Good morning Aspen Creek Cabin Neighbors,

I am sending an email that Paul Hugo wrote for all the cabin owners. As you know, there is a small leadership team that has regularly met with the USFS and has taken the lead on asking questions and really taking the lead getting good info for all of us. Tim Collins has regularly represented our Tract as I am usually at work during these meetings. If you have any clarifying questions, please contact one of us and I can post the question and we can work on getting an answer. Congressman McClintock, who represents our area, has written a letter to the head of the USFS asking for assistance- this was highlighted in the local paper this week. I will post the letter Paul refers to here as well as several other docs later today separately on a tab from the main web page (I’m travelling to the East Coast but you should have them by this afternoon!). Thanks for being patient while I got this out- don’t forget tomorrow’s tract meeting!

Paul Hugo’s email below:

Hello All,

This email is in three parts.  The first is updates on letter writing, the next is notes from the leadership team’s meeting with the Forest Service and finally, the last part a petition.  Sorry for the length of this message.  There is a lot of information to share.

Yesterday Congressman McClintock sent a great letter of support to the under secretary of the USDA.  It is attached

Tract leads please forward this on.  (most recipients of this message are bcc’d, just the leadership is listed)

Letter Writing
In the meeting notes for the last Thursday zoom, we said, stay tuned on the email address for a few politicians.  Your letters are making a difference.  Please. please send letters.  Nothing says you can’t send more than one to the same person focusing on different aspects.

Here is the contact info we have right now.  The two California Senators seems to be asking the most questions of the Forest Service.  If only have the time to write one letter make it be one of the Senators.  Note: we have added a contact for FEMA.  Also, I’ve included the sample letters we sent before as well as ones for Randy Moore and the FEMA person.

Senator Dianne Feinstein (new email address to use) One Post Street, Suite 2450 San Francisco, CA 94104 Email: casework@feinstein.senate.gov Email subject line: Caldor Fire Cabin Owners Request This will open a case.  The Senator will ask for a release form. This form is attached.  Fill out the form and include it with your letter. If you don’t want to open a case just send your letter to the address above	Senator Alex Padilla (new email address to use) 112 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 Email: sac_general@padilla.senate.gov Email subject line: Caldor Fire Cabin Owners Request
Congressman Tom McClintock  Direct email: Kimberly.Pruett@mail.house.gov      email subject:  ccorp – cabin owner assistance request 2200A Douglas Blvd, Suite 240 Roseville, CA 95661	Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi 90 7th Street, Suite 2-800 San Francisco, CA 94103 Emphasize environmental issues
Randy Moore, Chief of USDA Forest Service email:  randy.moore@usda.gov	Congressman Ami Bera Email: https://bera.house.gov/connect-with-me/email-ami 8950 Cal Center Drive, Building 3, Suite 100 Sacramento, CA 95826
Thomas J. Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, DC 20250	The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20500 Prefer email: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Robert J. Fenton, Jr., Regional Administrator, Region 9 Federal Emergency Management Agency 1111 Broadway, Suited 1200Oakland California 94607

Meeting with the Forest Service

The leadership team had it’s regular bimonthly meeting with the Forest Service last Tuesday. 

Here are the high points:

• Congressional staff from at least Senators Feinstein and Padillia’s offices have had meetings with the FS and have started discussions on several levels
  • The FS reports they are asking the “right” questions
  • The FS says our letter writing is making a difference
  • The FS says our survey results about cabin insurance is being shared and is having an impact
    
• The question about where in the permit does it say cabin owners are responsible was asked.  The answer was two clauses:
  • The clause about complying with local laws
    • “ Compliance with laws, regulations and other legal requirements.  In exercising the privileges granted by this permit the holder shall comply with all present and future federal laws and regulations and all present and future state, county and municipal laws regulate and other legal requirements that apply to the permit area, to the extent they do not conflict with federal lawy regulations or policy.  The Forest Service assumes no responsibility for enforcing laws, regulations and other legal requirements that fall under the jurisdiction of other governmental entities. “
    • We asked which local laws and got a general answer.  Note: an attorney well versed in environmental cleanup in California says all the state laws he knows about put the responsibility on the landowner.  We are diving deeper into this.
  • The clause about returning the area to natural condition when abandoned or vacated
    • We pointed out this clause only applies if someone walks away and the permit is revoked.  The FS did not disagree.
      
• The county is still finalizing the alternative debris removal process for the cabins.
  • Even if the cabin owners are not responsible, this process still needs to be defined.
  • Expecting mid April for rollout
  • The FS says it isn’t expecting it be changed much from what we’ve seen before
  • The leadership team will try to meet with the county prior to rollout
    
• Cal OES sent a letter FEMA
  • The letter is basically telling FEMA the cleanup must be done by Oct 15th.
  • We asked if the date was set by FEMA or the state water resources board.  The FS wasn’t sure.
  • The FS is using that date as the date they are aiming all the cleanup to be done by
  • The FS said that date is just sort of a best guess as when the winter rains start.
  • This is the same letter we mentioned in the last CCORP zoom meeting
  • We’ve asked to see the letter and are pursuing that with the FS as well as with Cal OES
    
• FS is finalizing an agreement with the Army Corp of Engineering, USACE
  • The USACE will engage a contractor to assess each lot for what it will cost for them to do the cleanup.
  • The FS will send a letter to each cabin owner giving that cost and an option to have the USACE do the cleanup. 
  • The cabin owners will be given some time, probably 30 days, to decide not to use USACE.
  • There was also some talk about if one decided not to use USACE, they may be able to engage them later if they wanted
  • We pointed out our decision on the debris cleanup also hinged on permission to rebuild partially because of the possible removal of septic systems
  • We will push the clock not to start until the cabin owner have both the USACE cost and the rebuild permission and for a longer time frame to answer.
  • The cost assessments will start as soon as USACE can get into the tracts.  It will obviously start sooner with those at lower elevations.
  • This agreement includes the cabins lost in the Tahoe Basin unit.
    
• Rebuilding approval
  • Rebuilding approval is based on flood planes, 100 year floods, soil erosion, changes in geological conditions, slope instability and landslides and the forest plan.
  • The FS folks will be assessing the tracts for rebuilding at the same time as USACE is working on the costs
  • Any permittee with a lot deemed not ok to rebuild on will be offered a lot in lieu of.  The have 25 identified but past history and the survey shows many people will not be rebuilding so anyone whose lot is deemed not OK will most likely have many to choose from.  (This process will need to be explored further.)
    
• Building Codes
  • The FS said that the county has already rolled back the building code for the Grizzle Flats area to those from before when fire sprinklers and solar are required.
  • The county is looking to the FS for guidance on modifications to building codes.
  • We pointed out we have a building code expert on a national level on our team.  The FS seemed happy to start discussions with him.
    
• We asked about us just buying our lots
  • The FS said it was possible –  just slip some language into some bill – but it’s a long process
  • This is usually done as a land swap with private land the FS or government wants.
  • The FS said there is an island of FS property in Grizzle Flats that in part has a school on it where this is probably going to happen.
  • (This is a lot more to this topic that we didn’t cover other than it is not a fast nor easy process.  If there is interest we can cover this topic in more depth.)
    
• Hazardous Trees
  • The FS working on providing funds to the county’s Resource Conservation Districts, RCD, to do tree removal around Sierra at Tahoe and the cabin tracts.
  • For the tracts, there is some additional environmental before the work can start.
  • The FS wants hazardous trees removed within 200 ft of roads
  • The tract work is to ensure the FS roads are safe.  Between this and PG&E most of our trees will be addressed.
  • CCORP has good connections with RCD and will most likely have a person from RCD as a guest speaker
    
• Forest Closure for Eldorado Forest expires 3/31
  • That means people can go to their lots as before any fire with little restrictions
  • The FS pointed out the fire is still active.  There are still tree wells burning and that it can be dangerous.
  • There will be some local closures like Lover’s Leap and a few trailheads until the FS can assess the safety of the area
  • PG&E is still doing significant work in some of the tracts so you might not be able to drive right to your lot, but you can park nearby and walk.
  • The Echo area currently is not closed
    
• Chips
  • The FS says the standard is no more than 10 – 12 inches of chips.  PG&E will take care of the piles that are greater than that.

Petition to FEMA
There is a petition to FEMA saying El Dorado County Residents Deserve FEMA Individual Assistance

While this may not directly apply to us, it might.  We encourage you to look at it.  Link

Note:  After you “sign” the petition the site takes you to a donation page.  It kind of looks like you need to make a donation to complete the petition.  You can just close this page if you like.  It appears the “signing” is already completed when you get to this page.