienced far some decades previouslyo „~ a _2~ The expansion of porulation and movement of people into the mountain areas, the increases in timber, watershed, range and recxeational values and the increasingly greater danger of orildfire to human life, as well as to property, creates a serious demand for lessening the iiupaet from forest fire losses. In spite of larger fire fighting forces, s_nd improved fire fighting equipment and techniques, some forest fires are yet exacting an extremely high toll of acres burned Gnd property damaged and destroyed. Losses of commercial timber the past 6 years have healthy, created a critical problem in maintaining a permanent,Jproductive and economically saund forest industry. Large areas of critical watersheds have likewise suffered severe damage, It is noteworthy that approximately 94 percent of all Forest fires in California upon lands under the fire protection of the California Division of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service] have been controlled at less than 100 acres, while approximately 6 p®rcent, which become larger, cause 93 percent of the Cotal acreage burned. As a result of continuing drought, with attendant factors of increasingly hazardous conditions combined with other contributing weather fsctora, particularly high winds and lightning, forest fires are~incseasingly more difficult to contxol at small size when these extra-hazardous conditions exist; wH$REiSS, it is of utmost importance that each agency develop itffi fire control planning and operations Co the highest possible efficiency to materially reduce the acreage and losses suffered from large uncontrolled fires; BC lT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that this Board urges and commends for full and complete consideration by a1i forest fire control agencies the fallowing recoimnendations; ~3- I, FI2tE co~aT~xol. Pu.lsrtzuG ~~~2(~ To be effective, plans of action must be understood by everyone, It is therefore, recomSaended that; 1) All agencies and persons concerned in each local area annually review and revise fire plans jointly, 2) Plans be developed to utilize all available forces of the fire control agencies and private indu~stry- 3) Plans include arrangements far liaison with each organization involved, 4) Alove-up systems be intensified so that additianal forces be readily available. 5) Each administrative unit review with land owners, large unbroken blocks of Iand for adequate access by ground and afr vehicles, need for improved fire breaks or fuel breaks, increased water storagE or other facilities that will assist in more rapid detection and control of fires, and such planning receive adeq~ste coordination between agencies. 6) The statewide fire plans of the California -ivision of Forestry and the U. S, Forest Service ~ completely implemented as loan as feaaiblE, since those plans represent the needs under current {not future) conditions. II. TR~.INING A1VT3 DEVELOPh1E.1'T It is strongly urged that the Bivision of Forestry and the U.S- Forest Service each continue training their personnel in aggressl.ve £irE control techniques s~hile recognizing that there can bE no substitute for actual ~::=perfence to supple- ment a formal training program. It is reended that: i) Industry representativES be invited to attend local fire , control training mEetings to the end that a mutual under- standing of each other's problems may be an important by- r~raiduc t . ___ -4- 2) Every opportunity be taken to assign personnel to higb~~~ level fire line jobs that ~•~ill give thest a well-rounded experience, ~) Fteld and staff administrators who have infrequent contact wikh campaign fires he used as overhead iz ether 2reas in order Chat they may keep abreast of the latest fire control techniques, 4) Guidelines for a ,joint fire line qualification rating system and minimum training standards be developed for industry, other lor.al personnel, and organized crews in order to assist non-local fire control administrators in properly utilizing avail,ble forces. 5) Age and ability to perform rigorous work be prime considerations when recruiting fire control personnel, FurChcr study and effort should be made Coward reducing the ma,:imum entrance age of Federal and State civil service classes specifically required to engage in rigorous fire control duties, 5) 1;€forts be made to establish specialized programs in fire control. and behavior in the State system of higher educatiats. The co~yplex~ ities and importance of the problem indicate the need fox fire specialists in increasingly greeter numbers, III, CQI~il1t~ICATIQNS Zt is apparent that good co~nunications are the key Co effective coordination of operations on both small and large fires, It is also apparent that one "file frequency" for ail agencies is neither possible nor practical, It therefore follows thaC some means must he found to bridge this gap„ It is reca~mnended that: :..~;,. ~5_ 1) Fire control administrators and key personnel from industry and other organizations evaluate this problem in e_aocal area to effect liaison, '~~ 2) Key points be selected for monitoring Che frequencies important Co e2.ch r:rea, 3) Full use be made of SCate niaasCer Office inter-c o:~aaaunicatiota radio units on large, multi-agency fires, IV. 1~IRF CONTROL OPEgtATIOSdS Fire does not respect boundary lines or areas of responsibility, It i5 Cherefore imperative that response be made to every wildland fire with r.n aggressive, sustained initial attack force sufficient to effect rapid control; full utilization be made of mutual aid, local and industry forces; the nearest available facility respond to a fire regardless of organization or boundary. It is recognized that each fire control abeney must accept the responsibility for the direction of fire control on its area suith only one offficer (commonly known as Fire Soss) in command, Where fires involve mare than one agency, prompt action should be taken to see that; i} One individual with complete authority to make dcci.sions represent each agency, and that such authoritiee act in unison, promptly in all decisions. 2} Mutual agrrenpaaatlse reached on distribution off fire line responsibility, plans of action and arr~.ngements ruade to effect continuous, coordinated operaCions. 3) A single joint general headquarters with adequate communir cations be physically established at a designated location aC the earliest possible timee A) Whenever industry is involved to any rotajor degree one individual be selected to act as liaison officer with the fire agencies. All arrangements for industry manpower, -6- equipment, and communications should be made through and by this individual, Complete information should be provided to industry, through the liaison officer, an strategy and metho~s .. ~~ of operation, 5) Full use :houid be made whenever passible of cualified industry and ether local personnel to lead control forcee to fire lines, provide scouting services, and perform other functions for which they may be best qualified, V. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Althaugh the California Division of Forestry and the L'. S. Forest Service are currently conducting active research and development programs, every effort musC be made to discover better and faster ways to control fires. It is recommended that: L) The fire section of the California Wildland Research Plan be implemented as soon as possible with high priarity given to fire prevention, selective fuel hazard reduction, and systems analysis researcho 2) Evaluation and improvement of fire fighting practices, equipment and taols be continued, 3) New and faster ways for placing research and development results into practice be sought. 4) Full support be given to the early completion of the Fire Laboratory in Southern California. VI. FIRE REVTEFI5 Immediate informal reviews of fire control action k~hile personnel are readily available and incidents are still fresh in mind can be of benefit in determining effectiveness or in pointing out inadequacies, If industry has been involved to any major degree, iC is recommended that their representatives be invited to participate, - 7 - /~~~ V'fl. FIRE: PREVENTION Fire prevention is the surest way of reducing forest fLre occuxrence and Igeses. It r.ppears possible that there is great opportunity for improving forest fire prevention programs. It is, therefare, recommended that greater stress upon a strong program of forest fire prevention and law enforcement tae given by all responsible agencies, AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Regional Forester and the Stag. P©re~ter are urged to initiate at an early date statewide, region-wide and local joint planning meetings beeween the U. S. Forest Service, California Division of Forestry and members of Che timber industry in order to prgmote a better understanding of the fire contrgl problems, fire plans and actions necessary to effectively contrgl fires and to otherwise implement and carry out the reco~nend- ations herein; AND BE I'F FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Secretary of this Board be, and he is hereby directed to deliver copies of this resolution to the heads of all Skate, Federal and county fire protection jurisdictions and give wide distribution Co other interested persons.