Memorandum
Date: July 25, 2023
To: The Honorable Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: The Honorable Jessica Pyska, Chair, Lake County Board of Supervisors
Susan Parker, County Administrative Officer
Matthew Rothstein, Deputy County Administrative Officer
Terre Logsdon, Chief Climate Resiliency Officer
Subject: Consideration of a Request for Assistance under the California Disaster Assistance Act (CDAA) to Mitigate Pervasive Tree Mortality, Including a Cover Memo, Hazard Tree Removal Plan (HTRP), and Letter Requesting Waiver of 25% Local Match Requirement
Executive Summary:
As you are aware, repeated and compounding wildfire events, extreme drought conditions and groundwater depletion have led to widespread Tree Mortality in the State of California, and Lake County. Aerial Surveys conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (UDSA’s) United States Forest Service (USFS) demonstrate this is a highly burdensome and growing problem.
In 2019, USFS estimated 1,000 Lake County acres were afflicted by Tree Mortality. The estimated number of dead trees was 3,000. Those estimates have exponentially grown in the time since:
• 2019 <https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd700810.pdf> - 1,000 Acres, 3,000 dead trees
• 2021 <https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd985397.pdf> - 21,000 Acres, 331,000 dead trees
• 2022 <https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1088611.pdf> - 31,000 Acres, 590,000 dead trees
An estimated 22,000 of those trees sit along County roadways and rights of way; many miles of which are critical arteries and evacuation routes for our communities.
On May 3, 2022, your Board Adopted Resolution 2022-61, a “Proclamation of the Existence of a Local Emergency Due to Pervasive Tree Mortality.”
The unprecedented storms of 2023 temporarily lessened drought conditions, but they also demonstrated the vulnerability of County rights of way to obstruction from downed trees.
The removal of over 22,000 hazard trees that threaten public infrastructure and public safety is clearly far beyond the capacity of the County to fund through local resources. In the time since our Board’s Proclamation, staff and I have coordinated with Cal OES, the California Governor’s Office of External Affairs, MGE and other local, state and federal partners to evaluate the magnitude of the situation and potential for local funding.
California Disaster Assistance Act- (CDAA-)enabled funding is provided on a 75%/25% reimbursement basis. The County of Lake will need to secure funding for all costs associated with this emergency, then seek 75% reimbursement from the State, once the attached Hazard Tree Removal Plan is approved.
With the full Boards’ approval, staff requested USDA Forest Service Urban & Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act funding on June 1, 2023, to potentially cover the local match requirement. No funding decision has been communicated by USDA.
To substantially mitigate Tree Mortality, significant funding will be needed. With many other routes having been explored, Lake County’s Letter Requesting Waiver of the 25% Local Match Requirement is crucial to our capacity to provide a swift and appropriate response to the urgent public safety concerns brought by Tree Mortality.
The following are attached, for your consideration:
• A Letter to Director Ward, Requesting Waiver of 25% Match Requirement;
• A Cover Memo, Summarizing Lake County’s Tree Mortality Concerns, Plan and Budget;
• Lake County’s Hazard Tree Removal Plan;
• Resolution 2022-61 (Local Emergency Declaration);
• Our "one-pager,” frequently distributed for advocacy purposes (updated April 21, 2023);
• A copy of USFS’ 2022 Aerial Survey Report (most recent)
• Form OES-PA-126, designating Susan Parker, CAO, as Authorized Agent for Lake County, providing required County assurances that accompany our submittal; and
• Further required CalOES Forms, formally requesting assistance
Staff finds the following Board Actions will support submittal of this request:
• Approve submittal of all required and supportive documentation to CalOES’ Public Assistance Division, pursuant to the California Disaster Assistance Act, collectively constituting Lake County’s formal Request for Assistance to Mitigate Pervasive Tree Mortality;
• Authorize Susan Parker, CAO, as Authorized Agent for Lake County in this Request for Assistance, providing required County assurances (signatory for OES-PA-126);
• Authorize Auditor Controller, Jenavive Herrington, as secondary Authorized Agent, as consistent with Forms CalOES 130 and OES-FPD-012 (attached);
• Authorize the following as additional Approved Contacts: Scott De Leon, Public Works Director; Stephen L. Carter, Jr., Assistant County Administrative Officer; and Terre Logsdon, Chief Climate Resiliency Officer; and
• Approve the Letter to Director Ward, Requesting Waiver of the 25% Local Match Requirement, and Authorize Chair Pyska to sign.
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Recommended Action:
• Approve submittal of all required and supportive documentation to CalOES’ Public Assistance Division, pursuant to the California Disaster Assistance Act, collectively constituting Lake County’s formal Request for Assistance to Mitigate Pervasive Tree Mortality;
• Authorize Susan Parker, CAO, as Authorized Agent for Lake County in this Request for Assistance, providing required County assurances (signatory for OES-PA-126);
• Authorize Auditor Controller, Jenavive Herrington, as secondary Authorized Agent, as consistent with Forms CalOES 130 and OES-FPD-012 (attached);
• Authorize the following as additional Approved Contacts: Scott De Leon, Public Works Director; Stephen L. Carter, Jr., Assistant County Administrative Officer; and Terre Logsdon, Chief Climate Resiliency Officer; and
• Approve the Letter to Director Ward, Requesting Waiver of the 25% Local Match Requirement, and Authorize Chair Pyska to sign.