The Novato Fire Protection District (NFPD) is implementing numerous fire safety and fuels reduction projects in conjunction with the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA) to perform fuel abatement work at selected sites throughout the NFPD’s jurisdiction. WRA was hired by NFPD to assist their staff with the development of practical fuel treatment areas that satisfied their goals for effective fuel reduction and collaboration with local homeowners associations and other entities. We worked closely with senior NFPD staff to fully understand their needs and developed custom GIS datasets relating to fuel treatment efforts as well as a custom web-based GIS tool on the ArcGIS Online platform to facilitate the fuel treatment planning and design phase of work.

WRA also provided biological reports, field verification surveys, and preconstruction surveys to verify that proposed fuel abatement activities would not result in significant impacts to Biological Resources pursuant to Appendix G, Section IV of the State CEQA Guidelines. The biological surveys and reports assessed the Treatment Areas for the presence of sensitive biological resources, including special-status wildlife and plant species, aquatic resources (streams, riparian, and wetland), and terrestrial vegetation communities, and provided avoidance and minimization measures to reduce potential for significant environmental impacts.

WRA provided its biological survey and reporting expertise as a subconsultant in support of CEQA Categorical Exemptions prepared by a planning firm. WRA provided these services in an efficient and expedient manner to facilitate the implementation of these crucially needed projects to enhance public safety and wildfire resilience. In total, WRA provided biological surveys and reporting covering over 370 acres of treatment area.