Lompoc Valley Fuel Reduction Grant- Defensible Space
Summary
SCH Number
2020010118
Public Agency
Santa Barbara County Fire Department
Document Title
Lompoc Valley Fuel Reduction Grant- Defensible Space
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
1/9/2020
Document Description
The project consists of 126 acres of fuel hazard reduction (and maintenance) on private property around the communities of Vandenberg Village, Mission Hills and Mesa Oaks. The objective of the project is to create a defensible space buffer surrounding Vandenberg Village, Mission Hills and Mesa Oaks from the property line out 50 to 100 feet to decrease the potential loss to structures in the event of a wildfire.
Eight large wildfires have burned within the landscape surrounding Vandenberg Village, Mission Hills and Mesa Oaks communities since 1972 (1972 Union Oil Co. #8 Fire, 1982 Santa Lucia Fire, 1992 Lake Canyon Fire, 1994 Oakhill Fire, 1997 Azalea Fire, 2000 Harris Fire, 2015 Mesa Fire and 2017 Rucker Fire). These fires burned under wind driven conditions in old age class fuels and resulted in high intensity fire. The potential for future fires to occur and bum into the community exists due to old age class vegetation surrounding these communities and the long term outlook of changing climatic conditions.
Contact Information
Name
Vince LaRocco
Agency Name
Santa Barbara County Fire Department (SBC)
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Counties
Santa Barbara
Cross Streets
SBC County Lompoc Valley Fuel Reduction Grant
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
15301 Existing Facilities 15304 Minor Alterations to Land 15308 Actions Taken for Protection of Environment
Reasons for Exemption
SBC staff confirmed that no exceptions apply which would preclude the use of a Notice of Exemption for this project. The Department has concluded that no significant environmental impact would occur to aesthetics, agriculture and forestland/timberland, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, geology and soils, greenhouse gas emissions, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, land use planning, mineral resources, noise, population and housing, public services, recreation, transportation/traffic, or to utilities and service systems. Documentation of the environmental review completed by the Department is kept on file at 4410 Cathedral Oaks Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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