A Wildland Fire Burning Near Mariposa, California in 2008
February 20, 2015 - The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is proposing a number of changes to its current State Responsibility Area (SRA) maps as part of a mandatory five-year review process. CAL FIRE staff began the review in 2014 to reassess lands in and around the SRA and capture changes in land use, density of areas due to development, and other changes that would merit reclassification of lands either into or out of the SRA. CAL FIRE has announced public meetings in Redding on February 26, 2015, and San Diego on February 27, 2015, followed by a hearing to approve the changes at the March 4, 2015 Board of Forestry meeting in Sacramento.
CAL FIRE estimates that the changes will increase SRA lands by a net of 4,729 acres. Many counties, like Glenn and Colusa, will see a net loss of SRA acres, which will be reclassified as local responsibility areas. Others, such as Merced and Tehama, will see significant net gains of SRA land after the changes. This will effectively force owners of an estimated 939 structures to pay the SRA fee beginning in 2015-16. However, the agency also estimates that 1,353 structures will be removed from SRA, for a net loss in the total number of structure owners being charged the SRA fee.
A full schedule of the public meetings, as well as proposed acreage changes by county and an interactive map, can be accessed here.
Source: RCRC
