Consistent with the San Diego County Fire Authority requirements, fuel reduction activities are conducted at the interface of residential areas and the undeveloped lands of the Sweetwater Reservoir property, owned and managed by Sweetwater Authority. The goal of this project is to improve access for field crews conducting fuel reduction activities by adding an unimproved 8-ft wide by 250-ft long access path on the south side of the Spring Canyon HOA property boundary, adjacent to the fenced area. This access path will only be accessed by walking and an all-terrain vehicle.
Standard BMPs would be incorporated to the project, including installing and maintaining exclusionary fence and permanent erosion prevention and sediment control measures, as necessary. As a fuel reduction measure, Eucalyptus detritus within the access path would be either converted in mulch on site or removed from site. To avoid impacts to sensitive species and other biological resources, 18 San Diego barrel cactus within the proposed access path area would be translocated to an adjacent area and thus will be unaffected by the proposed access path. Work would occur outside of the nesting season or after a nesting bird survey is conducted.
The project will facilitate access to a fire break located in a steep slope, thus aiding in complying with fuel reduction requirements and increasing safety for working crews.
The proposed access path is negligible in size (less than 2500 sf), located within the boundaries of an existing firebreak, and would not result in any significant expansion of an existing facility. The area planned for the access path would not be converted into an impermeable surface either.
