SIERRA COUNTY FIRE SAFE AND WATERSHED COUNCIL, INC
Minutes September 30, 2011
ROLL CALL/INTRODUCTIONS:  Board present-Peter Huebner, Laurenc DeVita, Nancy Finney, Andrew Winberry, Kathleen Goicoechea; absent-Robert Eshelman, Gary Shelton.  Staff -Cindy Noble, Mike Freschi, Regine Miller.  Others- Danielle Banchio, Ruby Burks, Quentin Youngblood, Robert Haug, Frank Stewart, Brian Morris and Ernest Finney.
PUBLIC COMMENT: None
APPROVE MINUTES - June 24, 2011
APPROVE AGENDA – SEPTEMBER 30, 2011:  Approved agenda to add Frank Stewart’s update on California Fire Safe Council and the Quincy Library Group to Item 4 ahead of the USFS update.
1.  Board Member Reports – None
2.  Watershed Coordinator – Regine Miller: Regine has been busy contacting many watershed interest groups and the Fire Department Chiefs of Pliocene, Pike and Alleghany.  A proposal for the watershed curriculum will be forthcoming.
3.  Feather River IRWMP-Brian Morris:  Brian presented a handout explaining the differences between the voter approved bond measures Prop. 50 and Prop. 84 grants.  Included in the handout was the schedule of dates for the application and approval process for funding.  The expectation of the council is for Regine and Brian to work cooperatively through the various established organizations to develop common sense, cost effective plans for watershed activities.
4.  California Fire Safe Council/Quincy Library Group-Frank Stewart:  The CFSC board will meet in October to award grants.  October 12 conference is designed to open the dialogue between Forest Service, Environmentalist on the social, economic impacts of stewardship contracts.   Recommendations to extend the contracts from 10 years to 20 years would help keep the value of goods in the counties and generate revenue for NEPA (National Environmental Protection Act) requirements, necessary for fire reduction plans. The White Mountain Stewardship Contract in Arizona reports saving three communities from the recent fires ravaging Arizona and Texas. Registered Professional Foresters will participate in a county and regional conference in Sacramento on October 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Forest Service training center.  
Secure Rural Schools terminates the end of September with an effort to do away with Title III funding and roll it into Title II.  The QLG pilot project was extended from a 5 year project to 13 years.  A recent ruling by Judge England released an injunction on the Eagle Lake plan, paving the way for the Forest Service to sell the resource.  The project is 70% complete and an extension of the act will increase the pace and scale to finish the project.
5.  USFS Update:  Ruby Burks reported timber sales in the Jones Valley Tracy Canyon area.  The Cottonwood area had 25 lightning strikes with 7 or 8 fires reported in the district.  Currently, the Forest Service is notifying the communities of fuel reduction through prescribed burning.  The Castle Timber sale of 700-800 acres and 8 million board feet of timber went out to bid with no bidders.  Quentin will repackage the offer with a new appraisal and hauling to Wendall instead of Quincy.  The problem of no bids is basically the market has softened, appraisals are 30 days in arrears and may not reflect an accurate representation of the costs.  If the Herzberg/Feinstein Act is allowed to expire, the Forest Service will shelve the volume of timber available for revenue sales.  FY 2012 DFPZ (Defensible Fire Protection Zone) commercial timber will commit 1000 acres to non-commercial depending on market conditions.
6.  Staff Reports-
a.  Eastern Sierra County Fuel Reduction Project Update- 28 acres of hand thinning are completed; 97 acres of mastication are completed and 80% of the biomass removal is done on 63 acres.  The remaining acres of small material mastication must be completed by October 31.  With the revenue received from the project, 45 additional acres will be treated.  A bid tour will be scheduled and selection process will be similar to the previously awarded contract.  California Fire Safe Council has extended the grant to December 31, 2011 for completion of the additional acreage.  Maintenance of the project will be discussed at that time.
b.  Loyalton Pines-Stevens Act Grant:  The act provides yearly funding.  This year the SCFSWC was awarded $55,000 for 50 acres.
c.  Sierra City-Roadside and Transfer Station Fuel Reduction Project:  A special use permit may be required to treat a 100 foot area along the road to the transfer station.  It would be a great way to showcase the council’s work to dump road owners and Sierra City residents.  
d.  Biomass- Peter and Laurenc discussed the possibility of creating an exchange for truckers to deliver biomass to various facilities.  The exchange would benefit truckers by coordinating trips to the closest facility to save fuel and secure their viability to the industry.  
e.  AIS (Aquatic Invasive Species) RAC proposal-Regine and Cindy attended a RAC meeting discussing a county ordinance and a $13,500 proposal for education and outreach for inspecting water vessels.  The RAC did not have an entity to be the contract administrator for the funds.   Laurenc moved, seconded by Peter, to make SCFSWC the contract administrator, motion carried.
7.  Old Business: None
8.  New Business: None
Adjourn:  Andrew moved to adjourn for Closed session at 11:45 a.m. seconded by Kathleen, so moved.
9.  Closed Session-Contractual and Insurance topics.