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Home My WebLink About08 - Proposal to Reduce Flashy Fuels and Restore Habitat in Buck Gully ReserveQ �EwPpRT c 9C/FOR TO: FROM: TITLE: ABSTRACT: CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH City Council Staff Report February 11, 2025 Agenda Item No. 8 HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL Sean Levin, Recreation and Senior Services Director - 949-644- 3151, slevin@newportbeachca.gov Proposal to Reduce Flashy Fuels and Restore Habitat in Buck Gully Reserve The recent Los Angeles County wildfires have heightened awareness of fire hazards within Buck Gully. Staff from the Fire, Public Works and Recreation and Senior Services Departments sought a proposal (Attachment A) from Irvine Ranch Conservancy (IRC), the City's contract land manager for Buck Gully, to increase fire mitigation in the reserve. RECOMMENDATIONS: a) Find this project exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15304 (Class 4 — Minor Alterations to Land) and 15308 (Class 8 — Actions Taken by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Division 6, Chapter 3, because it has no potential to have a significant effect on the environment; b) Approve Budget Amendment No. 25-053 transferring $425,055 from the unappropriated General Fund balance to the General Fund CIP and appropriating it into Account No. 01201928-911047-BGFRR, and c) Authorize the City Manager to execute a contract that is acceptable to the City Attorney with Irvine Ranch Conservancy in the amount of $425,055 to reduce flashy fuels and restore habitat in Buck Gully. DISCUSSION: Buck Gully consists of approximately 300 acres of open space and a creek bed within the Orange County Central Coastal Natural Community Conservation Plan (NCCP) areas. Land within the NCCP contains protected species and therefore was set aside in perpetuity as mitigated land in exchange for development elsewhere. NCCP lands must be managed in a specific manner to preserve their natural resources. The City of Newport Beach became the property owner of Buck Gully in 2005, is responsible for its land management, and is a signatory to the NCCP Implementation Agreement. The City has contracted with IRC to manage Buck Gully through restoration, monitoring and education since taking ownership. 8-1 Proposal to Reduce Flashy Fuels and Restore Habitat in Buck Gully Reserve February 11, 2025 Page 2 Effective landscape restoration and mitigation measures are essential for reducing wildfire risk in the community. By enhancing ecosystem resilience, minimizing fuel loads, and establishing defensible spaces, these efforts protect lives, property and critical infrastructure. Additionally, they promote a sustainable and manageable habitat that supports long-term ecological health and fire -adaptive landscapes. Removing non-native plant materials and replacing them with native vegetation, which grows slowly and retains moisture for longer periods, is a long-term strategy for reducing fire risk. Additionally, the establishment of native plant materials prevents the non-native plant materials from regrowing. Dead, non-native vegetation lengthens the fire season and can endanger nearby communities. This proposal would remove fuels that are annual, non-native grasses and mustards that grow rapidly in winter, before they deplete soil moisture, set seed, and desiccate by late spring and replace them with native shrubs, bunchgrasses, wildflowers and cacti. Irvine Ranch Conservancy has a proven track record of successfully completing numerous restoration projects in Buck Gully and throughout Orange County. The proposed project would span 8 years with the following outcomes: • Reduce long-term maintenance needs in the Hazard Reduction Zone by replacing flammable, non-native, annual vegetation with non-flammable cacti. • Replace flammable, annual vegetation with less flammable coastal sage scrub — grassland vegetation. • Eliminate artichoke thistle (Cynara cardunculus), a highly invasive and unsightly weed, from the 4.8 acres and nearby buffer areas. • Create 4.8 acres of habitat for the California Gnatcatcher. • Create 2.0 acres of habitat for the Coastal Cactus Wren. FISCAL IMPACT: The Budget Amendment No. 25-053 (Attachment B) transfers $425,055 from General Fund unappropriated fund balance to the General Fund CIP (Fund 012), utilizing a portion of the Fiscal Year 2024-25 General Fund operating surplus, and appropriating it to account 01201928-911047-BGFRR. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: Staff recommends the City Council find this project exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15304 (Class 4 — Minor Alterations to Land) and 15308 (Class 8 — Actions Taken by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Division 6, Chapter 3, because it has no potential to have a significant effect on the environment. The Class 4 Exemption includes fire management activities to reduce the volume of flammable vegetation, provided the activities will not result in the taking of endangered, rare, or threatened plant or animal species or significant erosion and sedimentation of surface waters. The Class 8 Exemption covers actions taken by a regulatory agency to assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment. 8-2 Proposal to Reduce Flashy Fuels and Restore Habitat in Buck Gully Reserve February 11, 2025 Page 3 The proposed maintenance project will remove annual nonnative fuels proximate to structures that grow rapidly in winter and desiccate by late spring thereby increasing flammability. The project will remove nonnative plantings and restore them with more resilient native plantings that retain moisture for longer periods and reduce fire risk. The project does not include any takings of sensitive biological resources and is intended to minimize structure fires and wildfires that lead to environmental and natural resources impacts, including loss of vegetation and biodiversity. NOTICING: The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the City Council considers the item). ATTACHMENTS: Attachment A — Proposal to Restore Habitat and Reduce Flashy Fuels Attachment B — Budget Amendment No. 25-053 8-3 AL ATTACHMENT A It IRVINE RANCH CONSERVANCY Proposal to Restore Habitat and Reduce Flashy Fuels at Buck Gully Reserve, City of Newport Beach January 27, 2025 Cactus Planting Site (foreground) and CSS Restoration Site (background) Robert Freese, PhD, Program Manager, Habitat Restoration & Enhancement Irvine Ranch Conservancy rfreese@irconservancy.org Prepared for: Sean Levin, Recreation Superintendent City of Newport Beach Slevin@newportbeachca.gov 1 IRVINE RANCH CONSERVANCY Introduction Irvine Ranch Conservancy (IRC) understands that the City of Newport Beach (City) wishes to reduce flashy fuels in Buck Gully Reserve (Reserve). Most of these fuels are annual non-native grasses and mustards that grow rapidly in winter, deplete soil moisture, set seed, and desiccate by late spring. This dead vegetation lengthens the fire season and can endanger nearby communities. The native vegetation of shrubs, bunchgrasses, wildflowers, and cacti grow more slowly and retain moisture for longer periods thereby delaying the fire season. Native vegetation also provides considerable habitat value for wildlife. Management for the Reserve must maintain or enhance the natural resources of the site, which are conserved under the Natural Community Conservation Plan/ Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP) for the Central and Coastal Subregions of Orange County. California Gnatcatcher (Polyoptila californica) is a state and federally listed threatened species that nests and forages almost exclusively in open stands of coastal sage scrub (CSS) vegetation. Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) is a California state species of special concern that nests in cactus scrub. IRC has successfully managed restoration projects at the Reserve for several years. Figure I shows the locations of several such projects. IRC proposes an eight -year project to restore habitat and reduce flashy fuel loads in the Reserve. This new restoration project would include two components shown in Figure 2: • 4.8 acres of mixed CSS - grassland restoration near Canyon Terrace Drive. • 2.0 acres of cactus scrub comprised of seven parcels within or adjacent to the Hazard Reduction Zone (HRZ) of the Reserve. Goals Project goals include: • Reduce long-term maintenance needs in the HRZ by replacing flammable, non-native, annual vegetation with non-flammable cactus. • Create 2.0 acres of habitat for the Coastal Cactus Wren. • Replace flammable, annual vegetation with less flammable CSS — grassland vegetation. • Create 4.8 acres of habitat for the California Gnatcatcher. • Eliminate artichoke thistle (Cynara cardunculus), a highly invasive and unsightly weed, from the 4.8 acres and nearby buffer areas. 2 8-5 IRVINE RANCH CONSERVANCY Buck Gully Restoration N Proposed Restorations Active Restorations Past Restorations 0f 01 D 2 miles , Cactus Scrub Restoration (2.01 acres) Bobcat Waterwise 5 IRVINE RANCH 0 Canyon Terrace CSS restoration (4.82 acres) Sandcastle 0 Isabella Terrace s�eie ,_,s,000 12242025 Castle Cove O Buck Gully Boundary Aerial Source Eagle Aerial, F11-2018 Figure 1. IRC Habitat Restoration Projects at Buck Gully :. IRVINE RANCH CONSERVANCY el .... `_ \ Figure 3. Newly Planted Cactus Pads at Castlecove Site in the Reserve Figure 4. Planted Cactus Pads at Silverado Canyon after 17 Months of Growth 5 :: IRVINE RANCH CONSERVANCY Conceptual Implementation Plan Cactus Scrub: Planting will be a three-year process with only minor maintenance and monitoring needed during the remaining five years of the project. Examples of cactus scrub planting projects are shown in Figures 3 and 4. Implementation will involve the following steps: • After nesting season, use weed whips to mow dead standing vegetation within the seven proposed parcels. Ongoing HRZ clearance makes this a relatively minor task. Rake any cut material from the sites. • Harvest 3250 cactus (Opuntia littoralis) pads from existing stands of cactus following protocols to protect integrity of existing cactus scrub vegetation. • Select cactus planting beds and incorporate a four -inch layer of organic compost into the soil. • Pads shall be planted in four -foot diameter beds spaced seven feet on center allowing for maintenance paths between beds. • Install six cactus pads per bed and use water truck with hoses to irrigate each bed at least three times per year during the first two years. • Apply pre -emergent herbicide to all areas to provide at least two years of weed control, allowing cactus to grow without competition. • Conduct quarterly inspections to evaluate the condition of planting beds and identify any remedial steps. • Conduct maintenance measures including weed and erosion control, as needed. • During the second year, replace cacti that failed to establish to ensure the desired density. • After three years, apply a second dose of pre -emergent herbicide to provide additional years of control of annual vegetation. • Continue to control weeds and monitor cactus growth and cover for the remaining five years. • Conduct performance monitoring. CSS — Grassland: Restoration involves three years of site preparation followed by eight years of maintenance. Implementation will involve the following steps: • After nesting season, mow and remove any dead standing vegetation within the 4.8- acre parcel using weed whips. Care will be taken to avoid existing patches of native vegetation. Access to the site will be via Canyon Terrace Drive. • For three years, conduct broadcast spray applications of herbicides to kill germinating weeds. It will be necessary to park a trailer on Canyon Terrace Drive to access the site. 11 :• IRVINE RANCH CONSERVANCY These grow -and -kill weed treatments are necessary to deplete the soil of accumulated weed seeds in preparation for seeding. • Prepare a diverse seed mix using seed derived from appropriate local sources (Table 1). Due to the heavy clay soils at this site, we recommend including several grassland species in the mix in addition to shrub species. • Hand broadcast and rake the seed material into the soil in late fall/ early winter prior to the first significant rainfall. • Re -seed the following year to supplement areas where seedling establishment was inadequate. • Conduct weed control for five years to ensure establishment of desired vegetation using a combination of manual techniques, spot mowing, and backpack spraying. • Conduct quarterly inspections each year to evaluate the condition of the site and identify remedial steps. • Survey nesting bird activity each spring prior to intensive field work to avoid impacts. As the planted vegetation matures, field staff trained in bird surveys will inspect the site prior to any field operations. • Conduct performance monitoring. Timeline: Appendix A provides a comprehensive list of tasks and a project timeline. Table 1. Plant Palette for CSS - Grassland Polygon Common Name Scientific Name Seed Rate (PLS #/ acre) Deerweed Acmispon glaber 2 Sagebrush Artemisia californica 1 Black sage Salvia mellifera 1 Bush sunflower Encelia californica 3 Goldenbush Isocoma menziesh 0.5 Purple needlegrass Stipa pulchra 3 California brome Bromus carinatus 2 Melic grass Melica imperfecta 1 Fiddleneck Amsinkia intermedia 0.2 Coastal checkerbloom Sidalcea malviflora 0.2 School bells Dicholostemma capitatum bulbs Farewell -to -spring Clarkia purpurea 0.2 Plantain Plantago erecta 1 Gumplant Grindelia camporum 0.5 Arroyo lupine Lupinus succulentus 0.3 7 8-10 4 IRVINE RANCH CONSERVANCY Performance Standards, Monitoring, and Reporting Performance Standards: The performance standards shown in Table 2 will guide project activities, inform adaptive management strategies, and allow managers to assess progress. Table 2. Performance Standards Habitat Absolute Cover of Vegetation Native Non-native Cactus Scrub > 65 percent, cactus only < 15 percent CSS - Grassland > 65 percent < 35 percent (including < 15 percent mustards) Monitoring: Protocols will include: • Photo documentation will be conducted each year from representative locations (three stations in CSS — grassland and three stations in cactus scrub). • Qualitative (rapid assessment) evaluations of vegetation cover will be done in the cactus scrub on alternate years following protocols from California Native Plant Society. • Quantitative monitoring (transect based) evaluations of vegetation cover will be done in the CSS — grassland on alternate years. Reporting: Annual project updates will be sent to the City at the end of each fiscal year and will include a summary of activities, progress, and upcoming plans. Budget Appendix B shows the proposed budget for the project, which totals $425,055 over eight years. Billable rates for labor classes are shown in Appendix C. W 8-11 IRVINE RANCH CONSERVANCY Appendices Appendix A. Project Timelines by Tasks and Fiscal Year (July — June) Restoration Tasks (by type) Fiscal Year of Project Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Site mowing (All) x Cactus pad collection/ installation (Cactus Scrub) x x Irrigation (Cactus Scrub) x x Preemergent herbicide applications (Cactus Scrub) x x Site preparation (CSS — Grassland) x x x Seed Production (CSS — Grassland) x x x Seeding (CSS — Grassland) x x Weed Control (All) x x x x x x x x Pre -disturbance surveys (All) x x x x x x x x Performance monitoring (All) x x x 8-12 4 IRVINE RANCH CONSERVANCY Appendix B. Project Costs by Category and Fiscal Year (July -June) Budget Categories Fiscal Year of Project Year 1 Year 2 Year 31 Year 41 Year 51 Year 61 Year 7 Year 8 Total Management, Coordination, Inspections 10,068 10,068 10,068 10,068 10,068 10,068 10,068 10,068 80,544 Plant Material Development 30,604 25,455 25,184 5,184 1 1 86,427 Site Preparation 16,088 1,692 2,256 20,036 Installation and Seeding 10,840 542 13,800 4,140 29,322 Maintenance 5,664 5,664 43,360 21,680 21,680 21,680 10,8401 10,840 141,408 Monitoring 296 296 296 2,146 296 2,146 296 2,146 7,918 Supplies and Miscellaneous 6,867 1,923 2,594 1,875 1,875 1,875 1,875 1,875 20,759 Sub -total (project costs) 80,427 45,640 97,558 45,093 33,919 35,769 23,079 24,929 386,414 Contingency (10 percent project costs) 8,043 4,564 9,756 4,509 3,392 3,577 2,308 2,493 38,641 Total 88,469 50,204 107,314 49,602 37,311 39,346 25,387 27,422 425,055 10 8-13 IRVINE RANCH CONSERVANCY Appendix C. Billable Rates FY25 Billable Rates Hourly Rate Program Manager $98.00 Project Manager $78.00 Program Coordinator $74.00 Program Specialist $67.00 Program Technician $67.00 Program Assistant $59.00 Field Crew Member $51.00 IRC Contractor Hourly Rate General Labor $45.00 Specialty contractor (bird surveys) $112.50 11 8-14 �[rFoaH`r Department: Recreation & Sr Services Requestor: Sean Levin City of Newport Beach BUDGET AMENDMENT 2024-25 ❑ CITY MANAGER'S APPROVAL ONLY 0 COUNCIL APPROVAL REQUIRED ONETIME: ❑ Yes ❑ No Approvals ATTACHMENT B BA#: 25-053 Finance Director: G7 Date r1z91?,5 City Clerk: Date EXPLANATION FOR REQUEST: To transfer FY 2024-25 year-end surplus funds to the General Fund CIP Fund for Buck Gully Fire Risk Reduction. ❑ from existing budgetappropriatiom ❑ from additional estimated revenues ❑✓ from unappropriated fund balance REVENUES Fund # Org Object Project Description Increase or (Decrease) S 012 01299 691010 1NTERFUND TRANSFERS -TRANSFER IN GENERAL FUND 425,055.00 Subtotal $ 425,055.00 EXPENDITURES Fund # Org Object Project Description Increase or (Decrease) $ 010 01099 991012 GENERAL FUND INTERFUND TRANSFR -TRANSFER OUT CIP F 425,055.00 012 07201928 911047 BGFRR MISC & STUDIES - CAPITAL PROJECT 425,055.00 Subtotal $ 85D,110.00 FUND BALANCE Fund # Object Description Increase or (Decrease) $ 010 300000 GENERAL FUND - FUND BALANCE CONTROL (425,055.00) 012 300000 GENERAL FUND CAPITAL PROJECTS - FUND BALANCE CONTROL Subtotal $ (425,055.00) Fund Balance Change Required 8-15