Finance Long - Term

1. Finance Long - Term Suppression Repair Workshop January 14-16, 2012 Magalia, California

2. FINANCE - LONG TERM FMAG Fire Management Assistance Grants EWP Emergency Watershed Protection Program CFIP CA Forest Improvement Program VMP Vegetation Management Program

3. FMAG • Fire Management Assistance Grants • Managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through the Department of Homeland Security. • OES is the State’s agent. • Reimburses CAL FIRE up to 75% of fire suppression costs of certain incidents.

4. FMAG • Initiated when a Fire or Fire Complex is such that it would constitute a major disaster. • Key factor: The fire must pose a significant Threat to lives, property, critical facilities/infrastructure, and watersheds.

5. FMAG • Approval based on critical availability of State and local firefighting resources. • High Fire Danger conditions must exist. • There is potential for major economic impact.

6. FMAG • Covers temporary repair of damage caused by firefighting activities. • Requested by Unit (IC) or Sacramento and must go through State OES • Updates through ICS 209 process. • Covers costs/repairs only for the area declared under a FMAG request. • Request to OES must be made before the damage occurs, homes destroyed etc.

7. FMAG • All temporary repair work must be completed WITHIN 30 DAYS of the close of the incident period for the declared wildfire. • “Close” is generally the equivalent to our “Controlled” per agreement with IC, OES, and FEMA.

8. Examples of Temporary Repairs • Dozer lines - especially where debris must be pulled from a watercourse. • Camps/Staging Areas – general clean up. • Fences – temporary, to keep cattle off roads. • Buildings – temporary, plywood over broken doors or windows.

9. Temporary repairs • Bridges – replace guardrails, a temporary bridge if community access is required. • Roads – temporary repairs to make them passable. • Other temporary repairs tied to safety of the public.

10. FMAG Ineligible Costs • Costs related to suppression planning. • Pre-Suppression. • Seeding. • Planting operations. • Salvage of Timber. • Restoration of facilities damaged by fire.

11. FMAG vs CAL FIRE • Covers overtime and contract time (mutual aid fire department participation). • Regular time is not covered. • All documents must be submitted to OES within 3 months of the close of incident. It does allow for a 1 to 3 month extention. • Within 6 months all documents must be submitted to OES, no extention. • Annual Cumulative Requests must exceed $6.3 million in suppression costs.

12. FMAG • Sliding scale. Applies to divisions/groups assigned to structure protection. Can not seek reimbursement for divisions assigned to strictly forested/non-urban areas.

13. EWP Emergency Watershed Protection Program

14. EWP • A Cost Share Program with NRCS (Natural Resource Conservation Service). • Relieve imminent hazards to life and property left as a result of a disaster event. • COST SHARE is 75/25 NRCS/Sponsor

15. EWP-State Authority Review • PRC 4675 • PRC 4676 • HB 3821.9 “R” • HB 7013.11 • Must have its own PCA code issued by Sacramento. • Must have a signed agreement by Sacramento.

16. Federal Eligibility Regs • Natural Disaster event-Federal Disaster Declaration or State Conservationist Declaration (by NRCS). • Disaster must cause significant damage to a watershed or watercourse that will resort in imminent threat to life and property. • Repair work to pre-disaster conditions is possible.

17. Limitations • Can not be used to solve pre-existing problems or upgrade a level of protection. • Can not be used to perform Operation and Maintenance work. • Can not repair or replace private or public transportation facilities or utilities. • Does not cover suppression repair costs.

18. Damage Survey Report • Documents the eligibility and defines the scope of the work. • All work must be economically, environmentally defensible and socially acceptable. • Documents the threat, potential damages, without the protection measures (benefits). • Identifies protection measures (costs).

19. Survey Report (Cont) • Selected measures consider environmental and social impacts as well as costs. • Report required by and written by NRCS.

20. EWP Time Frames • Work must be done in an efficient, quick manner, otherwise no emergency exists. • Requests for funding to NHQ must be done within 60 days of the disaster. • Urgent and compelling work. Must be completed within 5 days of access to the site.

21. Time Frames (cont) • Large projects must be completed within 220 days. • 90 day Contract Award period.

22. Eligible Sponsors with NRCS • Local Units of State, County, City Gov’ts. • Tribal Organizations. • Sponsors must have legal authority to acquire necessary land right and permits for work.

23. Sponsor Responsibilities • Provide local cost share of 25% of construction costs. • Aquire land rights and permits at 100% cost using NRCS AS-78 form. • Responsible for later operation and maintenance as needed. • Execute Project Agreement.

24. Sponsor’s Cost Share • Minimum of 25% : Can be cash, in-kind services, or both. • In-Kind services include materials, labor, engineering, fuel, contract inspection, etc. • Cost share can come from other non-federal sources such as state OES, WQ, Cal Fire, DF&G, landowners and such.

25. Potential Permitting Agencies • CA Fish and Game • CA Water Quality Control Boards • Army Corp of Engineers • US Fish and Wildlife • National Marine Fisheries

26. Preliminary Report and Plan of Operations • Must describe the physical condition of the Watershed. • Maps: burned area, ownership, treatment areas, areas benefited. • Description of all work and specifications. • Cost estimates of work. • Time schedule for work completion. • Designation of sponsor rep responsible for contracting or directing work .

27. Implementation • Project can proceed upon approval of Plan of Operation by NRCS state director and CAL FIRE Director. • CAL FIRE typically performs the work or administers the contracts, and schedules the final inspection with NRCS. • CAL FIRE submits billings to NRCS.

28. Mulching Burn Areas • Requires Cooperative Agreement between CAL FIRE and NRCS. • Include the participation of local Sponsor, usually County (Agriculture Dept). • Must meet all EWP requirements. • Assessment team of all parties develop the Preliminary Report and Plan of Operation.

33. CFIP California Forest Improvement Program

34. CFIP • Cost share, re-imbursible program 75/25 (%), CAL FIRE/Landowner. • Can go as high as 90/10 (%) on projects where forest land has been damaged by a catastrophic event (wildfire/flood/tornado).

35. Eligibility • Must be 20 acres minimum, 5,000 acres maximum. • Must be Non-Industrial private forestland. • Landowner must agree to keep land in his/her possession, and in forest management for a minimum of 10 years. • $50,000 maximum project cost.

36. Other Requirements • Land must be zoned for Timber Production (TPZ) and/or for uses compatible with forest resource management. • Land in Agricultural Preserve (Williamson Act) also qualifies. • Properties with Conservation Easements qualify if no restrictions on forest management practices are placed on it.

37. Can not be used to complete requirements of other State programs, i.e. Timber Harvest Plans, PRC 4291 Fire clearances. • Eligible practices must comply with established rates. • Requires Registered Professional Forester (RPF) and CAL FIRE Forestry Assistance Specialist to work with landowner.

42. VMP Vegetation Management Program

43. VMP • Cost share, prescribed burning program between CAL FIRE and private forest land owners. • Designed to use prescribed fire to achieve hazardous fuels reduction, improve wildlife habitat and range resources. • Originally a chaparral type burning program, now enlarged to cover forests and grasslands. • Requires a Programatic Environmental Impact Report.

44. VMP • Landowner is responsible for the initial site preparation prior to program acceptance/ participation. • Once the landowner signs on, CAL FIRE assumes the responsibility for burning.

48. Cost Share Examples • Mapping and boundary delineation. • Diesel for equipment. • Torch Fuel. • Patrol personnel. • Pre-fire site work (thinning).