Environmental Planning

The Environmental Planning Section is managed by a Principal Planner and is responsible for technical reviews of proposed projects. The section administers and enforces various environmental protection ordinances including Geologic Hazards , Grading and Erosion Control , Mining, Sensitive Habitats , Archaeologic, Significant Trees and Riparian Corridors .

Staff in this section are responsible for field identification of geologic hazards and adverse geotechnical conditions in response to building, development and grading permit applications. Staff visit most sites and may require an applicant to engage the services of a geologist or geotechnical engineer in order to evaluate site conditions and to propose mitigations to reduce any associated risks. Section staff in turn review these technical reports for adequacy and require the consultant's recommendations to be incorporated into the building, development and grading plans. During the construction phase of the project, staff then inspect the work to ensure that County requirements are being met.

At the developer's request, staff will also provide pre-development site reviews of vacant land and projects in the conceptual stage for single family dwellings in the urban and rural areas of the County. The evaluation will provide the developer with information regarding environmental planning and zoning requirements for development of the property.

The Environmental Planning Section also administers federal flood plain insurance regulations, provides field assistance for identifying unsafe geologic conditions and hazardous situations in the field, and has responsibility for other forms of emergency responses during storms and disasters. In this capacity, staff can post structures and sites "unsafe" and may initiate corrective action. For proposed development projects, Environmental Planning staff are also responsible for the field identification of protected plants, animals, and habitats; reviewing biotic and archaeologic reports; reviewing and mitigating development impacts on riparian corridors; and approving restoration, revegetation, and erosion control plans.

The section also performs technical review of new and ongoing mining and quarry operations, issues grading permits, and takes technical projects through Environmental Review and to public hearings.

Compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is an important aspect of the project review process - CEQA requires that projects be reviewed to determine whether any significant environmental impacts could result. If significant impacts are anticipated, mitigation measures are developed which will reduce or avoid those impacts. In some instances, CEQA requires that an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) be prepared to analyze impacts and identify mitigations. EIRs are generally large documents with a lengthy preparation and public review time. The County Environmental Coordinator oversees the CEQA functions.