LOYALTON — In previous years, the Sierra County Board of Supervisors has implemented temporary ordinances that put fire restrictions into effect on private and county-owned land. Generally, the restrictions align with the Tahoe National Forest’s guidance. However, passing an ordinance, and importantly repealing one, are long processes that may cause restrictions to either be implemented too late, or to stay in effect when no longer necessary. To address this, the Board issued guidance to the Planning Department to draft a permanent ordinance that would go into effect simultaneously with the Forest Service, hoping to standardize restrictions between forest-owned and private land. That draft was presented to the Board on Tuesday.
Unfortunately, fire restrictions are not simple. The Tahoe National Forest implements several restriction tiers based on fire risk and the resources available to monitor fire activity. The first level of restriction is simply to disallow building campfires on forest land outside designated fire rings. During peak fire risk, all open flames, even in campsites and from propane camping stoves, are banned. Additionally, each forest has its own set of criteria for determining safety levels.
On the other hand, the county ordinance would implement a specific set of restrictions as soon as any restriction is put in place on the Tahoe National Forest. The county’s ordinance, as drafted, prevents the use of any barbeque, smoker equipment, or outdoor propane heater not placed on a “non-combustible surface” with a perimeter of non-combustible material (in some cases of an undefined radius). Campfires would be limited to organized camps and campgrounds “operating under a valid use permit or properly vested (as determined by the Planning Director).”
As written, the ordinance would lead to head-scratching situations at times. For example, if the Tahoe Forest restricts campfires outside of campfire rings only, residents would not be allowed to use a barbeque on a wooden deck. But, if restrictions are so severe that all open flames are disallowed in the forest, even at Tahoe Forest campsites, residents would still be allowed to start a campfire in a county-inspected campfire ring on private land.
Despite its shortcomings, Supervisor Lee Adams felt that the ordinance should be pushed into effect as soon as possible, noting that it would help protect the forest, and if it didn’t work out, it could be repealed. Adams also felt that the Forest Service triggering the ordinance would give the restrictions more scientific credibility. Sheriff Mike Fisher, Director of Transportation Bryan Davey, and multiple Board members, however, believed that such ordinances should continue to be implemented by the Board alone.
Another issue brought to the attention of the Board is the difficulty the public would have in staying informed of all the minute details of fire restrictions that might be in place. While Planning Director Brandon Pangman noted that it is a citizen’s responsibility to know the law, he conceded that a notification system, perhaps a webpage, would be helpful. Sheriff Fisher also noted that, if passed, he would direct deputies to educate in most cases before enforcing. Violating the ordinance would result in a misdemeanor, which requires a court appearance, but discussions are continuing on whether charging as an infraction should be an option.
The ordinance is continuing to undergo a public comment and review process, and will be brought back to the Board at the next meeting on June 4th. If passed, the ordinance would go into effect 30 days after that meeting.
In other Board news…
David Goicoechea was appointed to the Sierra County Planning Commission on Tuesday. He has owned and operated his family ranch in Loyalton since 1991 and has also been employed by the Bureau of Land Management and Kennecott Copper Corporation. He has served a term on the Sierra County Board of Supervisors and has been a member of several community service organizations, including the Sierra Valley Resource Conservation District, Fire Safe Council, and Farm Service Agency Committee.
The supervisors believed Goicoechea would suit the commission, with Supervisor Adams noting that his residence in Loyalton gives the commission better geographic diversity. Addressing the board, Goicoechea said, “When you have an opportunity to participate in the decision-making process, it behooves all of us to do it.”
The Planning Department recently completed its Broadband Strategic Plan, for which it had received a $300k grant. The document outlines a strategy for deploying broadband internet throughout the county but has no implementation requirement.
The Department is also moving forward with its General Plan and Zoning Code update, having nearly completed the necessary housing element. A notice and comment period for the document will be published shortly.