San Diego County to update fire guidelines

SAN DIEGO – Notice has been given that San Diego County intends to adopt an update to the county “Guidelines for Determining Significance and Report Format and Content Requirements for Wildland Fire and Fire Protection.” The proposed guidelines can be reviewed at https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/pds/Public_Review_Non-CEQA.html.

Comments on the guidelines must be sent to the Planning & Development Services at 5510 Overland Ave, San Diego, CA 92123 and should reference the project name: County Of San Diego Guidelines For Determining Significance And Report Format And Content Requirements For Wildland Fire And Fire Protection.

The California Environmental Quality Act requires public agencies to review the environmental impacts of proposed projects and consider measures to reduce significant adverse environmental effects when required. The guidelines have been prepared and updated to assist the county staff, project applicants, and the public in the review of discretionary projects and environmental documents to determine whether, based on substantial evidence, a project may have a significant effect on wildland fire and establishes standards to ensure that development projects do not unnecessarily expose people or structures to a significant risk of loss, injury or death involving wildland fires, pursuant to CEQA.

The guidelines do not propose any development. The purpose of the guidelines is to clarify and standardize analysis in the environmental review process by providing consistent, objective, and predictable evaluation of significant effects for the subject areas of wildland fire and development project standards. The updated guidelines also include: updates to incorporate applicable county plans and regulations; incorporating current regulations and standards; evaluating and updating fire access road, fuel modification, water supply and construction standards; incorporating Fire Hazard Severity Zones and mapping; evaluating and recommending fire modeling software and considering pre-identified weather inputs for modeling; clarification of CEQA thresholds of significance, significant impacts and mitigations and various editorial changes.

Comments on the updated guidelines must be received no later than Saturday, Feb. 10, at 4 p.m., during the 30-day public disclosure period. For additional information, contact Hayley Makinster at [email protected] or 619-629-4434.

Submitted by San Diego County.