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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-10-23 - AGENDA REPORTS - FOREST PLAN AMEND (2)CONSENT CALENDAR DATE: SUBJECT: DEPARTMENT: Agenda Item: CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT City Manager Approval: Item to be presented by: October 23, 2007 Mayor McLean ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST: FOREST PLAN AMENDMENT City Manager's Office RECOMMENDED ACTION City Council direct staff to file a Forest Plan Amendment with the Forest Supervisor of the Angeles National Forest to designate portions of the Soledad Front Country and Angeles Front Country as a Special Interest Area. Authorize the expenditure of up to $7,500 for expenses related to preparation and submission of the plan and the transfer of $7,500 from the City Council Contingency Account, 19300-5401.001, to the Planning Professional Services Account, 13100-5161-002. Authorize the City Manager to execute any agreements subject to City Attorney approval. BACKGROUND The United States Forest Service (USFS) recently completed the process for the 2005 Angeles National Forest Land Management Plan. As part of the process, which began in 2004, the City of Santa Clarita sponsored a community meeting and also submitted formal comments. While some of the City's comments were incorporated into the final Angeles National Forest Land Management Plan that was adopted by the U.S. Forest Service through an April 2006 Record of Decision, an important component was not included in the final action. The City sought inclusion of a "Special Interest Area" (SIA) designation for portions of the Soledad Front Country and Angeles Front Country, adjacent to Santa Clarita, providing additional protections to resources in these areas. According to the Land Management Plan, the Special Interest Area designation is designed to "protect and, where appropriate, foster public use and enjoyment of areas with scenic, historical, geological, botanical, zoological, paleontological, or other special characteristics." This portion of the Angeles National Forest provides important wildlife linkage and connectivity between the San Gabriel Mountains and the Santa Susana Mountains. Important biological, historical and paleontological resources are found in the region. It is the City's contention that acknowledgement of this area through a Special Interest Area designation would provide additional protections for the property and potentially help facilitate future acquisition of adjacent properties for habitat conservation and wildlife protection. In the adopted plan, some of the area is currently designated as Back Country Non -Motorized and Back Country Motorized Use Restricted. Under the latter use zone, motorized use is restricted to administrative or authorized purposes, which includes those uses authorized by special -use permit. These land use zones would remain the same even if an SIA was created there. SIA designation usually involves the interpretation or protection of a particular feature, but it does not change land allocations. The City appealed the lack of a Special Interest Area designation to the U.S. Forest Service. In July 2007, the Reviewing Officer for the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service denied the appeal. The City further appealed the denial to the Secretary of Agriculture, as the U.S. Forest Service is a constituent agency of that department. In spite of active support for the City's appeal from Representative Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, in September 2007, the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment chose not to exercise the discretionary authority of the Department granting the appeal, thus formally concluding the 2005 Angeles National Forest Land Management Plan process. On September 14, 2007, Mayor McLean met with Angeles National Forest (ANF) Supervisor Jody Noiron to explore how the area might receive a Special Interest Area designation prior to the next ANF Land Management Plan update. The Forest Supervisor indicated that a Plan Amendment to the Land Management Plan could be filed with her, requesting the SIA designation. In order to receive the designation, a proposed plan amendment would need to contain new information not previously contained in the City of Santa Clarita's earlier comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement or during the administrative appeal process. Since the original comments were filed and appeal considered, the following changes have occurred affecting the proposed area. These changes include, but are not limited to, the City of Santa Clarita receiving approval for implementation of an open space preservation benefit assessment district, the dedication of approximately 400 acres of property adjacent to the Angeles National Forest into open space, introduction of federal legislation by Senator Dianne Feinstein and Representative Adam Schiff to study potential inclusion of ANF adjacent property contained within the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor as a unit of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, consideration of potential state legislation to expand the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor, initiation of the process by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to remove Elsmere Canyon from the County of Los Angeles Solid Waste Siting Element, and evaluation of opportunities to join the northern and southern portions of the Angeles National Forest, immediately east of Santa Clarita. The process for filing a Forest Plan Amendment would begin with the City of Santa Clarita preparing a proposal containing the new information and filing it with the ANF Forest Supervisor. A review would be completed by the Forest Service and then a determination would be made by the Forest Supervisor. If she approves the City's request, the Forest Service would initiate the appropriate processes within the department as required under federal law. If the Forest Supervisor denies the request, the process would be terminated at that point. It is unknown how long the review process would take as it is governed in part by the amount and complexity of the new infomration provided in the City's proposal. Preparation and submission of the Forest Plan Amendment proposal by the City of Santa Clarita is envisioned to be a multi -departmental process requiring resources from the Community Development Department (Planning Division); Parks Recreation and Community Services Department (Parks Division), Public Works Department (Environmental Services Division), City Manager's Office and City Attorney's Office. It would likely require retention of consultant services from Willdan and Associates, who was instrumental in preparing the initial submissions as part of the 2005 Angeles National Forest Land Management Plan process. Preparation, review and submission of the proposed plan by the interdepartmental team is anticipated to cost approximately $5,000 - $7,500. As this is not a budgeted expense contained within the 2007/08 City of Santa Clarita approved budget, the Council would need to appropriate funding from the City Council Contingency Account. ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS 1. Direct staff to not submit a proposal to amend the 2005 Angeles National Forest Plan. 2. Other direction as outlined by the City Council. FISCAL IMPACT Adoption of the recommended action is anticipated to cost up to $7,500 and not contained within the adopted City of Santa Clarita 2007/08 budget. An authorization to transfer $7,500 from the City Council Contingency Account, 100-5401.100, to the Planning Professional Services Account, 13100-5161.002 is also contained within the recommended action and would leave a balance of $922,500 in the Council Contingency Account upon execution of the fund transfer.