Front Country Fire Break- North 1.5 Mile

The Front Country Fuel Break starts in Rumsey, CA and follows the base of the Inner Coast Range extending the north-south length of Yolo County and ending near west Winters, CA. Historically, the fuel break was implemented during wildfire events, most recently the LNU Complex {2020} and the County Fire (2018} to stop or slow wildfire approaching from the north and east. It serves as an access point for firefighters and a break in fuels to slow the spread of fire that would impact the Capay Valley, Winters, and western Yolo County. Yearly maintenance of the Front Country Fuel Break was proposed by CAL FIRE and included as a project in the Yolo County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). The entire N29-mile fuel break crosses through private property, including Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation tribal lands and California Audubon's Bobcat Ranch. To start the fuel break, Yolo County Resource Conservation District (RCD) is partnered with Capay Valley Fire Protection District to map the project, engage landowners, conduct biological and botanical surveys and contract with CAL FIRE or a qualified licensed dozer operator to blade the first mile of the fuel break. The first mile of the fuel break largely follows the path of old Highway 16 and is intermittently paved, but overgrown with invasive grasses and other weeds. Implementation of the fuel break would include 10-15 feet of blading of vegetation by a dozer to remove 100% of groundcover to bare soil/pavement. The fuel break footprint does not contain any shrubs or trees, except for one blue elderberry along a fence line that will have a SO-foot no-disturbance buffer from the dripline. Dozer operations will be overseen by Yolo County RCD and implemented by CAL FIRE's Licensed Dozer Operator or another qualified professional dozer subcontractor to the RCD. An intermittent stream was identified to intersect with the fuel break footprint. The RCD has identified a route for the dozer to travel adjacent to the stream outside of a SO-foot no disturbance buffer towards Highway 16 where the stream crosses beneath the highway. The dozer will then continue the fuel break by using a landowner's driveway to re-access the footprint (see attached map for intermittent stream avoidance route). Yolo County RCD conducted a desktop review of the first one-mile footprint using the California Native Diversity Database (CNDDB), iNaturalist, and Calflora to determine potential biologic and botanical resources. The draft extent of the entire fuel break footprint was submitted via a Native American Heritage Commission Records request and further consultation on the one-mile footprint has occurred withYocha Dehe Wintun Nation's Cultural Department. An RCD California Dept of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) qualified biologist has walked the first mile of the fuel break and found no resources of concern; the project's footprint largely consists of invasive grasses and other non-native species. If work commences during nesting season, an RCD CDFW qualified biologist will survey the entire 1-mile project area for nesting birds or other protected species not less than three (3) days prior to work and will make any necessary adjustments to project implementation plans. After nesting season, surveys will occur a week before work starts. This fire break will be used for emergency access and/or burning-out operations to stop the spread of fires at the base of the foothills to prevent fire from crossing west into adjoining counties, or east into the Ca pay Valley.