Overview:
Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) describes the actions that the Oakland Fire Department (OFD) will continue to take over the 10-year Plan timeframe to reduce fire hazard on 1,924 acres of City-owned land and along 308 miles of roadway in the City of Oakland’s designated Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ). The VMP has been developed to meet its stated goals of reducing wildfire hazard on City-owned land and along critical access/egress routes, reducing the likelihood of ignitions and extreme fire behavior to enhance public and firefighter safety, avoiding or minimizing impacts to natural resources, and contributing to regional efforts to reduce wildfire hazards in the Oakland Hills.
Background:
Since 1923, more than a dozen major wildfires have impacted the Oakland hills, resulting in extensive damage, economic harm, and loss of life. Most notably, the 1991 Oakland/Berkeley firestorm burned over 1,500 acres, destroyed more than 3,000 homes, caused the deaths of 25 people, and injured over 150 people. Most of the Oakland hills fall within High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ), as designated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection), where vegetation must be actively managed to reduce the threat and devastating effects of future wildfires. The FHSZs in the Oakland hills include areas described as the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), which are characterized by hot and dry fall seasons, high winds, dense flammable vegetation, steep and varied terrain, hill slope development, and limited accessibility for emergency responders. Microclimates across the Oakland hills create a varied landscape with
Public Review and Comment Period:
The City invites comments on the Draft Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) and Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) during a 45-day comment period that begins on November 24, 2020 and ends on January 7, 2021 at 5:00 PM. The City prefers that written comments be submitted via email at: DEIR-comments@oaklandvegmanagement.org. Please reference VMP DEIR Comments in all correspondence. Comments may also be submitted via mail to the following address:
Horizon Water and Environment, LLC
Attn: Ken Schwarz, Principal, VMP DEIR Comments
266 Grand Avenue, Suite 210
Oakland, CA 94610
Comments will also be received at the public meetings to be held as noticed below. Written comments submitted via e-mail and mail can be provided no later than January 7, 2021 at 5:00 PM.
Public Meetings:
The Oakland Planning Commission will hear an informational report on the VMP on December 2, 2020 at 3:00 PM. No action will be taken on December 2, 2020.
The City Planning Commission will conduct a public meeting on the DEIR for the project on December 16, 2020 at 3:00 PM.
For more information about how to participate in Planning Commission meetings, please visit here.