[00:00:03]
RECORDING. WELL, GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THE BOARD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT FOR WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2025, BEGINNING AT 11:13. WILL THE
[Roll Call]
CLERK TAKE THE ROLL, PLEASE? YES. CHAIR MERCURIO.HERE. DIRECTOR ECHOLS. HERE. DIRECTOR SANWONG.
HERE. GENERAL MANAGER LANDRETH. HERE. AND GENERAL COUNSEL BOURGAULT.
HERE. TODAY'S MEETING IS BEING HELD PURSUANT TO THE BROWN ACT.
STAFF IS PROVIDING LIVE AUDIO AND VIDEO STREAMING.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT MAY DO SO BY SUBMITTING AN EMAIL.
LEAVING A VOICE MAIL. JOINING US LIVE VIA ZOOM WITH THE LINK PROVIDED ON THE AGENDA.
AND I'M NOT SEEING ANY QUESTIONS. SO IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MEETING PROCEDURES, WE CAN BEGIN. OKAY. THANK YOU THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
DO WE HAVE ANY OF THOSE? NO, WE DO NOT. WE DO NOT HAVE ANY OF THOSE.
OKAY. WE DO NOT HAVE ANY ACTION ITEMS AS I ACCORDING TO MY CALCULATIONS.
[Informational Items]
DESIGNATION PROCESS AND CALENDAR WITH JOSE. AND THAT THIS IS READY TO SHARE. SWEET. OKAY.THAT SHOULD BE VISIBLE. PERFECT. GOOD, IT'S STILL MORNING.
AND I WANT TO START WITH APPRECIATION FOR ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO OUR WORK IN THIS ITEM. AGAIN, THIS IS REALLY MEANT TO BE INTER-DEPARTMENTAL AND INTERDIVISIONAL KIND OF COLLABORATIVE WORK. SO I'M GOING TO START WITH KIND OF THAT QUESTION OF WHAT ARE SIMS? AND I KNOW FOR SOME OF US WE HEAR SIMS AND WE'RE PROBABLY THINKING OF THE VIDEO GAME OR LIKE WHY THIS ACRONYM AND EVEN KIND OF SPECIAL INTEREST MAYBE HAS ITS OWN CONNOTATION, BUT IT IS A TERM THAT'S OUT THERE KIND OF TO INDICATE WHAT ARE MONTHS THAT ARE DEDICATED TO CELEBRATING AND ACKNOWLEDGING SPECIFIC GROUPS, CAUSES OR EVENTS. YOU MIGHT HEAR OTHER TERMS LIKE ANNUAL OBSERVANCES OR SPECIAL EMPHASIS OBSERVANCES.
AND OF COURSE WE CAN ALWAYS REVISIT THE SPECIFIC TERMINOLOGY IF THERE'S A SPECIFIC PREFERENCE.
SO HERE WE'RE LOOKING AT HERITAGE MONTHS, AWARENESS MONTHS AND INDIVIDUAL OBSERVANCE DAYS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE ONE EXAMPLE OF A HERITAGE MONTH IS NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, IN NOVEMBER, A TYPE OF AN AWARENESS MONTH IS DISABILITY AWARENESS MONTH IN OCTOBER.
AND A SPECIFIC OBSERVANCE, FOR EXAMPLE, IS INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE ON THE 21ST.
SO THAT'S KIND OF LIKE THE BUCKET OF THESE CATEGORIES. NOW, IN TERMS OF WHY WE'RE HERE SO THE PARK DISTRICT HAS HISTORICALLY CELEBRATED SIMS IN DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT AS WE KIND OF BEEN ENGAGING AND REALLY KIND OF PROCESS WORK AND CHAIR, AS YOU MENTIONED. WHAT'S HER PROTOCOL FOR SPECIFIC THINGS? SOME OF THE PINCH POINTS WERE WHEN WE LOOK AT A DEPARTMENT LIKE INTERP AND REC AND THEN BEING ABLE TO SAY, WELL, HOW DO WE KNOW WHICH ARE THE MONTHS THAT WE SHOULD CELEBRATE AS A DISTRICT SO WE CAN BEGIN TO PLAN ACCORDINGLY, ESPECIALLY FOR A DEPARTMENT LIKE THAT, WHEN THEY'RE REALLY LOOKING AT THE YEAR AHEAD AND BEING ABLE TO SAY, HOW ARE WE GOING TO ALLOCATE THE STAFF THE PROGRAMING, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO SAY YES TO AND NO TO, AND SO FORTH. AND OF COURSE, YOU ALSO HAVE A DIVISION DEPARTMENT LIKE PUBLIC AFFAIRS ALSO TRYING TO THINK OUT, WELL, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO SAY THINGS AROUND AND WHAT SHOULD WE BE COORDINATING WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS AROUND THAT.
AND SO PART OF THAT WAS A REQUEST FOR THE OFFICE OF EQUITY TO KIND OF ENGAGE AND SUPPORT IN THAT PROCESS, REALLY TO BE ABLE TO SAY, WHAT DO WE HAVE THAT WE CAN POINT TO AND SAY, LET'S LOOK TO OUR POLICY MAKERS, THE BOARD, AND BE ABLE TO LOOK AT HOW COULD WE PLAN FOR THE YEAR AHEAD? AND WHAT DO WE KNOW HISTORICALLY HAS BEEN IMPORTANT AND MAYBE PROGRAMMATICALLY, WE HAVE SOME OF THAT FEEDBACK AND BE ABLE TO GO TO THE BOARD AND ASK, COULD YOU APPROVE A CALENDAR IN THIS WAY TO PLAN FOR THE YEAR?
[00:05:03]
AND SO HERE ARE EXAMPLES. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN YOU GO TO THE WEBSITE, THIS IS WHAT'S THERE THAT WE PUBLICLY KIND OF SAY THE DISTRICT WE SUPPORT OR WE CELEBRATE AND ACKNOWLEDGE. WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT NOW IS REALLY LOOKING AT THE PROCESS TO COME TO THE BOARD AND HAVE THE BOARD APPROVE AN ANNUAL CALENDAR. IDEALLY KIND OF RIGHT BEFORE THE YEAR STARTS.RIGHT NOW WE'RE STILL STARTING A LITTLE BEHIND BECAUSE IT'S JUST WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS.
BUT SO THAT THIS REALLY GIVES A STARTING POINT FOR DEPARTMENTS AND DIVISIONS TO LOOK AT, HOW CAN WE START PLANNING FOR SOMETHING IF WE MIGHT GET AN ASK TO ENGAGE THIS PARTICULAR EVENT? IF WE NEED TO ALLOCATE RESOURCES, EVERYTHING NOT JUST FROM STAFF TIME, BUT IF WE NEED TO PRINT THINGS AND SO FORTH.
SO THE IDEA IS THAT THE BOARD KIND OF IS THE ONE THAT GETS TO, AGAIN, AS POLICYMAKERS HAVE THAT APPROVAL AND IDENTIFY AND SUGGEST APPROPRIATE REVISIONS TO THE CALENDAR. TO BE CLEAR, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU ONLY DO IT IN DECEMBER OR JANUARY.
THE BOARD ALWAYS HAS THE PURVIEW TO BE ABLE TO DO SPECIFIC RESOLUTIONS AT THE SPECIFIC MONTHS.
THIS IS JUST THE WAY THAT WE KIND OF KNOW IN NOVEMBER THIS MIGHT BE COMING.
AND AS PART OF THIS PROCESS AS WELL, YOU KNOW, PART OF KIND OF POLICYMAKERS AT THE BOARD LEVEL IS YOU ALSO HAVE IT WITHIN YOUR PURVIEW TO RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE IN ALIGNMENT WITH HERITAGE SERVICES AND SO FORTH.
SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF THERE AS THAT REMINDER.
PART OF THEN WHAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THIS IS ENGAGING THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE AS PART OF THE CURRENT PROCESS IS THAT THEY ALSO CAN PROVIDE THEIR FEEDBACK, JUST LIKE MANY OTHER PROCESSES, BECAUSE OF THEIR ROLE AND HOW THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS, THAT THAT'S THERE AS AN OPTION, BUT THEY COULD PROVIDE THAT FEEDBACK AS WELL.
SO UNDER GENERAL MANAGER REALLY IS TO KIND OF ENSURE THAT THE CALENDAR IS IMPLEMENTED AND RESOURCES ACCORDINGLY, AND THAT PARKS DISTRICT DIVISIONS CAN KIND OF PARTICIPATE AND DEVELOP PROGRAMING FOR THAT ACCORDINGLY IN THAT AND A COUPLE OF REMINDERS AROUND THIS IS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS CALENDAR. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PRINTED CALENDAR, FOR EXAMPLE THAT MAY INCLUDE A LOT MORE OTHER THINGS.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT ALREADY FEDERAL AND STATE HOLIDAYS, WHICH ARE RECOGNIZED IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
SO WHERE WE ARE NOW IS THIS IS KIND OF OUR CURRENT PROPOSED 2025 CALENDAR FOR THIS WE STARTED WITH TWO OF KIND OF OUR HIGH USE DEPARTMENTS AND DIVISIONS INTERP AND REC, FOR EXAMPLE, IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS, AS I MENTIONED, THROUGH AN ITERATIVE PROCESS, WE KIND OF BEEN CHECKING WITH DIFFERENT DIVISIONS AND DEPARTMENTS, LIKE WHAT HAS HISTORICALLY YOU HAVE BEEN IMPORTANT TO YOU OR YOU'VE BEEN ASKED TO PARTICIPATE? WE OF COURSE, LOOKED AT KIND OF BOTH, NOT JUST THE WEBSITE, BUT ELEMENTS THAT HAVE COME UP THAT THE BOARD HAS VALUED IN THE PAST.
SO THIS IS WHERE WE ARE HERE. AGAIN, THIS IS A REMINDER THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT CAN'T BE ITERATIVE.
AND THEN WE WELCOME FEEDBACK AND SEE WHAT'S IMPORTANT.
BUT THIS IS WHY YOU NOTICE NOT JUST THINGS THAT WOULD BE FOR INTERP AND REC.
YOU'LL NOTICE SOME PUBLIC SAFETY FOR EXAMPLE, OF SERVICES THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR THAT AS WELL. SO WITH THAT, I WILL PUT IT TO KIND OF REALLY THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT THE BOARD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REVIEW, DISCUSS AND PROVIDE COMMENTS ON THIS PROPOSED CALENDAR SO THAT IDEALLY IT CAN MOVE FOR RECOMMENDATION FOR THE FULL BOARD OF DIRECTORS .
WELL, THANK YOU, JOSE. I REALLY LIKE THE COMPREHENSIVE NATURE OF THIS AND THE ABILITY FOR US TO, ON THIS TOPIC, SPEAK IN ONE VOICE.
SO EVERYBODY HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW WHERE WE ARE AND TO SPEAK, YOU KNOW, IN A UNIFORM WAY.
SO ARE WE ARE WE LOOKING FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS OR NOT ON NOT ON ANY OF THESE OR.
NO, WE JUST DON'T HAVE ANY. WE DON'T HAVE ANY FOR THIS ONE. OKAY. THEN I WOULD ASK IF DIRECTOR ECHOLS, WHO'S ONLINE HAS ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? YES.
HI, EVERYBODY. I KNOW I THINK IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT HARD TO HEAR ME, BUT FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU JOSE, I THINK THIS IS REALLY WONDERFUL.
REALLY APPRECIATE YOU PUTTING ALL OF THIS TOGETHER.
SO SO AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THIS THE 2025 SIM CALENDAR IS THAT ALREADY WHAT WE HAVE AND YOU'RE LOOKING FOR OFFICIAL APPROVAL? OR ARE THERE NEW THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED HERE? NO NEW THINGS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN, YOU KNOW, PROGRAMMATICALLY OBSERVED OR THAT THE BOARD HAS,
[00:10:02]
YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING NEW HERE THAT YOU WOULD NOT HAVE SEEN IN PREVIOUS CALENDARS.RIGHT. YEAH. YEAH. I TOOK A QUICK LOOK AT THE 2025 CALENDAR, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS REFLECTED.
SO SO ARE YOU. I KNOW THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM, SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY.
WHAT DO YOU NEED? I'M FULLY IN SUPPORT. WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM US? I WOULD SAY I WOULD NEED IS UNLESS THERE IS CONCERNS OR THERE IS A FEEDBACK OR THERE'S ELEMENTS TO CONTRIBUTE, THE IDEA IS JUST AS A COMMITTEE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE FEEL COMFORTABLE ADVANCING THIS TO THE FULL BOARD.
GREAT. WELL, I ABSOLUTELY I ABSOLUTELY DO. AND YEAH, I'M FULLY IN SUPPORT.
YEAH. PRESIDENT MERCURIO. BECAUSE THIS WAS AGENDIZED AS AN INFORMATION ITEM.
IT IS PURELY INFORMATIONAL, AND IT WILL APPARENTLY GO TO THE FULL BOARD, BUT IT ISN'T.
THEY'RE NOT LOOKING FOR A RECOMMENDATION AT THIS TIME.
SO BUT IT IS JUST PRESENTED TO YOU. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE IN TERMS OF FEEDBACK, YOU'RE FREE TO DO SO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, LYNNE, FOR CLARIFYING.
AND ALSO OF, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS THAT HE DESCRIBED TO LOOK AT ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE WANT TO CELEBRATE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. SO IF I UNDERSTAND YOU IN WHATEVER I MIGHT SAY ABOUT THIS WOULD BE AN INFORMAL SUGGESTION, SO TO SPEAK.
YOU'RE YES, YOU CAN GIVE SUGGESTIONS. YOU CAN GIVE COMMENTS.
YEAH. NO, I KNOW WE'RE NOT VOTING ON ANYTHING, SO. YEAH. OKAY THAT'S CLEAR.
OKAY. THANK YOU. DIRECTOR SANWONG. ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. YES. ALL RIGHT. THANKS. YEAH. THIS IS GREAT.
I THINK IT'S REALLY NICE TO SEE THE LIST. THERE'S A FEW THAT I JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT WE MAY OR MAY NOT WANT TO CONSIDER INCLUDING IN MID-MARCH THERE'S A WEEK KNOWN AS FLOOD SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK.
I KNOW IN 2025, RIGHT NOW THAT'S DESIGNATED FOR MARCH 12TH THROUGH THE 16TH.
AND I KNOW WITH LAKE DEL VALLE BEING A YOU KNOW, A PLACE FOR, YOU KNOW, TO HOLD BACK FLOODWATERS THAT THAT'S RELEVANT. AND THEN ALSO COYOTE HILLS CERTAINLY IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE FLOOD CONTROL CHANNEL.
MARCH 22ND SIMILAR TO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ON HERE SEPTEMBER 21ST, THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE THAT'S A RECOGNIZED UNITED NATIONS HOLIDAY. UNITED NATIONS ALSO HAS ON MARCH 22ND WORLD WATER DAY ABOUT FRESH WATER IN TERMS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF FRESH DRINKING WATER AND FRESH WATER FOR SANITATION. AND I DO KNOW THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE DEL VALLE VISITOR CENTER HAS TRIED TO HAVE AN EVENT AROUND THIS WORLD WATER DAY, BUT ACTUALLY BOTH TIMES, DUE TO STORMS AND FLOODING OUR DEL VALLE VISITOR CENTER WASN'T ABLE TO HAVE THOSE PROGRAMS, BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT DAY TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF FRESH DRINKING WATER.
AND IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE THAT WE HAVE LISTED HERE FOR SEPTEMBER 21ST.
ALSO, TYPICALLY IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER, WE HAVE WHAT WE NOW CALL THE SUNOL HERITAGE FESTIVAL.
HISTORICALLY, IT WAS KNOWN AS THE SUNOL HOOTENANNY FESTIVAL TO CELEBRATE RANCHING AND COWBOYS, BUT WE CHANGED IT TO THE HERITAGE FESTIVAL TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE IN REGARDS TO THE HISTORY OF THE SUNOL AREA AND ITS IMPORTANCE DURING THE MISSION PERIOD OF CALIFORNIA AND THE BOARDING SCHOOL ERA OF CALIFORNIA, AND HOW SUNOL WAS A PLACE WHERE SOME OF, YOU KNOW, THE OHLONE WERE ABLE TO HIDE FROM THE MISSIONS AND THE BOARDING SCHOOLS.
AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S GREAT THAT WE'VE BECOME MORE INCLUSIVE IN REGARDS TO OUR SUNOL FESTIVAL, AND THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE MAY WANT TO CONSIDER, INCLUDING ON THE LIST. AND THEN I GUESS I DO HAVE A QUESTION. I KNOW THIS PAST YEAR, 2024, WE DID SPECIAL DESIGNATIONS FOR EQUESTRIANS IN OUR PARKS AND BIKES IN OUR PARKS. AND I WAS JUST WONDERING, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THAT MIGHT BE A YEAR BY YEAR OR CASE BY CASE BASIS.
[00:15:07]
CELEBRATE THOSE TWO USER GROUPS. THANK YOU. I THINK WELL, FIRST, THANK YOU DIRECTOR SANWONG.AND I THINK IN TERMS OF THE QUESTION, I THINK IT'S UNDER THE PURVIEW OF THE BOARD, WHETHER THAT BE AN ANNUAL ADOPTION THROUGH THE SIM CALENDAR, OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD WOULD WANT TO CONSIDER TO ITS USUAL PROCESSES FOR MONTH BY MONTH DESIGNATION? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. JUST A FEW THINGS.
WE PROVIDE THAT FOR THEM. SO I JUST DON'T RECALL IF WE SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED ANY LOCATIONS IN THE PAST, DURING THAT MONTH IN ANY OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS OF PLACES TO GO THAT ARE READILY ACCESSIBLE LIKE THAT.
SO IF I JUST WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT, WE DO THAT FOR THE WHOLE MONTH.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S PLENTY OF FLAT TRAILS OUT ON THE SHORELINE AND IN OTHER, YOU KNOW, ANY RAIL TRAIL, LIKE WE HAVE IRON HORSE TRAIL THAT'S THOSE ARE ALWAYS ACCESSIBLE BECAUSE THEY'RE SO FLAT AND THEY'RE PAVED.
SO THAT'S THE KIND OF THING I'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN ACTUALLY HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE PLACES WHERE YOU KNOW, AND OTHER THINGS BESIDES TRAILS TOO I KNOW WE HAVE SOME PROGRAMS. SO JUST TO BE SURE THAT WE USE THAT MONTH TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT POSSIBLE TO GET THE WORD OUT THAT WE'RE A GREAT PLACE FOR THAT COMMUNITY TO VISIT AND RECREATE. THE OTHER THING I DON'T SEE ON HERE THAT I THINK COULD BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US IS NATIONAL TRAILS DAY. NATIONAL TRAILS DAY IS THE FIRST SATURDAY OF JUNE.
IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR MANY YEARS. AND WE HAVE A LOT OF TRAILS.
AND MANY AGENCIES, MANY NONPROFITS DO THAT ANYWAY.
WE COULD, YOU KNOW, HIGHLIGHT THAT DAY AND THEN TIE IT IN WITH SOME OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS THE DISTRICT, ALL ACROSS THE DISTRICT. SO ANYWAY, THAT'S ALL I HAD.
AND SO I THINK WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT, SO I THINK WE'RE GOOD.
THANK YOU. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, DIRECTOR MERCURIO, BECAUSE EVEN THOSE TWO EXAMPLES ARE REALLY GREAT EXAMPLES OF HOW WE WANT THIS PROCESS, BECAUSE IT THEN FROM THE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BOARD POLICY MAKING DIRECTIVE, IT SETS THAT PRIORITY THAT THEN STAFF CAN SAY, HOW DO WE PLAN FOR DISABILITY AWARENESS MONTH NOW KNOWING THAT WITH THIS IN ADVANCE.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH. THE NEXT ONE IS REPORTING OUT ON THE 2024 IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR SPONSORSHIP POLICY.
WE HAVE AMANDA FOR WITH US TODAY.
GREAT. GOOD MORNING, DIRECTOR SANWONG, MERCURIO AND DIRECTOR ECHOLS.
I'M AMANDA GALLO, ASSISTANT TO THE GENERAL MANAGER .
AND SO, AS NOTED, I'M HERE TO GIVE A REPORT OUT ON THE SPONSORSHIP POLICY.
THIS POLICY WAS ADOPTED IN MAY OF 2023. AND WITH THAT ADOPTION, THE POLICY STATES THAT EACH YEAR WE WILL GIVE A REPORT OUT OF THE ACTIONS OR SPONSORSHIPS THAT WE APPROVED IN THE PRIOR YEAR.
SO THAT'S WHAT'S BEFORE YOU TODAY. JUST A LITTLE REVIEW OF THE SPONSORSHIP POLICY.
IT PROVIDES US GUIDELINES FOR HOW WE DO APPROVE THESE SPONSORSHIPS, INCLUDING SOME ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS, SUCH AS THE REPORT OUT TO YOUR COMMITTEE TODAY.
IT ALSO PROVIDES THAT SPONSORSHIPS ARE APPROVED BY THE BOARD PRESIDENT AND BY THE GENERAL MANAGER .
AND IT CONTINUES OUR USUAL PROCEDURES FOR OUR FEE WAIVER AND REDUCTION PROCESSES.
[00:20:01]
HERE'S A REVIEW OF THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA THAT'S WITHIN THE POLICY.EACH SPONSORSHIP THAT IS PRESENTED TO THE THE PARK DISTRICT LOOKS AT THESE FOUR DIFFERENT CRITERIA'S TO ENSURE THEIR APPROVAL. SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THAT ARE REALLY ENSURING THAT THE PARTNER AGENCY OR THE EVENT IS FURTHERING THE PARK DISTRICT 'S MISSION AND WORK.
IT'S USED FOR A PUBLIC PURPOSE. IT BENEFITS A NONPROFIT OR PUBLIC ORGANIZATION, AND IT OFFERS SOME SORT OF BENEFIT TO YOU, THE BOARD OR OUR STAFF. SO THIS CHART SHOWS SOME OF THE SPONSORSHIPS THAT WERE APPROVED THROUGH THE GENERAL MANAGER'S OFFICE IN 2024. THEY ARE SO JUST IT HAS THE ORGANIZATION, THE EVENT AND THE AMOUNT OF THE APPROVAL.
SO LAST YEAR, THE GENERAL MANAGER 'S OFFICE APPROVED 17 SPONSORSHIPS.
AND THIS FURTHERS THE CHART HERE. THIS CHART SHOWS THE ONES THAT ARE APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS . AND WITH THE ADOPTION OF THE SPONSORSHIP POLICY, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAVE A SPONSORSHIP LINE ITEM IN THEIR BUDGET OF $50,000. SO THE PROCESS FOR THAT IS DIRECTORS MAY REQUEST SPONSORSHIPS THROUGH THE BOARD PRESIDENT AND THE BOARD PRESIDENT CAN APPROVE THESE AMOUNTS THROUGH THE BOARD'S BUDGET. SO THESE FOUR WERE APPROVED BY THE BOARD PRESIDENT LAST YEAR.
JUST REITERATING, THERE'S A TOTAL OF $100,000.
$50,000 IN THE BOARD'S BUDGET, AS WELL AS $50,000 IN THE GENERAL MANAGER 'S BUDGET FOR SPONSORSHIPS.
SO THESE ARE IN THE BUDGET THAT THE GM'S OFFICE, WHEN WE GET NOTICE THEY'RE AUTOMATICALLY PRE-APPROVED, THAT THE DISTRICT WILL SUPPORT THAT ORGANIZATION FOR THESE EVENTS.
AND I THINK THAT'S YEAH. THAT'S IT. SO IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS.
AND AMANDA, JUST REALLY QUICK. I THINK YOU HAD IT ON THE SLIDE FROM 2024.
BUT JUST TO ON THE SUMMARY FOR THE 2025 ITEMS. YEAH. THE TRAILS IN GREENWAY CONFERENCE HAS ALSO THAT WAS ALREADY INCREASED IN THE CURRENT BUDGET FOR 2025 BY THE BOARD OR NO? THEY KNOW IF THEY WANT TO INCREASE.
WE DON'T WANT TO WAIT UNTIL A MONTH BEFORE THE, YOU KNOW.
AND WE GOT TO I THINK WE GOT AN EXTRA FREE REGISTRATION TO THE CONFERENCE BY INCREASING OUR.
SO I KNOW WE ALWAYS EXCEED THE FREE ONES, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS GOING, I THINK.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. GOOD. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS MOVING ALONG AS I ANTICIPATED.
YES IT IS. THANK YOU FOR REITERATING THAT. OKAY.
AND THANK YOU FOR THAT. IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, IT'S AN IMPRESSIVE LIST, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK IT'S PRETTY I T VARIES QUITE A BIT AMONG DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES AND DIFFERENT GROUPS AND THINGS.
AND I THINK WE'VE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF, OF COVERING ALL THOSE.
AND I KNOW I'VE BEEN TO MANY OF THOSE AND THEY ARE GREAT EVENTS.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. DO WE HAVE ANY NO, NO PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS ONE EITHER.
DIRECTOR ECHOLS WHAT SAY YOU? SURE. WELL, AMANDA, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS OBVIOUSLY THE BOARD DIDN'T SPEND ALL OF THEIR MONEY.
SO WHERE DOES THAT MONEY RETURN TO? WHERE DOES IT GO WHEN WE DON'T SPEND IT? YEAH. ANY THE DOLLARS JUST GO BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
YEAH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. DIRECTOR SANWONG.
[00:25:05]
FOR SPONSORSHIP? IT JUST WOULD BE HELPFUL TO SEE THE COMPREHENSIVE LIST. AND I KNOW THIS CAME UP A LITTLE BIT WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.YEAH, WE DO KEEP A LIST OF BOTH, I WILL SAY, IN SAY IN 2024 THERE WEREN'T ANY NON APPROVALS.
I HAD ONE NON APPROVAL IF YOU RECALL WHICH WHEN I TRIED TO REQUEST THE BUS FEE WAIVER.
OH. FOR THE AND IT WAS A NON PROFIT. IT WAS THE PLEASANTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOUNDATION.
AND ALSO I HAD MENTIONED THAT THE TRI VALLEY CONSERVANCY WAS INCLUDED AS A PART OF THAT.
AND THEY ARE A LAND TRUST ORGANIZATION THAT'S VERY SIMILAR TO SAVE MOUNT DIABLO.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE WERE WORKING WITH BUSINESS SERVICES ON. SO BUT WE DO KEEP A RECORD OF ALL THE AGENCIES THAT WE HEAR FROM, I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL TO HAVE THE LIST. AND I THINK ALSO TO INCLUDE YOU KNOW, WHEN BOARD MEMBER REQUESTS ARE DENIED IN THIS REPORT, MAYBE GOING FORWARD, I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL. OKAY.
ONE IS SENDING REQUESTS TO THE GENERAL MANAGER 'S OFFICE AND ONE IS SENT.
SO I DON'T THINK, OLIVIA, THAT I GOT THAT REQUEST FROM YOU.
SO JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE'S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO GET AN APPROVAL.
YEAH. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR TYING THAT ALL UP FOR US SO WE CAN RECALL 2024 AND LOOK AT 2025 AS WELL.
ALL RIGHT. AND NEXT IS THE FUEL VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM UPDATE.
WE'LL SAY. GOOD MORNING, BOARD OF DIRECTORS . MY NAME IS AILEEN THIELE.
I'M THE FIRE CHIEF, AND CO-PRESENTING WITH ME TODAY WILL BE ASSISTANT CHIEF KHARI HELAE.
WE'RE SORELY REMINDED BY THE EVENTS THAT WERE HAPPENING KIND OF STILL DOWN SOUTH.
AND EVEN THOUGH THE PALISADES AND THE EATON FIRE ARE FOR THE MOST PART BEING CONTAINED, AND WE'VE HAD SEVERAL NEW ERUPTIONS DOWN IN, IN SAN DIEGO AS PART OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE HIGH WINDS THAT THEY'RE GETTING DOWN THERE.
SO I BRING ALL THAT UP, BECAUSE WHERE WE BEGAN IS REALLY JUST PRIOR TO THE OAKLAND FIRESTORM.
THAT WAS WHERE THERE WAS A STUDY DONE. AND AS A RESULT, IN 2010 AFTER THE OAKLAND HILLS FIRESTORM, THE PARK DISTRICT REALLY KIND OF KICKED IT INTO HIGH GEAR AS TO WHAT WAS NEEDED.
AND SO THE OBJECTIVES THAT WERE OUTLINED VERY EARLY ON WERE FIRE HAZARD REDUCTION FOR SAFETY AND IMPROVING FOREST HEALTH AND HABITAT, MANAGING OUR FORESTS, AND MANAGING OUR WILDLAND AREAS. AT THE TIME, THERE WAS AN EIR DONE THROUGH OR FOR THE WILDFIRE HAZARD.
WILDFIRE HAZARD MITIGATION. NOW I CAN'T EVEN SAY IT.
[LAUGHTER] THE WHRRMP. AND IT TOOK ABOUT TEN YEARS.
THAT TIMELINE WAS, I THINK, MORE THAN THE DISTRICT EXPECTED.
SINCE THEN, OUR PERMITTING LOOKS MUCH DIFFERENT UNDER THE CAL VTP.
[00:30:02]
AND THAT'S WHAT THAT'S EVERY SPOT IS DIFFERENT.AND THEN TO THE LEFT IS THE PRIORITY AREAS. AND WHY ARE THEY PRIORITY AREAS? THOSE ARE THE THE RIDGE TOPS, THE ROADWAYS, THE EMERGENCY ACCESS TRAILS THAT ARE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE.
THAT PINK LINE THAT YOU SEE IS RIGHT WHERE ALL OF THOSE COME TOGETHER.
AND WE MANAGE THAT AREA. THAT IS WHY THOSE ARE THE PRIORITIES.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHERE WHAT WE'VE DONE SINCE 2020.
IN 2010, WHEN THE BOARD ADOPTED THE WILDFIRE HAZARD REDUCTION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN.
AND SO AS WE STARTED TO LOOK AT WHAT THAT DIE OFF WAS CAUSED FROM, IT WAS KIND OF A BUNCH OF THINGS, NOT REALLY ONE SILVER BULLET, BUT WHAT WAS VERY CLEAR WAS THAT IT WAS AN EMERGENCY, AND WE NEEDED TO ADDRESS IT QUICKLY, BECAUSE IF A FIRE WAS TO START IN THOSE AREAS THAT WE HAD NOT YET MAINTAINED IT COULD CROSS OVER INTO THAT PINK LINE I SHOWED YOU ON A PREVIOUS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE. AND THAT COULD BE CATASTROPHIC.
SO WE DID A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS AND DISCOVERED THAT IT WASN'T JUST REALLY A DISTRICT PROBLEM.
IT WAS A REGIONAL AND STATEWIDE PROBLEM. AND NOW IT'S EVEN GONE UP INTO CANADA BECAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF DIE OFF IN AREAS WHERE TREES ARE JUST COMPETING FOR WATER. THEY DON'T HAVE IT, SO THEY DIE STANDING.
AND THAT'S A BIG ISSUE. FROM 2021 TO 2025 WE HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY REACHING OUT AND TRYING TO GET FUNDING BOTH THROUGH THE PARK DISTRICT AND ALSO THROUGH GRANTS THAT WE HAVE TO SECURE ENOUGH MONEY TO ACTUALLY DEAL WITH THAT ISSUE.
WE ESTIMATED BACK IN 2020 THAT IT WAS A 30 TO $40 MILLION PROJECT.
SO LET'S GO BACK TO 2024 AND WHAT WE COMPLETED.
YOU CAN SEE A LIST OF ALL THE PARKS THERE WHERE WE WE COMPLETED INITIAL ENTRY PROJECTS.
AND THE REASON THAT WE DO THAT IS WE'RE VERY STRATEGIC IN UNDERSTANDING THAT ONCE WE GO INTO AN AREA AND WE ACCOMPLISH THE INITIAL WORK THAT IT NEEDS TO GET IT TO LOOK LIKE WHAT WE WANT TO WE STILL HAVE TO COME BACK IN AND MAINTAIN IT.
SO THE MONEY THAT WE USE FOR MAINTENANCE TO COME BACK IN AND MAINTAIN ALL THESE AREAS IS THE MONEY THAT WE GET FROM THE DISTRICT'S GENERAL FUND, WHICH IS SUPER IMPORTANT AND HAS BEEN VERY APPRECIATED .
ADDITIONALLY, WE DID A LOT OF WORK IN 16 VARIOUS LOCATIONS WITH PRESCRIBED GRAZING, AND THAT'S OVER AND ABOVE THE GRAZING THAT WE DO THROUGHOUT THE PARK DISTRICT WITH GOATS AND SHEEP.
SO THE EXCITING NEWS THAT WE HAVE FOR YOU THIS YEAR IS FROM THE STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY.
WE WERE AWARDED, OR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE STEWARDSHIP DEPARTMENT SECURED 2.25 MILLION FOR THE TREATMENT OF AREAS AROUND TILDEN, ANTHONY CHABOT, CARQUINEZ STRAIT REGIONAL SHORELINE, AS WELL AS A SHADED FUEL BREAK THAT WE HAVE IN TEN HILLS TRAIL.
THE REASON THAT'S SO IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE, FOR INSTANCE, THE AREA AROUND THE EEC WHERE WE'VE GOT CHILDREN COMING AND GOING WE DIDN'T PREVIOUSLY HAVE FUNDING, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE AREAS THAT'S GOING TO BE TARGETED HERE, AS WELL AS THE AREA AROUND TEN HILLS TRAIL.
$250,000 FOR EUCALYPTUS REMOVAL AND RESTORATION AT CARQUINEZ.
AND THE RESTORATION, OF COURSE, WILL BE DONE BY STEWARDSHIP. $40,000 WE HAVE PLANNED TO DO SOME SORT OF A STUDY THAT TALKS ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HERBICIDES. $500,000 FOR EQUIPMENT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY ARE MISSING IN OUR TOOL SET IS WE NEED A CHIPPER
[00:35:03]
ON TRACKS THAT CAN GO INTO MORE SENSITIVE AREAS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, TRACKS DON'T LEAVE AS MUCH OF A SCAR ON THE EARTH IS THERE AS THEY'RE GOING PAST. AND THEN A CHIPPER WITH A GRAPPLE, WHICH IS A HOOK THAT CAN GO AND PICK THINGS UP AND FEED IT INTO THE CHIPPER.AND THEN $70,000 FOR PRESCRIBED GOAT GRAZING PROJECTS.
THAT'S HOW THAT MONEY BREAKS DOWN. ALSO, WE'VE GOT WE'VE SECURED MONEY FROM THE PRE-DISASTER MITIGATION. PEOPLE ALWAYS ASK ME WHAT THE PDM GRANT IS FROM FEMA.
THE PURPOSE IS OBVIOUSLY TO REDUCE THE WILDFIRE RISK.
I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHICH, BUT IT WAS NICE THAT THAT CAME IN A YEAR'S PERIOD OF TIME.
THE FOCUS IS REALLY REMOVING A LOT OF THE HAZARDOUS EUCALYPTUS TREES THAT ARE AROUND ANTHONY CHABOT.
LIKE I SAID, THAT PROJECT THAT WE'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF MONEY FOR 10 MILLION FROM THE STATE, IT WAS GREAT. IT WAS PUT TO GREAT USE. BUT 30 TO 40 MILLION WAS WHAT WAS ESTIMATED.
SO WE STILL KEEP TAKING CHUNKS AND PUTTING IT TOWARDS THAT PROJECT.
AND THEN THE OVERALL IMPACT, OF COURSE, IS TO REDUCE THE WILDFIRE RISK.
THERE'S NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO IN THAT KIND OF A SITUATION.
BUT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO REMOVE THE POTENTIAL FOR CATASTROPHIC FIRES AND KEEP OUR FORESTS HEALTHY.
AND SO THIS IS MY LAST SLIDE BEFORE I HAND IT OVER TO KHARI.
BUT JUST KIND OF WANT TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW.
IN 2024, THE TOTAL FUNDING WAS 9.1 MILLION. 2025 IT'S EXPECTED TO BE 9.4 MILLION.
SO WE ARE INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WE DO, AND WE'RE ACTIVELY TRYING TO INCREASE OUR FUNDING, BUT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO DO THAT ALSO THOUGHTFULLY, IN THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO SPEND ALL OF THAT MONEY.
SOME OF THESE GRANTS WE'VE GOT ARE OVER 2 OR 3 OR EVEN FIVE YEAR PERIODS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST THAT WE CAN SAY, OKAY, WHAT CAN WE GET DONE IN THIS YEAR? IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE PLANNED OUT TO WHAT CAN WE ACCOMPLISH AND REALLY GET IMPLEMENTED AND COMPLETED IN THE TIMEFRAME OF THE OF THE GRANT? AND JUST A LITTLE THING ON THE BOTTOM HISTORIC AND FUTURE FUNDING.
JUST TO GIVE THE BOARD AN IDEA, IN 2020, WE WERE SPENDING 2.3 MILLION ON FUELS MANAGEMENT.
AND OBVIOUSLY NOW IN 2025, WE'RE PROJECTED TO SPEND 9.4 MILLION.
SO A LOT OF THIS HAS REALLY BEEN ABLE TO BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE GENERAL MANAGER 'S OFFICE SUPPORTING US AND OUR ABILITY TO GO OUT THERE AND GET ADDITIONAL GRANTS AND BE ABLE TO SPEND THE MONEY, GROW THE DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO GROW THE DEPARTMENT. AND YOUR PROCESSES THROUGH CONTRACTORS AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO BE ABLE TO SPEND THAT MONEY AND GET THE WORK IMPLEMENTED. AND WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO KHARI.
SO IN 2022 OF JUNE 2022, WE STARTED OUR STARTED OUR FIRST PILOT PROJECT WITH $2 MILLION, HALF FUNDED BY THE STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY, WORKING WITH CONTRACTORS WE HADN'T WORKED WITH BEFORE, DOING THE TYPE OF WORK THAT WAS NEW AND INNOVATIVE AT THE TIME, DECIDED TO BE CONSERVATIVE AND DO A PILOT, AND THE 80 ACRES AT THAT TIME WAS THE LARGEST FUELS MANAGEMENT PROJECT IN DISTRICT HISTORY AT THAT TIME.
THAT PILOT WAS SUCCESSFUL, AND WE GOT CAME BACK TO THE BOARD AND WAS APPROVED FOR ANOTHER 365 ACRES.
AND WE WERE SUCCESSFUL WITH THAT PROJECT THAT HAD A BUDGET OF $7.5 MILLION.
WE USED THE SAME INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES AND CONTRACTORS FOR THAT PROJECT, AND ONCE THAT PROJECT WAS DONE WAS FINISHED, WE WERE ABLE TO SEEK ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND COME BACK TO THE BOARD AND GET APPROVED FOR ANOTHER 221 ACRES FOR THE CONTINUATION PROJECT, WHICH WAS A CONTINUATION OF THE SAME RFP, PREVIOUSLY DONE BACK IN 2022 THAT HAD A BUDGET OF $5.3
[00:40:09]
MILLION. AND THAT PROJECT IS CURRENTLY ONGOING AND IT HAS MULTIPLE FUND SOURCES FROM DISTRICT FUNDS, STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY AND FEMA. AND WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM THOSE PROJECTS? WELL, WE LEARNED THAT WE CAN USE THIS CARBONIZER AND PROCESSED BIOMASS ON SITE WE CAN WITHIN A 12 HOUR PERIOD, WE CAN MITIGATE AND PROCESS 80 TONS OF BIOMASS WITHIN THAT 12 HOUR PERIOD, AND 170 TONS OF BIOMASS IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD. YOU CAN SEE IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFICIENT IF YOU KEEP THE CARBONIZER RUNNING, SIMILAR TO A WOOD STOVE.THE PROJECT OUTPUT 12,200 TONS OF LOGS WERE PROCESSED TO AND REDUCED TO 1220 TONS OF BIOCHAR, WHICH IS ROUGHLY A 10% OR 90% CONVERSION.
10% BIOCHAR LEFT FROM THAT, 90% IS ABLE TO BE BURNED BY THE CARBONIZER.
AND THEN WE LEARNED THAT ON-SITE PROCESSING IS MORE EFFECTIVE IN HAULING OUT TO COGENERATION FACILITIES OUT IN SACRAMENTO, WHICH WOULD TYPICALLY EITHER BE BURNED FOR ENERGY OR PLACED IN THE LANDFILL.
AND WE FOUND OUT THAT USING BIOCHAR, TAKING BIOMASS THAT WAS EITHER GOING TO BE USED TO BE PROCESSED FOR ENERGY OR TO BE PLACED IN LANDFILL, NOW HAS BENEFICIAL USES THROUGHOUT THE PARK DISTRICT .
AND WITH THAT, IT STILL HAD ITS CHALLENGES. THIS IS THE CARBONIZER AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS PROJECT SINCE 2022, AND THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T SEEN IT BEFORE.
AND WE'RE ABLE TO PLACE LOGS OR BIOMASS INTO THE CARBONIZER AND IT WILL BURN THE BIOMASS AND TURN THE REMAINING 10% INTO BIOCHAR. WE'RE HAVING A TECHNICAL ERROR WHERE THE SLIDE IS NOT KEEPING UP WITH THE IT'S NOT CHANGING UP THERE.
THERE WE GO. OKAY. AGAIN THE VIDEO. IS THIS GOOD.
TODAY WE'VE ALLOCATED ABOUT $13.9 MILLION. THE BREAKDOWN IS $1.2, WITH THE STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY, $2 MILLION WITH THE FEMA PDM FUNDS AND $1.4 MILLION WITH THE DISTRICT'S GENERAL FUND AND $9.3 MILLION FROM THE STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY, WHICH IS THE MONEY THAT WE RECEIVE THROUGH THE STATE.
UNDER THIS CURRENT RFP, IT'S $13.9 MILLION THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO UTILIZE AT ANTHONY CHABOT, WHICH IS PROTECTING THE COMMUNITIES OF OAKLAND, SAN LEANDRO AND CASTRO VALLEY.
AND THE VIDEOS AREN'T WORKING, SO WE'RE GOING TO KEEP MOVING ALONG HERE.
THIS IS JUST A STILL PHOTO OF THE ANTHONY CHABOT PROJECT.
WHAT WE WANT TO TAKE NOTE HERE WE'VE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO TREAT 475 ACRES OF 667 THAT WE'VE BEEN APPROVED TO TREAT UNDER THIS CURRENT RFP AND FROM THE AIR WHAT YOU CAN WHAT I WANT YOU TO NOTICE IS THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THROUGH THE CANOPY AND SEE TO THE GROUND.
PRIOR TO THAT, IT WAS A THICK, FORESTED AREA THAT YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SEE THROUGH.
AND WHERE THAT'S CHALLENGING AND PROBLEMATIC IF WE HAD NOT DONE THIS WORK, IF YOU WERE TO HAVE A WILDFIRE, IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO GET INTO THE CANOPY, SPREAD EMBERS AND BE PROBLEMATIC.
AND THIS IS SOME PHOTOS OF WHAT ANTHONY CHABOT LOOKS LIKE FROM THE GROUND.
IT'S ALSO HEALTHIER FOR THE FOREST AND PREVENTS THE TREE DIEBACK FROM OCCURRING.
[00:45:10]
AND WE'RE GOING TO SWITCH TO THE GRIZZLY PEAK STRATEGIC FUEL BREAK PROJECT, WHICH IS A COLLABORATION PROJECT THAT WE DID THROUGH THE HILLS EMERGENCY FORUM, WHICH WAS FORMED AFTER THE OAKLAND HILLS FIRE FOR AGENCIES TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE, SHARE INFORMATION, WORK TOGETHER TO PROTECT OUR ADJACENT COMMUNITIES.WE USED OUR GRANTS DEPARTMENT DISTRICT FUNDS TO APPLY FOR THE GRANT.
THIS MAP HERE ON THE LEFT SHOWS THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE DIFFERENT PARTNERS.
SO THE AREA THAT'S ON THE SCREEN LOOKS MORE LIKE A PURPLE COLOR IS ACTUALLY THE CITY OF BERKELEY.
SO THEY'RE CONCENTRATING ON THE HOME HARDENING ASPECT OF THE PROJECT, WHICH IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AS WE SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE LA FIRES, HOW HOME HARDENING IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, NOT JUST TO PROTECTING THE NEIGHBOR'S HOMES, BUT ALSO PROTECTING DISTRICT PROPERTY AND RESOURCES.
AND WE ARE NOW ABLE TO NOT JUST DO THE HOME HARDENING ASPECT THAT BERKELEY FIRE IS DOING, BUT THE LANDOWNERS IN THAT AREA WERE ABLE TO DO THE WORK ON OUR PROPERTY, AND THAT WAS BECAUSE OF THE COLLABORATION THAT WE DID THROUGH THE HILLS EMERGENCY FORUM, COMMUNICATING TOGETHER, BRAINSTORMING HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE IT SAFE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THE MAP ON THE RIGHT SHOWS THE FIRE HISTORY OF THAT AREA.
THERE'S FIRE CAN BURN MANY DIFFERENT PLACES, BUT 90% OF FIRES ARE STARTED BY PEOPLE.
AND IN SOME AREAS, FIRES ARE JUST STARTED MORE FREQUENTLY BECAUSE OF PEOPLE.
AND ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WE'RE DOING WITHIN THE SAME AREA IS THE SOUTH PARK DRIVE DIEBACK PROJECT.
THIS WORK IS WORK UNDER THE VP UNDER OUR ORIGINAL FUELS PLAN.
WE HAD TREES DYING THAT WERE OUTSIDE OF OUR PERMITTED AREA.
WE DID OUR PERMITTING SO THAT WE COULD GET THE ABILITY TO DO WORK IN THOSE AREAS.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET FUNDING. SOME OF THE FUNDING THAT WAS USED WAS NOT JUST DISTRICT FUNDS, BUT FUNDS FROM THE CAL RECYCLE. AND THEN ONCE WE DID THE HAD THE PLANNING, DID THE PERMITTING, GOT THE FUNDING, WE WENT TO WORK IN THE AREA WHERE WE HAVE KNOWN FIRE HISTORY.
THE PICTURE IN THE MIDDLE IS FROM THIS YEAR. I THINK THAT WAS JULY 4TH, OR A DAY OR TWO AFTER, AND WE HAD A FIRE IN THAT AREA, BUT IT WAS ADJACENT TO OUR FUELS TREATMENT AREAS.
SO IT WAS AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESS WITH FUELS MANAGEMENT AND QUICK SUPPRESSION EFFORTS.
AND FIRE IS GOING TO BURN DIFFERENTLY ON THE PICTURE OF THE RIGHT.
AND IT'S GOING TO GIVE FIREFIGHTERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPRESS THAT FIRE.
HERE'S ANOTHER PICTURE ROADSIDE CLEARANCE IN WILDCAT CANYON.
WE FOCUS ON ROADSIDE BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF FIRES ARE STARTED ADJACENT TO ROADSIDES.
AND OCTOBER 6TH OF 2024, WE HAD A FIRE AT ANTHONY CHABOT.
IT'S BEEN A VERY ACTIVE AREA OF PEOPLE TORCHING CARS OFF.
THIS EXACT LOCATION IS SKYLINE AND REDWOOD. WE UNFORTUNATELY, HAD A VEHICLE IGNITE RIGHT NEXT TO DISTRICT LAND, BUT FORTUNATELY, IT WAS, AS YOU CAN SEE THERE ON THE RIGHT, A RECOMMENDED TREATMENT AREA WHERE WE HAD DONE WORK.
[00:50:02]
IT STAYED SMALL AND GAVE FIREFIGHTERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPRESS THAT FIRE.AND THIS IS A PICTURE THAT ACTUALLY OCCURRED ON THE FIRE, OCCURRED ON UC BERKELEY'S LAND.
BUT IT'S WITHIN THE AREA THAT OUR COLLABORATIVE GRANT IS DOING WORK.
IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE THAT SOME AREAS ARE MORE PRONE TO IGNITION BECAUSE OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR.
AND THESE ARE AREAS THAT WE FOCUS ON THROUGH OUR FUELS PLAN AND WORK.
ALL RIGHT I'M GOING TO HAND BACK TO CHIEF THIELE FOR THIS PORTION.
THANK YOU. SO WHY ARE WE SHOWING YOU ALL THESE PICTURES? BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURE, THE LARGER PICTURE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID. WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID FIRES GETTING FROM THE GROUND UP INTO THE TREES. WE SHOWED YOU SOME BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES, AND IT KIND OF TAKES A WILD LAND AREA AND MAKES IT LOOK A LITTLE BIT MORE MANICURED IN THE PICTURES THAT HE SHOWED YOU, THE BEFORE AND AFTER, THERE'S A SCIENCE BEHIND THAT RIGHT.
AND THERE'S ALSO TACTICAL REASONS BEHIND THAT.
THE SCIENTIFIC REASONS IS WE'RE TRYING TO UPSET THE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL FUEL LADDER THAT KEEPS THAT, TAKES FIRE FROM THE GROUND UP INTO THE TREE CANOPIES LIKE THAT.
THAT THE OTHER PICTURE DIRECTOR MERCURIO THAT YOU NOTICED THAT YOU SAID THAT'S A GREAT PICTURE.
THAT WAS A GREAT PICTURE. THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FIRE.
ON THAT DAY, IN THOSE CONDITIONS, HAD WE NOT DONE THE FUELS WORK THAT WORK THAT WE HAD DONE.
THERE WAS A TON OF EUCALYPTUS IN THERE THAT WERE BIG.
THEY HAD A DBH OF ABOUT THREE FEET, MAYBE FOUR FEET, SOME OF THEM.
IT WAS EXPENSIVE. IT WAS A SMALLER IT WAS A SMALLER RTA.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEXITY, THE LOCATION WITH IT BEING ON A MAJOR ROAD, THE SIZE OF THE FUEL THAT WE HAD TO BRING DOWN IT IT WAS IT WAS AN EXPENSIVE PROJECT, BUT IT CLEARLY WAS WELL WORTH IT.
AND THE PICTURES AND THE, THE KIND OF THE CASES THAT WE'RE SHOWING YOU ARE JUST TO REALLY DRIVE HOME THAT FACT THAT WE'VE LEARNED THAT FUELS MANAGEMENT COMBINED WITH, AS KHARI PUT IT, QUICK SUPPRESSION RESPONSE, NOT JUST FROM OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT BUT FROM ALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS, REALLY IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE. SO THIS FIRE WAS OCTOBER 18TH.
IT STARTED DOWN VERY CLOSE TO ACTUALLY HIGHWAY 580, AND IT COULD HAVE BEEN FAR WORSE THAN IT WAS.
IT WAS A WAS A RED FLAG DAY. THE FIRE WAS STARTED OUTSIDE OF SOMEBODY'S HOME.
IT WAS AN ACCIDENTAL FIRE. IN FACT, I'M NOT SURE THAT THE GREEN SHEET HAS COME OUT ON IT YET, BUT THERE WAS NO, YOU KNOW, INTENTION OF ANY KIND ON THIS FIRE.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO I THINK THERE WAS 40 DIFFERENT FIRE.
IT WAS SOMETHING IT WAS SOMETHING EXTREME DIFFERENT FIRE ENTITIES THAT WERE ON THAT FIRE.
IT WASN'T BURNING ANYWHERE NEAR DISTRICT PROPERTY WHEN IT STARTED.
IF IT HAD GOTTEN UP TO SKYLINE, IT WOULD HAVE HIT A COUPLE OF OUR FUEL BREAKS.
IT BRINGS ME TO TALKING ABOUT THE DIABLO FUELS CREW.
THEY ARE PART OF THE EFFORT TO CREATE THE THE OAKLAND BERKELEY HILLS FUEL BREAK.
THEY'RE OUT TODAY AT ANTHONY CHABOT DOING MORE WORK.
THEY'VE BECOME AN INCREDIBLY EFFECTIVE TOOL. I DO WANT TO MENTION, AND I CONTINUE TO MENTION, KIND OF PROUDLY, THAT ALAMEDA COUNTY NOW HAS A FUELS CREW.
SO DOES CONTRA COSTA COUNTY. BUT WE WERE THE FIRST AND WE ARE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE IN THAT NOT ONLY DO WE ASSIST IN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND FUELS MITIGATION BUT WE ARE ALSO THERE TO ASSIST WHEN IT COMES TO SOME OF THE LARGER FIRES AND CREATING THOSE LARGER FUEL BREAKS.
SO VERY IMPORTANT AND EFFECTIVE TOOL, SO MUCH SO THAT OTHER AGENCIES HAVE STARTED UP THEIR OWN FUELS CREWS AND HAVE ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO US AND WE OCCASIONALLY TRAIN WITH THEM, WHICH IS IMPORTANT.
IT'S JUST FURTHER COLLABORATION. THEY HAVE BEEN KEY AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE KEY IN HELPING MITIGATE SOME OF OUR LARGER EUCALYPTUS GROVES. WE GO IN AND WE CREATE PILES THAT'S WHAT WE SPEND MOST OF OUR WINTER TIME DOING, NOT JUST THE FUELS CREW, BUT FIRE STATION ONE.
AND THEN NORMALLY THIS TIME OF YEAR, WE WOULD BE BURNING THOSE PILES.
BUT RIGHT NOW, WEATHER IS NOT PERMITTING THAT WE DO SO.
IT IS CONSIDERED A PRESCRIBED FIRE. WHEN YOU GO IN AND YOU BURN THE PILES THAT YOU'VE CREATED.
[00:55:01]
AND SO RIGHT NOW, THE CONDITIONS ARE NOT GREAT FOR DOING THAT, BUT THEY PLAY AN INTEGRAL ROLE IN GETTING RID OF WHAT WE CREATE AS FAR AS FUELS MITIGATION. AND I THINK THE NEXT SLIDE. YEP. I'M TURNING IT BACK TO KHARI.JUST BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THAT TOPIC, I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR CREW AND THEN ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY ALSO.
SO SO WE HAVE LAND TO DO OUR STUFF ON. WHERE DO THEY DO THEIRS.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WHERE DO THEY GO AND DO THEIR WORK? SO CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, THEY'RE MORE FIRE FOCUSED.
SO THEIR CREW IS WAS INITIALLY SEASONAL. NOW I THINK THEY HAVE THEM YEAR ROUND.
THEY DO SOME OF THE WORK. I KNOW THEY WERE USED ON THE NORTHERN END OF FUEL BREAK BY MORAGA ORINDA WHEN THEY CAME IN, WHEN THEY WERE, WHEN WE WERE ALL DOING THE WORK THAT WE NEEDED TO DO TO GET THAT PROJECT IMPLEMENTED AND COMPLETED.
ALAMEDA COUNTY IS THEY'RE NOT AS STABLY FUNDED AS WE ARE, BUT THEY ARE ACTUALLY REACHING OUT TO US AND OTHERS TO COME ON OTHER PEOPLE'S PROPERTY THAT IS WITHIN ALAMEDA COUNTY TO DO WORK.
THE SAME THEY TARGET THE SAME AREAS THAT WE DO.
WHERE THERE ARE NOT WHERE THE PARK DISTRICT DOESN'T REACH LIKE WE ONLY DO WORK ON OUR LAND.
AND THEN SOME OF THE COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE THEY DO WORK ON COUNTY LAND, SO THEY HAVE ASKED TO COME ON TO COME AND DO SOME WORK WITH THE PARK DISTRICT IN AREAS THAT ARE IN ALAMEDA COUNTY. AND WE'RE GOING WE'RE WORKING OUR WAY THROUGH THAT PROCESS. AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, LIKE I SAID, IS REALLY MORE FIRE CENTRIC. THEY DO SOME FUELS WORK, BUT BECAUSE CONTRA COSTA IS JUST STILL BUILDING THEIR KIND OF FUELS PROGRAM, I THINK THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO FIT IN WITH THAT.
SO THEY'RE STILL BUILDING THEIR PROGRAM, RIGHT? BECAUSE I BECAME AWARE OF A NONPROFIT THAT BORDERS ON I'M NOT SURE IF THEY BORDER ON OUR PROPERTY OR ANYWAY, IT'S THE INTERFACE BETWEEN THE NATURAL LAND AND EL CERRITO.
IT'S CAMP HERMS. SO THAT'S A NONPROFIT. AND THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS HUGE JOB TO TREAT THE PROPERTY AROUND THEM. AND THEY WERE WONDERING, YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANYBODY THAT CAN HELP US WITH THIS.
BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THEY REALLY HAVE THE FINANCIAL CAPACITY TO DO SO.
ARE THERE ANY SOURCES OF HELP OR FUNDING THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO THEM? IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE THERE IS. CIVICORPS. OKAY.
IS IS A GROUP THAT WE USE CIVICORPS I MEAN, WE ARE COLLABORATIVE BY NATURE IN THIS AGENCY.
AND SO WE'VE WORKED WITH EVERYBODY AND CIVICORPS IS ONE OF THE TOOLS WE CONTINUE TO USE.
I MEAN I KNOW THAT OPERATIONS STILL USE THEM AND WE STILL USE THEM.
YEAH. SO CIVICORPS WOULD BE A GREAT OPTION I THINK FOR THEM.
THERE'S ALSO SCA, WHICH IS THE STUDENT CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION.
IT DEPENDS ON THE KIND OF WORK. SCA WILL DO LESS TECHNICAL WORK.
AND THEN WITHIN CIVICORPS THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SKILL FOR EACH ONE OF THEIR CREWS.
BUT THAT WOULD BE A REALLY GREAT PLACE TO START. BUT THEIR CONCERN WAS WHERE DO WE FIND THE FUNDS TO DO THIS? W OULDN'T BOTH OF THOSE REQUIRE SOME KIND OF PAYMENT? IT DEPENDS ON YOUR WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I WOULD SAY WE CAN TALK MORE OFFLINE.
OKAY. YEAH, I REALLY FEEL FOR THEM. YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE I'VE BEEN TO THEIR, FACILITY THERE.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL OLD CABIN AND THEY THERE'S A LOT OF COOL EVENTS THAT THAT HAPPEN THERE AND, THEY USE IT. SO I WOULD NEVER WANT THAT HISTORIC BUILDING TO BURN BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THE.
RIGHT. AND WE DO ON OUR PROPERTY THAT'S CLOSEST TO MOUNT HERMS. WE DO ANNUAL MAINTENANCE. YEAH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU. SURE. ALL RIGHT ONWARD. YEAH. AND SINCE YOU ASKED THE QUESTION, EVENTUALLY YOU'RE GOING TO WE'RE WORKING ON SOME MOUS, AND IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING HOW WE LOOK AT FUELS MITIGATION SIMILAR TO WORKING A FIRE.
SO WE WANT TO GATHER AS MANY RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO MITIGATE AND AND DO FUELS WORK.
AND WE ARE RECEPTIVE TO THAT. WE WORKED WITH LEGAL, WE WORKED WITH HUMAN RESOURCES.
[01:00:05]
WE'RE GOING TO SWITCH GEARS TO BIOCHAR. AND SOME OF THE BIOCHAR SUCCESS THAT WE'VE HAD ON PURCHASING LAND.LIKE I SAID EARLIER, WE HAD PRIOR TO USING BIOCHAR, THE BIOMASS WAS GOING OUT TO COGENERATION FACILITIES AND JUST BEING UTILIZED TO USE AS ENERGY FOR ELECTRICITY AND FOR LANDFILL.
NOW WE'RE ABLE TO ABLE TO USE BIOCHAR FROM THIS PRODUCT THAT WE'RE PRODUCING ON DISTRICT LAND THROUGH OUR PROJECTS, AND IT'S BEEN ABLE TO BE USED OVER IN ARDENWOOD FARMS, DIG DEEP FARMS FOR TO BOOST CROP SOIL AND EROSION CONTROL OVER AT OYSTER BAY AND WILDCAT CANYON.
AND IN SUNOL, BIOCHAR AIDS IN WATER FILTRATION.
I BELIEVE LATER ON. OH, THERE IT IS DOWN THERE.
ALSO, WATER FILTRATION AT MARTINEZ REGIONAL SHORELINE AND RESTORATION AT SIBLEY MCCOSKER RANCH FOR AND ALSO AT SHADOW CLIFFS AND QUARRY LAKES. I ALSO WANT TO SHOW A SLIDE THAT'S FROM OUR WEBSITE.
WE HAVE A STORY MAP ON OUR FUELS MANAGEMENT WEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN TAKE YOUR MOUSE FROM YOUR COMPUTER, HIGHLIGHT OVER THOSE LITTLE TURQUOISE BLUE AREAS, AND IT'LL POP UP THE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT BIOCHAR HAS BEEN UTILIZED AND WHAT IT'S BEEN USED FOR. AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, IT'S THROUGHOUT THE PARK DISTRICT FOR MANY DIFFERENT USES, AND IT'S BEEN A SUCCESS FOR US AS AN AGENCY.
AND AS WE WIND DOWN OUR PRESENTATION, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT ALL THE TOURS THAT WE'VE DONE, HIGHLIGHTING THE WORK THAT THE PARK DISTRICT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, ALONG WITH STEWARDSHIP, HAS BEEN DOING WHEN IT COMES TO FUELS MITIGATION AND OVER 41 TOURS, BREAK DOWN GOES FROM BOARD VISITS TO PRESS EVENTS THAT WE HAD EIGHT FOR AND THE FIRE SAFE COUNCIL.
THERE WAS TWO THERE FROM ELECTIVES, A TOTAL OF FIVE AGENCIES AND OTHER OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, A TOTAL OF 14 AND VISITS FROM OFFICIALS. IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS THE PDF.
VISITS FROM THE OFFICIALS AGAIN FIVE OF FIVE FROM THERE.
BUT ALL THESE THINGS ARE PART OF THE SUCCESS OF WHAT'S GOING ON HERE WITH FUELS MANAGEMENT.
AND THAT'S THE END OF OUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH KHARI AND AILEEN I THINK WELL, I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS BECAUSE WE'LL GO WE'LL GO TO DIRECTOR ECHOLS FIRST FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOUR UPDATES. I AM SO PROUD OF YOUR WORK AND REALLY SO GRATEFUL AS WELL, BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU ARE AND PROBABLY ALREADY HAVE HELPED TO SAVE HUMAN LIFE, ANIMAL LIFE, PROPERTY, ALL OF IT. SO I JUST REALLY, REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THIS AREA.
AND YOU KNOW, LOOK FORWARD TO MORE GREAT WORK TO COME.
THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANKS. AND DIRECTOR SANWONG.
YES. NEXT WEEK, WE'RE GOING AS A BOARD TO SACRAMENTO FOR OUR STATE GOVERNMENT CONFERENCE.
AND ONE OF OUR ITEMS THAT WE WANT TO DISCUSS WHEN WE'RE IN SACRAMENTO IS THE EAST BAY HILLS CONSERVATION PROGRAM, LEGISLATION, WHICH I BELIEVE COVERS MOST OF THE AREA THAT WE DISCUSSED TODAY.
AND I WONDER IF I THINK THANK YOU I WANT TO ECHO THE THE GRATITUDE FOR PUTTING THIS PRESENTATION TOGETHER AND ALL THE WORK WITH THE GRANTS AND ALL THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS IN REGARDS TO THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE AND BIOCHAR, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
BUT I THINK WHAT ALSO MIGHT BE HELPFUL GOING FORWARD WITH THIS PRESENTATION WOULD BE TO START TO GIVE IT THE GEOGRAPHIC DESIGNATION, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S LISTED HERE AS FUEL VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM UPDATE. AND IT REALLY IS FOR THE EAST BAY HILLS AREA THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE A PLACE NAME TO AND TO DEFINE, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, ONE SECTION OF OUR GREATER EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.
[01:05:04]
I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MIGHT REVIEW THIS YOU KNOW, THIS PRESENTATION, THEY MIGHT SEE IT AND THINK, WELL, WHY? WHY IS IT ONLY FOCUSED ON THIS ONE SECTION OF THE ENTIRE DISTRICT? YOU KNOW, WHY DOESN'T IT MENTION YOU KNOW, WHERE I LIVE AND WHERE I MIGHT ALSO HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT FUEL VEGETATION.AND THEN I KNOW YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS A LOT, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT HOW WE PRESENT SOME OF THE OTHER FUEL VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE DOING IN OTHER PARTS OF THE DISTRICT. IT'S DIFFERENT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IN OTHER PARTS OF THE DISTRICT, WE HAVE MORE RANGE LANDS. SO IT'S MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SHEEP AND CATTLE AND GOAT GRAZING. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT TO MENTION AS WELL AS THE POSSIBILITY OF MAYBE PRESCRIBED FIRES WHERE IT MAKES SENSE. AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT ALAMEDA COUNTY FIRE IF YOU GO TO THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN, YOU KNOW, IT'S RIGHT THERE UP ON THE HILL.
AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HILL IS DOOLAN CANYON.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEIR FUELS CREW DOES ON A REGULAR BASIS BEFORE WILDFIRE SEASON.
THE OTHER THING THAT COULD BE HELPFUL AT SOME POINT, AND I KNOW IT'S NOT NECESSARILY RELATED TO THIS PARTICULAR PRESENTATION, BUT JUST TO KNOW WHERE ARE WE EXPERIENCING FIRES WITHIN EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT EACH YEAR AND THE NUMBER OF ACRES? I KNOW IT'S DIFFERENT WHEN IT'S CLOSER TO HOMES VERSUS MORE OPEN RANGE LAND.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK ABOUT 2024, I KNOW WE HAD A LOT OF WILDFIRES IN WARD FIVE.
AND SO I THINK THAT WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL TO REVIEW AND, OR TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
SO DO WE DO GRASSLAND? WHAT DO YOU CALL THEM? PRESCRIBED BURNS. THEN ROUTINELY AT ALL. IN THE PAST WE HAVE.
WE RAN INTO A SITUATION, AS DID MANY WELL, ALL THE OTHER AGENCIES THAT DO PRESCRIBED FIRE IN THAT THE RULES GOT CHANGED RATHER QUICKLY DIRECTLY BECAUSE OF PRESCRIBED FIRE IN GENERAL IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES, WHERE IT'S PRIMARILY DONE. YEAH.
THAT GOT OUT OF CONTROL. SO THE RULES GOT QUICKLY CHANGED.
AND SO WE'VE BUILT IN SOME TIME TO BE ABLE TO GO AND WORK WITH STEWARDSHIP.
WE'VE ALREADY BEEN WORKING WITH STEWARDSHIP AND ALSO WORK WITH ANN-MARIE, BECAUSE THERE'S SOME INTEREST IN TRIBAL BURNING TO MEET WITH THOSE FOLKS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS THEY WANT TO ACCOMPLISH, WHETHER IT MEETS THE DISTRICT'S MISSION AND ALSO THE STEWARDSHIP ON THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ONES THAT WE HAVE ALONG WITH THE FUELS.
BECAUSE IN OUR WILDFIRE HAZARD REDUCTION RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN, IT CALLS FOR PRESCRIBED FIRE.
SO WE HAVE ARRIVED. WE'RE GOING TO START OUT SLOWLY SO THAT WE CAN BUILD IN SOME EXPERIENCE.
WE WILL WORK COLLABORATIVELY. WE GOT OUR FOLKS.
AND SO, YES, PRESCRIBED FIRE IS SOMETHING WE WILL BE DOING.
THE FIRES THAT DIRECTOR SANWONG WAS TALKING ABOUT FOR THE ALAMEDA COUNTY WAS ACTUALLY DONE THROUGH CAL FIRE IN ALAMEDA COUNTY, AND IT WAS [INAUDIBLE] AN AREA THAT'S BEEN HISTORICALLY BURNED AS PART OF A TRAINING CAMP FIRE OR CAMP PARKS WAS A TRAINING THAT WE DID ANNUALLY.
THE PARK DISTRICT WAS A PART OF A BIG PARTNER IN FACT, WE TAUGHT BUT SINCE THEN IT HAS BEEN KIND OF AS THAT, ESPECIALLY AS THAT AREA GREW OUT WITH MORE AND MORE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS THE CONSTITUENCY THERE WAS NOT VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
SO IT'S REALLY FALLEN ON NOT JUST THE PARK DISTRICT , BUT THE OTHER FIRE AGENCIES TO KIND OF TRY TO EDUCATE FOLKS ON WHY PRESCRIBED FIRE IS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
NOT THAT THAT WOULD HAVE ALLEVIATED IT AT ALL.
THOSE ARE EXTREME CONDITIONS. BUT JUST TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE DO LIVE IN A FIRE PRONE ECOSYSTEM THAT NEEDS FIRE IN A LOT OF CASES TO BE ABLE TO RENEW ITSELF. AND, WE LIVE HERE AS WELL.
[01:10:03]
SO WE HAVE TO DO THAT DELICATE BALANCE OF, YOU KNOW, LIFE, PROPERTY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.SO, JUST SO I'M CLEAR, THERE MIGHT BE THERE MIGHT BE DUAL PURPOSES OR TWO SEPARATE PURPOSES FOR THESE PRESCRIBED BURNS IN A RANGELAND SITUATION. ABSOLUTELY. AS IS VERY COMMON IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY AND AND ALSO IN, IN ALAMEDA COUNTY AS WELL ON THE EASTERN END OF THE DISTRICT.
SO WE MIGHT DO PRESCRIBED BURN NEAR DEVELOPMENT TO IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS AGAINST FIRE.
BUT WE ALSO, LIKE YOU SAY, WORKING WITH STEWARDSHIP TO GO INTO AN AREA THAT REALLY BADLY NEEDS FIRE TO REJUVENATE THE THE HABITAT. RIGHT. ABSOLUTELY. WE DID IT FOR YEARS IN ROUND VALLEY AS AN EXAMPLE.
IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S A WAY OF DOING MAINTENANCE SO YOU CAN HAVE COME IN FOR A YEAR AND CUT DOWN A LOT OF THE BRANCHES, RAISE THE TREE CANOPIES UP A LITTLE BIT, REMOVED A LOT OF THE DETRITUS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, TREES KEEP GROWING AND THEY KEEP DROPPING THINGS.
AND SO A GOOD WAY OF GOING IN AND CLEANING THAT UP IS TO BURN IT.
YEAH. AND THERE ARE SOME CASES WHERE WE GET A TWO-FER, RIGHT, WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO SIMULATE THE NATIVE PLANTS THAT LIVE THERE OR THAT NEED IT, BUT WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO CLEAN UP THE STUFF THAT'S ON THE GROUND THAT CAN BURN.
YEAH. OKAY. LET'S SEE. SO I GOT THAT ONE. GETTING NOW, GETTING BACK TO BIOCHAR.
WHEN BIOCHAR IS USED FOR THE PURPOSE, BASICALLY AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES TO PROMOTE GROWTH, DOES IT NEED TO BE APPLIED MORE THAN ONCE? IT DEPENDS. SO BIOCHAR WE WORK WITH STEWARDSHIP.
THERE'S A PROCESS FOR THE DISTRICT FOR BIOCHAR REQUEST, WHICH STARTS WITH STEWARDSHIP WHO GOES OUT AND LOOKS AT AND ASSESSES THE PROJECT AND FIGURES OUT A PRESCRIPTION OF OF THE USE OF BIOCHAR.
BUT IT ALL DEPENDS ON IF IT'S BEING USED FOR A GRASSLAND, FOR REGENERATION, TO GET SOMETHING TO GROW BACK QUICKER VERSUS WATER FILTRATION, OR IN SOME CASES TO FOR LANDFILL, WHERE IT'S BEING MIXED WITH SOIL TO ALSO HELP VEGETATION GROW BACK QUICKER. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN I JUST WANTED TO AGAIN ALSO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR ALL THE FOR ALL THE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN GETTING THOSE GRANTS.
THEY'RE HUGE BECAUSE THE THE PROBLEM IS HUGE THAT WE HAVE TO SOLVE OR REDUCE.
AND WE'VE BEEN VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL. AND I ANTICIPATE WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE AND I THINK PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE THE WORK YOU DO IS DEMONSTRATED, HAS DEMONSTRATED ITSELF TO BE EFFECTIVE AND COST EFFECTIVE, TOO.
AND THEN RELATED TO THAT YOU MENTIONED, KHARI THE CARBONIZER BEING USED ON 12 HOUR SHIFTS AND 24 HOUR SHIFTS AS WELL. HAVE WE IN FACT DONE A 24 HOUR CYCLE ON THIS AT ANY TIME? WE HAVE. AND WHAT KEEPS US FROM DOING IT THAT WAY ALL THE TIME? TYPICALLY WEATHER. OKAY. SO RIGHT NOW THE CARBONATOR HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR IT WILL PROBABLY GET BROUGHT BACK IN FALL MAINLY BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER. THE WIND IS STARTING TO PICK UP. BUT ALSO WE HAD PROCESSED THE BIOMASS ALL THE LOGS THAT WE THAT WE HAD ALREADY HAD CREATED, BUT ALSO WE WERE HAVING WEATHER THAT WASN'T CONDUCIVE FOR IT WAS BASICALLY OUT OF PRESCRIPTION.
WE HAVE A STRICT PRESCRIPTION OF WIND TEMPERATURE, HUMIDITY WHEN RUNNING THE CARBONIZER.
OKAY. I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS. DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC? I DIDN'T THINK WE DID, BUT I JUST WANT TO CHECK.
HAVE TO CHECK. SO, ANYWAY, THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH.
IT'S AN AMAZING THING. IT'S A GREAT THING. THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT. OKAY. MOVING ON TO ANNOUNCEMENTS. DO WE HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM HERE.
[01:15:01]
THEN WE ARE TO THE POINT OF ADJOURNING. THANKS.THANKS TO ALL FOR PARTICIPATING. WE'RE ADJOURNING AT 12:28.
THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.