FIRE FUEL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

1. PARTICIPANTS: James Black, M.D. Mayor Pro Tem Leah Mirsch, City Councilmember Elaine Jeng, P.E., City Manager 2. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION REVIEW DATA FROM THE APRIL 14, 2021 FOCUS GROUP; REVIEW DATA COLLECTED FROM THE MAY 12, 2021 FIELD TRIP; AND DEVELOP POLICIES AND PROGRAMS FOR THE CITY COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION. RECOMMENDATION: Review focus group data, field observations, continue discussions and provide directions to staff. 2 Portuguese Bend Road Rolling Hills, CA 90274 AGENDA Regular Meeting FIRE FUEL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Wednesday, May 19, 2021 CITY OF ROLLING HILLS 7:00 PM This meeting is held pursuant to Executive Order N-29-20 issued by Governor Gavin Newsom on March 17, 2020. All Committee members will participate by teleconference. Public Participation: City Hall will be closed to the public until further notice. A live audio of the City Council meeting will available on the City’s website (http://www.rolling-hills.org/). The meeting agenda is on the City’s website. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83444907576?pwd=UHhpMGtIczlZUDhyNmJTVW9tMXJoQT09 Or dial (669) 900-9128 Meeting ID: 834 4490 7576; Passcode: 906138 Members of the public may submit comments in real time by emailing the City Clerk at cityclerk@cityofrh.net. Your comments will become part of the official meeting record. Please provide your full name, but please do not provide any other personal information (i.e., phone numbers, addresses, etc.) that you do not want to be published. Rolling Hills SOW_2_16_21_v2.pdf Focus_Group_Agenda_2021-04-14.pdf FocusGroupComments.v2.pdf FOCUS_GROUP.pdf FocusGroupPresentationToCityCouncil-2021-04-26.pdf c9e1f3567ec43dacc2234b9224a4ac5e0.pdf 1

SCHEDULE FUTURE CITY COUNCIL FIRE FUEL COMMITTEE MEETINGS RECOMMENDATION: Schedule future meetings. 3. COMMENTS WILL BE TAKEN BY EMAIL IN REAL TIME - PUBLIC COMMENT WELCOME This is the appropriate time for members of the public to make comments regarding items listed on this agenda. Pursuant to the Brown Act, no action will take place on any items not on the agenda. 4. ADJOURNMENT PriorityCanyonsIdentifiedByFireDepartment2021.pdf Documents pertaining to an agenda item received after the posting of the agenda are available for review in the City Clerk's office or at the meeting at which the item will be considered. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting due to your disability, please contact the City Clerk at (310) 377-1521 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting to enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility and accommodation for your review of this agenda and attendance at this meeting. 2

1. PARTICIPANTS: James Black, M.D. Mayor Pro Tem Leah Mirsch, City Councilmember Elaine Jeng, P.E., City Manager 2. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION REVIEW DATA FROM THE APRIL 14, 2021 FOCUS GROUP; REVIEW DATA COLLECTED FROM THE MAY 12, 2021 FIELD TRIP; AND DEVELOP POLICIES AND PROGRAMS FOR THE CITY COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION. RECOMMENDATION: Review focus group data, field observations, continue discussions and provide directions to staff. 2 Portuguese Bend Road Rolling Hills, CA 90274 AGENDA Regular Meeting FIRE FUEL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Wednesday, May 19, 2021 CITY OF ROLLING HILLS 7:00 PM This meeting is held pursuant to Executive Order N-29-20 issued by Governor Gavin Newsom on March 17, 2020. All Committee members will participate by teleconference. Public Participation: City Hall will be closed to the public until further notice. A live audio of the City Council meeting will available on the City’s website (http://www.rolling-hills.org/). The meeting agenda is on the City’s website. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83444907576?pwd=UHhpMGtIczlZUDhyNmJTVW9tMXJoQT09 Or dial (669) 900-9128 Meeting ID: 834 4490 7576; Passcode: 906138 Members of the public may submit comments in real time by emailing the City Clerk at cityclerk@cityofrh.net. Your comments will become part of the official meeting record. Please provide your full name, but please do not provide any other personal information (i.e., phone numbers, addresses, etc.) that you do not want to be published. Rolling Hills SOW_2_16_21_v2.pdf Focus_Group_Agenda_2021-04-14.pdf FocusGroupComments.v2.pdf FOCUS_GROUP.pdf FocusGroupPresentationToCityCouncil-2021-04-26.pdf c9e1f3567ec43dacc2234b9224a4ac5e0.pdf 1

SCHEDULE FUTURE CITY COUNCIL FIRE FUEL COMMITTEE MEETINGS RECOMMENDATION: Schedule future meetings. 3. COMMENTS WILL BE TAKEN BY EMAIL IN REAL TIME - PUBLIC COMMENT WELCOME This is the appropriate time for members of the public to make comments regarding items listed on this agenda. Pursuant to the Brown Act, no action will take place on any items not on the agenda. 4. ADJOURNMENT PriorityCanyonsIdentifiedByFireDepartment2021.pdf Documents pertaining to an agenda item received after the posting of the agenda are available for review in the City Clerk's office or at the meeting at which the item will be considered. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting due to your disability, please contact the City Clerk at (310) 377-1521 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting to enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility and accommodation for your review of this agenda and attendance at this meeting. 2

Agenda Item No.: Mtg. Date: 05/19/2021 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: ELAINE JENG, CITY MANAGER THRU: ELAINE JENG P.E., CITY MANAGER SUBJECT: REVIEW DATA FROM THE APRIL 14, 2021 FOCUS GROUP; REVIEW DATA COLLECTED FROM THE MAY 12, 2021 FIELD TRIP; AND DEVELOP POLICIES AND PROGRAMS FOR THE CITY COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION. DATE: May 19, 2021 BACKGROUND: On April 14, 2021, Councilmember Leah Mirsch held a focus group meeting to get community input on fire fuel management in the canyons. The data collected from the focus group was presented to the City Council at the April 26, 2021 meeting. The Council appointed Mayor Pro Tem James Black and Councilmember Mirsch to the Fire Fuel Committee to analyze the focus group data and develop programs and policies to encourage fire fuel management in the canyons. The Fire Fuel Committee held an initial meeting on Wednesday, May 5, 2021 to review and analyze the focus group data. The Committee decided to hold a field trip on Wednesday, May 12, 2021 to visit Si's Trail and Upper/Lower Willow Springs Trails to collect site observations for additional discussions. The Committee also scheduled another Committee meeting for Wednesday, May 19, 2021. DISCUSSION: At the May 5, 2021 Committee meeting, the Committee developed the following actions: 1. Find locations along the trails for communal green waste bins to deposit trimmings. 2. City Manager to work with Republic Services to have bins placed at identified locations. 3. Identify locations for chippers along the trails. 4. Provide map showing canyons and blueline streams in the city. 5. Invite the Fire Department to educate the Committee on the proper measures to manage fire fuel in the canyons. 6. Conduct a field trip. The Committee reported on their discussions at the May 10, 2021 City Council meeting. The Committee's field trip on Wednesday, May 12, 2021 started at Si's Trail, then Upper and Lower Willow Springs Trails, Purple Canyon Trail, Sleep Hollow Trail, Georgeff Trail, Bent Springs Trail, 3

and Black Water Canyon Trail. The Committee also stopped at Storm Hill Park. The Committee observed many properties that lacked maintenance but they also observed a number of properties that actively maintained the areas of the canyons closest to the residential structures. Several actions were discussed at the end of the field trip as follows: a. Properties that show active maintenance should be recognized annually. b. The Rolling Hills Community Association does a good job of trail maintenance and may be leveraged to perform additional fire fuel abatement work in the community with more resources. c. Most trails were observed to have the capacity to place chippers but not 40 yard green waste bins. d. 40 yard green waste bin could be placed at the most northern point of Si's Trail at the corner of Middleridge Lane North and Si's Trail. Another location for a 40 yard green waste bin could be placed at the intersection of Appaloosa Lane and Lower Si's Trail. The April 14, 2021 focus group came about from a discussion on an incentive program to encourage the community to perform fire fuel abatement in the canyons. The incentive program stemmed from a discussion to leverage the City's recently awarded grant for vegetation management in the canyons. The City's grant project could serve as a demonstration project to allow the Fire Fuel Committee to have more data before developing policies and large scale programs to encourage fuel management in the canyons. The first phase of the grant project will be completed in November 2021. The first phase includes environmental assessment, boundary surveys, and other planning work. The implementation component of the project is expected to commence in January 2022 if the grantor releases phase 2 of the grant funds. FISCAL IMPACT: None. RECOMMENDATION: Review focus group data, field observations, continue discussions and provide directions to staff. ATTACHMENTS: Rolling Hills SOW_2_16_21_v2.pdf Focus_Group_Agenda_2021-04-14.pdf FocusGroupComments.v2.pdf FOCUS_GROUP.pdf FocusGroupPresentationToCityCouncil-2021-04-26.pdf c9e1f3567ec43dacc2234b9224a4ac5e0.pdf PriorityCanyonsIdentifiedByFireDepartment2021.pdf 4

Project Description Summary The proposed Hazardous Fuel Reduction project will take place within the city limits of Rolling Hills located in the Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA, with 685 homes and 1,960 residents. Project will target canyons in the community for fuel modification. The goal is to reduce the fuel by 50% - 70% tonnage per acre in targeted canyons. Thus creating a defensible space required to protect life and property in case of a damaging wildland fire. The Los Angeles County Fire Department identified 11 canyons with approximately 187 acres that can be treated to provide protection to the communities of Rolling Hills. These canyons have been identified using topography, local weather patterns, fuel load, fire history, and density of homes. Environmental health, natural habitat for wildlife, and stable hillsides for erosion control are considered in the plan. There are three primary ways to remove hazardous fuels from the environment. • Prescribed Fire – a form of land management in which fire is intentionally applied to vegetation. Prescribed fires are conducted under desired weather and fuel conditions to meet specific objectives, such as to restore adapted ecosystems or limit the amount of dry brush in area prone to wildfires. • Mechanical Fuel Treatments – are fuel treatments using machine activities designed to change the size and arrangement of the bio mass. These treatment methods include thinning, chipping, and pruning of lower tree branches. • Goats – are used for fuel load reduction in dense understory and utilized in areas to rugged for mechanized equipment. This technique takes time and the returning of goats to the sites of fuel mitigation for up to four years. Many of the homes in Rolling Hills are located at the top of ridgelines with the canyon drainages below. Canyons have large amounts of untreated vegetation that can threaten the homes in wildfire. To establish a priority list of project locations from highest risk to low risk, the Los Angeles County Fire Department focused on 11 canyons within the community The County of Los Angeles Fire Department categorized the canyons as follows: • Canyons that would be at risk from wind driven fires originating from the southwest: Paint Brush Canyon, Portuguese Canyon, Altamira Canyon, and Forrestal Canyon. Based on fire history maps these south facing canyons have the highest risk for a wildfire in the future. • Canyons that would be at risk during northeast winds: Georgeff Canyon, Purple Canyon, Willow Canyon, Sepulveda Canyon, Blackwater Canyon, John’s Canyon, Agua Magna Canyon. Most medium or larger fuels are located in the bottom of drainages with pockets of fuel on north facing slopes. Access to vegetation in the bottom of these canyons would be difficult, so hauling out material for chipping 5

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program FEMA-4382-DR-CA, Project #PJ0175, FIPS#037-62602 City of ROLLING HILLS: Scope of Work Page 2 would have to be planned accordingly. Weed whip the fine fuels, target trees for removal which would enhance better fuel spacing. Some properties have extended the clearance from there fence line down mid slope into the canyon below. This could set the example for other property owners to continue fuels reduction in these canyons. Continue mid slope down into the canyon with homes above, target vegetation for removal with spacing in mind by removing fuel continuously. Some of the canyons do have access to use mechanical equipment and to chip removed materials. Larger brush in the canyons could be trimmed up and ladder fuels removed. Expected out come with these fuels reductions would help slow rate of spread of fire, reduce flame lengths, lower amount of ember cast, reduce fire intensity in case of wild fire. This would allow for better defensible space for structures and allow firefighters opportunities to aggressively suppress wildland fire with ground and air resources. Rolling Hills Terrain is comprised of many large and steep canyons that are the targets for this hazardous fuels reduction project. Each one of the canyons has homes lining the ridgelines. Home owners have done a good job with brush clearance 100’ from structures but with the heavy fuel load in the canyons below topography and wind driven fires will threaten structures with flame lengths and ember cast. The alignment of the canyons makes them more at risk from winds of different directions. Strategically removing vegetation will give proper spacing to slow the rate of spread of fire in these canyons. Trimming and liming trees will reduce ladder fuels and help to keep the fire from getting into the canopy’s, this will reduce flame length and ember cast that could threaten structures in the community. The amount of funding appropriated through the grant for the project should go to the greater good of the community. Focus on canyons with highest threat of fire. Focus on fuel modification from the structures to the canyon bottoms. This project can be the example of what the community needs to keep moving forward towards the achievable outcome of canyons with less fire hazards toward the community. The County of Los Angles has ranked the canyons fire danger threat to the community of Rolling Hills based on Topography Fuel Weather and Fire history. The Canyons with threat from Southwest winds rank as the highest priority for fuels reduction. City limits are an imaginary lines, the canyons below in the conservancy are connected to the city of Rolling Hills. Focusing these grant funds to do fuels reduction on the south side of the city, would continue to build on the vegetation management Rolling Hills has already contributed to in the conservancy lands. Focus on where the city boundaries meet the conservancy, this will continue to break up the fuel continuity reducing fire spread and extreme fire behavior. Paint Brush Canyon has two areas to target. The canyon between Cinchring Rd and Portuguese Bend. Canyon area below Running Brand Rd and Burma Rd (motorway). 6

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program FEMA-4382-DR-CA, Project #PJ0175, FIPS#037-62602 City of ROLLING HILLS: Scope of Work Page 3 Portuguese Canyon has a two areas to target. South of Crest Rd near Fire station 56 and End of Qual ridge Rd. Forrestal Canyon has two areas to target. End of Packsaddle RD E and End of Rigbit Rd E, also end of spur road dead end of Crest Rd E. Klondike Canyon is connected to Forrestal Canyon and has two area to target, between Southfield Dr and Portuguese Bend Rd also end of Packsaddle W. A. Scope of Work, Section 1: Hazardous Fuel Reduction/Removal of Dead or Dying Tree Projects, sections 1-5 seen above, will be rewritten with specific detail to the South facing only canyon for submission to Cal OES grants. 7

Three priority locations identified by the Fire Department: (1) near the end of Quail Ridge Road, (2) Paintbrush Canyon along the length of the Paintbrush Canyon Creek within the limits of Rolling Hills, (3) south of Running Brand Road 1 2 3 8

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CANYON WILDFIRE PREVENTION AND VEGETATION MANAGEMENT FOCUS GROUP 6:30PM, APRIL 14, 2021 1. INTRODUCTION (Meeting will be recorded) 2. PURPOSE 3. MEETING PROCESS 4. WHY ARE WE NOT MANAGING VEGETATION IN THE CANYONS? 5. IDENTIFY POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS 6. CLOSING a. QUESTIONS b. REVIEW c. NEXT STEPS – PRESENT FOCUS GROUP FEEDBACK TO CITY COUNCIL ON 4/26 OR 5/10 16

FIRE FUEL MANAGEMENT IN THE CANYONS FOCUS GROUP Index Date ReceivedComment Resident 1 3/25/2021 Have fire department rate 6-7 major canyons for danger and mitigation strategy that would significantly reduce risk and enhance fire department fire management. Then property owners involved are notified of a plan and cost to accomplish the mitigation plan and are required to pay the fair contribution based on an estimate of cost of work. The major tree trimming companies bid the work as a master contract to faciliate quality control, eliminate property line disputes, and overall efficiency and the City agree to pay x% of the cost just like undergrounding poles. The City needs a fire safety ordinance to faciliate this and I believe it would have community support. And each owner involved gets credit for one dumpster of debris removal for material which can't be chippped and spread on canyon trails or new fire roads. Don Crocker 2 4/3/2021 Tree companies to render competitive bids to the City for individual homeowners who live above canyons containing flammable material. Those homeowners who do not have houses above canyons could not be involved in the costs. Ron Sommer 3 4/8/2021 Please refer to Committee re Zoom mtg next week: Do a drone survey of each RH canyon and have the fuel load analyzed for configuration risk and ease of mitigation action. There are 2 parties: risk to the owner to his residence AND litigation from other area homeowners who have done fuel mitigation if damage occurs and he has been notified of a dangerous condition; second the risk and cost to the whole City if there is massive damage and even loss of life like Paradis suffered for the next many many years in ability to continue to function and impact on property values. We need to move ahead. Don Crocker 4 4/10/2021 Have a meeting of owners of a particular canyon in RH to view the Drone film and understand the risks and mitigation strategies and try to develop a plan for that particular canyon eg Flying Triangle to Crest Rd; Portuguese Bend Road rd North to Crest etc. probably some owners do not know what portion of a canyon is in their title. Don Crocker 5 4/9/2021 (1) Gaining access to the canyons to perform mitigation and remove vegetation is a huge challenge. For many of us, the only practical way is via the trails. It would be a great help if the Assoc./City would provide pick up for cut vegetation using the trails, once or twice a year, just like the green waste pick up via the streets. I think this would provide a good start to solving a very large problem. (2) We, as a community, need to become educated in how to best reduce the volume of fuel in our canyons. It is important to know which plants are highly flammable (usually the oranmentals) and which are Natives (less flammable) and remove them accordingly. There are many experts to guide us in the correct procedures: what percentage of vegetation should be removed, which shrubs to keep and which to eliminate, how to prune correctly for fire safety, etc. It is going to be a big undertaking and we ant to get right. Sue Breiholz 6 4/13/2021 Leah, I noticed the dwelling live brush removal note about your focus group tomorrow. I wanted to let you know that when this issue arose a few years ago I told the City Council in a meeting that they convened on the subject that clearing the canyons on hillsides was very likely to result in mudslides during heavy rains. I reminded them that after most major fires mudslides were the result. I got the normal rolling eye response from many in the audience and some on the City Council and some disparaging comments. The Fire Chief who had been invited to this meeting spoke up in my defense. He said that I was correct and that this was one reason that this is not required. He said that clearing canyons could result in mudslides and they could be destructive. He also noted that this is why evacuations are often required after major fires. Given the steepness of our canyons and our mud/landslide problems, this is a real and present danger. In addition when you clear our vegetated canyons this can lead to very fast moving grass/weed fires. When the last preserve fire happened I saw what looked like a small puff of smoke very near the ocean and called the fire department. Jim immediately started loading pets in the car just in case, as I called neighbors to warn them. In about 10 minutes I had to stop calling as we had a roaring fire in the preserve very near Rolling Hills. As to coyotes loving canyon vegetation s protection and avoiding open areas- the many coyotes who trapse through the property morning and night going to and from the preserve deep into Rolling Hills always take the trails. They are not nervous or afraid and have in the past, turned toward me rather than away, when I attempt to chase them away. Cathy Nichols 4/14/2021 Focus Grp Comments Page 1 of 6 17

7 4/15/2021 1. As a resident whose property includes the 75 foot County easement for the Lower Willow bridle/hiking trail and the 25 foot RHCA easement, I have long wondered whose responsibility it is to manage the vegetation on and around the trail. A joint effort with RHCA and the property owner would seem to be a reasonable solution. If the owner can get the vegetation trimmed, could the RHCA equipment be used to haul/mulch the trimmings? Since vehicles are not allowed on the trails (and as an equestrian I wholeheartedly agree with this!!) perhaps a dedicated maintenance period during the year for specific locations could be coordinated with RHCA's annual maintenance schedule. This would be much safer than expecting individual property owners to haul away trimmings along the trails down in the canyon, and avoid the use of unauthorized private/vendor vehicles on the trails without oversight. 2. Does the Fire Inspector view properties from the vantage point of the trails to recommend clearance/trimming of vegetation, particularly large dying trees? 3. There are many fences along the trails that have been neglected to the point that they would be considered fire fuel and should be removed or repaired as part of the fire fuel management process. 4. Neighborhood Zone meetings seem a good starting point for residents to discuss with neighbors the best solutions for their properties. Perhaps initiate some zoom meetings until in person meetings can resume. The trail system in our beautiful city should be viewed as a vital part of the fire department's defense of our hill in the event of a fire, and to that end ensuring that the trails are cleared for their job should be a priority. Jana Cooley 8 4/14/2021 Elaine reading question from meeting: Q. Is there a clean map with each canyon names clearly of the canyons relevant to this discussion? A. No, there is not a map generated by the city, we have been using Google Map, that tells us which canyon is which. The Fire Dept. does have a mapping system that they use, it s much more sophisticated, it's that data that they use to figure out what canyons they want to prioritize, they gave the city a list of 11 canyons within the city, that is part of our grant project, out of the 11 canyons, they prioritize 4. Currently we don t have the names of the 4 canyon, but will request the names from the Fire Dept. which we can provide that to you via email, place your email address in the chat function. 9 4/14/2021 Drafted plan for everybody to think about. The fuel load is actually an urban forest, rather than a wild land fire area, because that s what the forest service told me when they inspected my property a few years ago. Obviously a very dangerous condition, so the City has jurisdiction over the situation, so we need to plan, we need to budget a person that is committed and that is going to follow through, one that is on the payroll, that will develop plans, and sets priorities, etc.. He proposed to have a drone record the canyons however if the fire services already have these recordings, then that is great. But then overlay it with the ownership maps that each of us have, that plot lines for our titles and because land moves, your title stays the same as far as the definition as to where those lines are and so there would be an overlay of the photo with peoples title and who owns what in that canyon, so everyone of us for the first time may have discovered the property line is based on the meets and bounds lines that are recorded at the Recorder s Office. He suggested that they have field trips of groups that are identified of being owners of that particular canyon so they can understand exactly what the issues are based upon what the Fire Department is recommending. He suggested that there be groups, just for that particular canyon, they would get together and they would discuss what mitigation plan would be and that the city would gain the ability to permit trespass, so if someone says that don t want anybody coming in inspecting their property and/or having anybody bringing access across my easement line, because probably everybody has a 10 Ft easement at the bottom on our canyon and it s joined by the 10 ft easement and the adjoining landowner, so this probably ingress/egress through the Association to come in and create an access to that area for the purpose to using these machines. We have other ways to get rid of the brush and trees. You can bring in a grinder to grind up the vegetation. Use a chipper to chip it out, to the extent that you have to physically put stuff brought and that everybody would have a dumpster, free once a year, so the combined owners would have their dumpsters, filled and no