LPNF, VAFB, and conservation easements in the SBC WUI

When fires occur, they often start in areas of the national forest and enter into the unincorporated WUI portions of the County. There is a need to conduct detailed mapping of invasive, flammable vegetation or other fire risks in key WUI interface areas and high risk areas of the Los Padres National Forest,Vandenberg Space Base (formerly AFB), Land Trust holdings, and nature preserves. Projects that have already been identified in existing permit-approved planning documents for federally-managed lands should be implemented. Some of these areas include various regions of the backcountry that directly interface with rural communities in the unincorporated portions of the County (such as Painted Cave, Paradise, etc, and adjacent to VSB, Jalama County Beach Park, and neighboring ranches and Preserves/Land Trust properties) who are at very high risk of catastrophic fire. Once the mapping is completed, the projects that have been identified should be prioritized for implementation depending on the level of risk identified. Approved projects that have languished should have been implemented and jurisdictional coordination and/or funding should be pursued.