Memorandum
Date: March 22, 2022
To: The Honorable Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Carol J. Huchingson, County Administrative Officer
Subject: EXTRA ITEM: (a) Consideration of “extra” agenda item; and (b) Consideration of Nomination of Supervisor Pyska to serve on the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission
Executive Summary:
(a) This item is being submitted as an “extra” agenda item. The justification for this request to
consider an item not on the posted agenda is as follows:
This item came to my attention subsequent to the posting of the current agenda and there is a need to take action before the next agenda.
(b) I am recommending your Board nominate Supervisor Pyska to serve on the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, which is being formed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The Commission is seeking non-federal volunteer members from diverse backgrounds to serve. The Commission will prepare policy recommendations and submit them to Congress. Non-federal members will include state, local, Tribal, territory and non-government partners with experience in preventing, mitigating and managing wildland fires and the wildland-urban interface. Preference will be given to applicants from areas of high wildfire risk and as your Board is well aware, Lake County most certainly meets that criteria given our local/state/federal wildfire disasters since 2015, consuming more than 60% of our landmass and more than 5.5% of our local housing stock. This is an outstanding opportunity for Supervisor to represent Lake County on this important Commission, which will function over the next 1.5 years, starting late spring 2022.
Much more information regarding the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission can be found here:
<https://www.usda.gov/topics/disaster-resource-center/wildland-fire/commission>
https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2021/12/17/usda-doi-and-fema-jointly-establish-new-wildland-fire-mitigation#:~:text=The%20Commission%20is%20tasked%20with,land%20affected%20from%20wildland%20fires <https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2021/12/17/usda-doi-and-fema-jointly-establish-new-wildland-fire-mitigation>
<https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=5zZb7e4BvE6GfuA8-g1Gl_5V0-CSb_dDl164PGUN9LdUNlEwTEo0RVpLNVZVM0M4UktWUlVLRlRQMi4u>
Supervisor Pyska is preparing her application to the Commission, which must be submitted by 03/25/22.
If not budgeted, fill in the blanks below only:
Estimated Cost: ________ Amount Budgeted: ________ Additional Requested: ________ Future Annual Cost: ________
Consistency with Vision 2028 (check all that apply): ☐ Not applicable
☐ Well-being of Residents ☒ Public Safety ☒ Disaster Prevention, Preparedness, Recovery
☐ Economic Development ☐ Infrastructure ☐ County Workforce
☒ Community Collaboration ☐ Business Process Efficiency ☐ Clear Lake
Recommended Action:
(a) I request that the Board take action by motion to accept this item for consideration as an “extra” agenda item.
(b) Approve nomination of Supervisory Pyska to the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission.