TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
FROM: Executive Office and County Counsel
MEETING DATE: May 20, 2025
DEPARTMENT CONTACT:
Jeff Adair
PHONE:
707-234-6321
DEPARTMENT CONTACT:
Charlotte Scott
PHONE:
707-234-6885
ITEM TYPE: Consent Agenda
TIME ALLOCATED FOR ITEM: N/A
AGENDA TITLE:
title
Adoption of an Ordinance Designating Fire Hazard Severity Zones
End
RECOMMENDED ACTION/MOTION:
recommendation
Adopt an Ordinance designating Fire Hazard Severity Zones; and authorize Chair to sign same.
End
PREVIOUS BOARD/BOARD COMMITTEE ACTIONS:
The Board introduced and waived the first reading of the ordinance on May 6, 2025.
SUMMARY OF REQUEST:
By way of background, California Government Code section 51178 required CAL FIRE - Office of the State Fire Marshal to develop updated recommended Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps designating hazard scores of Moderate, High, and Very High, for local areas, which it began releasing in phases in this spring. The maps evaluate hazard (not risk), which is based on the physical conditions that create a likelihood and expected fire behavior over a 30 to 50 year period without considering mitigation measures such as home hardening, recent wildfire, or fuel reduction efforts. Pursuant to California Government Code section 51179, local agencies, such as the County of Mendocino and fire districts responsible for fire protection within the County have 120 days to adopt the FHSZ's by ordinance. Section 51179 does not permit local agencies to decrease the level of fire hazard identified by the State Fire Marschal for any area in its jurisdiction but may (only) increase the level of fire hazard severity zone as identified by the State Fire Marshal (or add areas not listed to the Moderate designation). Local agencies must transmit a copy of the ordinance with required documents (PDF map and GIS geodatabase) to the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection (BOF) within 30 days of adoption.
The maps are currently posted ...
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