Oak Woodlands Management

For updated information on Biological Policies, click here.

On May 6, 2008 the Board of Supervisors adopted the Oak Woodland Management Plan (OWMP) and its implementing ordinance, to be codified as Chapter 17.73 of the County Code (Ord. 4771. May 6, 2008.). The primary purpose of this plan is to implement the Option B provisions of Policy 7.4.4.4 and Measure CO-P. These provisions establish an Oak Conservation In-Lieu Fee for the purchase of conservation easements for oak woodland in areas identified as Priority Conservation Areas.

A lawsuit was filed in El Dorado Superior Court on June 6, 2008 against the Oak Woodland Management Plan. On February 2, 2010, the Court ruled to uphold the Board's action to adopt the Plan.  However, on appeal, the Appellate Court over-ruled that decision, remanding the case back to Superior Court, with the direction to require the County to prepare an Environmental Impact Report for the OWMP.  The OWMP was rescinded on September 4, 2012 (Resolution 123-2012) and its implementing ordinance was rescinded on September 11, 2012 (Ord. No. 4892). For the time being, only Option A of Policy 7.4.4.4 is available to mitigate impacts to oak woodlands.

On September 24, 2012, the Board of Supervisors directed the Development Services Department to prepare a General Plan amendment to amend Policies 7.4.2.8, 7.4.2.9, 7.4.4.4, 7.4.4.5, 7.4.5.1, and 7.4.5.2 and their related implementation measures to clarify and refine the County's policies regarding oak tree protection and habitat preservation.  The Board further directed staff to prepare a Request for Proposals to hire a consultant to assist the County in preparing the policy amendments and an Environmental Impact Report (EIR).

•    Interim Interpretive Guidelines for Oak Woodlands 
• Attachment 1 Site Assessment Form  
• Attachment 2 Biological Resources Study and Important Habitat Mitigation Program Requirements

   General Plan Policies Related to Oak Woodlands

• Board of Supervisors - 05/06/2008 Meeting
  • Staff Report - Comments on the Draft Oak Woodlands Management Plan
    • Attachment 1- Proposed Edits to Draft Oak Woodlands Ordinance
      
      
• Board of Supervisors - 04/22/2008 Meeting *Continued to May 6, 2008 Board of Supervisors hearing, 2:00 agenda item
  • Staff Report - Oak Woodland Management Plan (OWMP) Planning Commission Recommended Changes, and Summary of Possible Changes Based on Comments from April 1, 2008 Board Meeting
  • Oak Woodland Management Plan (Planning Commission Recommended version, April 2008)
    
    
• Board of Supervisors - 04/01/2008 Meeting
  • Staff Report - Oak Woodland Management Plan
  • Economic Analysis
  • Attachment 1 - CEQA Findings
  • Attachment 2 - Planning Commission hearing minutes of March 13, 2008
  • Attachment 3 - Implementing Ordinance
  • Attachment 4 - In-Lieu fee recalculation
  • Attachment 5 - Summary of IS/ND written comments received during the public comment period
    
    
• Planning Commission - 03/13/2008 Meeting
  • Notice of Public Hearing 02/11/2008
  • Oak Woodland Management Plan (final draft, Strikeout version, February 2008)
  • Staff Report - OWMP (Final Draft), Initial Study/Negative Declaration (IS/ND) Environmental Document, and Implementing Ordinance
  • Oak Woodland Management Plan Initial Study/Negative Declaration (IS/ND) Environmental Document
  • Proposed draft Oak Woodland Conservation Ordinance
    
    
• Board of Supervisors - 01/29/2008 Meeting
  (2:00 pm time allocation, agenda item #32)
  • Staff Report - Oak Woodlands Management Plan (OWMP) Status Report
  • Attachment Figure 1 - Oak Canopy
  • Attachment Figure 2 - Oak Woodland Canopy
  • Attachment Figure 3 - Buffered Oak Woodland Canopy
  • Attachment Figure 4 - Oak Woodland Habitat
  • Attachment - Summary of Impact Calculation Methods for Oak Woodland Mitigation
    
    
• Planning Commission - 12/13/2007 Meeting (public review comments of OWMP) - (1:30 p.m. time allocation, agenda item 12c)
  • Staff Report - Revised Draft Oak Woodland Management Plan
    
    
• Agricultural Commission - 11/29/2007 Special Meeting (public review comments of OWMP) - (5:30-9:30 p.m., Board of Supervisors Meeting Room)
  • Special Meeting Notice
    
    
• Agricultural Commission - 11/14/2007 Meeting (public review comments of OWMP) - (6:30 p.m., Board of Supervisors Meeting Room)
  
  • Revised Public Review Draft OWMP Comment Period Courtesy Notice (10/31/2007)
    
    
• Board of Supervisors - 10/30/2007 Meeting
  • Staff Report - Submittal of Revised Draft Oak Woodlands Management Plan [revised 10-25-2007]
  • Revised Public Review Draft Oak Woodland Management Plan
    
    
• Planning Commission - 10/25/2007 Meeting
  • Staff Report - Revised Draft Oak Woodlands Management Plan
  • Revised Oak Woodland Management Plan (October 2007)
    
    
• Board of Supervisors - 10/2/2007 Meeting
  • Staff Report - Oak Woodland Management Plan (OWMP) Revision Memo
  • Attachment 1A - El Dorado County Important Oak Woodland Habitat Map, Revised 09/28/2007 (shows LDR)
  • Attachment 1B - El Dorado County Oak Woodland Priority Conservation Areas Map, Revised 10/01/2007 (LDR removed)
  • Attachment 2 - Oak Woodland Parcel & Land Use Inventory/Acreages (West of 4000' Contour Elevation)
    
    
• Board of Supervisors - 09/25/2007 Meeting
  • Staff Report - Oak Woodland Management Plan (OWMP) Status and Key Issues Memo
    • Attachment 1A - Oak Woodland Coverage Example
    • Attachment 1B - Oak Tree Canopy Example
    • Attachment 2 - OWMP Work Schedule
  • OWMP presentation
  • Public Review Draft Oak Woodlands Management Plan  

• Board of Supervisors - 08/28/2007 Meeting - Meeting Cancelled
  • Meeting Cancellation Notice
    
    
  • OWMP Public Review Draft Courtesy Notice
  • Staff Memo - Oak Woodland Management Plan (OWMP) Status Report
  • OWMP Draft Schedule for Completion
    
    
• Board of Supervisors - 06/25/2007 Meeting
  • Workshop Notification Courtesy Letter
    
  • Memo to Board of Supervisors
  • Summary of Key Oak Woodland Issues
  • Timeline Summary of Program Activity
  • OWMP Presentation (color)
  • OWMP Presentation (black & white)
  • Map of Important Oak Woodland Habitat including Low Density Residential (LDR) Overlay [21.83 MB]    Smaller version
    
    
    
• Planning Commission - 04/26/2007 Meeting Items
  • Staff Report - Oak Woodland Management Plan - Revised Resource Map and Fee Assessment
  • Attachment 1 – Alternative Study Area Map – Priority Oak Woodland and INRMP Important Habitats within IBC, Ecological Preserves and CRLF Critical Habitat
  • Attachment 2 – Summary Mitigation Fee
  • Attachment 3 – March 22, 2007 Planning Commission Workshop Staff Report
    
    
• Planning Commission - 03/22/2007 Meeting Items
  • Staff Report
  • Oak Woodlands Management Plan Presentation
  • Attachment 1 - Outline for Planning Commission
  • Attachment 2 - Planning Commission and Public Comments
  • Attachment 3 - Table and Maps
    • CWHR Acreage Table
    • Map 1000 Acres
    • Map 2000 Acres
    • Map Below 2000 feet
    • Map Below 2500 feet
    • Map Below 3000 feet
    • Map Community Regions/Rural Centers Removed
    • Map Federal/State Lands Removed
  • Attachment 4 - OWMP TAC Recommendations
  • Attachment 5 - OWMP Policy/Procedural Interpretation
  • Attachment 6 - General Plan EIR Summary
  • Attachment 7 - General Plan Policy 7.4.2.9 - IBC
  • Map Community Regions/Rural Centers Removed, with IBC Overlay
    
    
• Planning Commission - 02/22/2007 Meeting Items
  • Outline for Planning Commission, February 22, 2007
  • General Plan Draft EIR Table 5.12-1, Major Habitat Types in EDC
  • General Plan Draft EIR, Woodland Habitat Types
  • Species Associated with Oak Woodland Types in EDC
  • General Plan Policy 7.4.4.4
  • OWMP Presentation (dated 01/25/2007)
    
    
• Planning Commission - 01/25/2007 Meeting Items (Continued to 02/09/2007)
  • Staff Memo - Oak Woodland Management Plan - Preliminary Mapping and Option B Fee
  • Presentation - Preliminary Mapping and Option B Fee  (revised)
  • Preliminary Draft Maps:
    • Map 1 - FRAP WHR Oak Woodland Types
    • Map 2 - Large Expanses of Oak Woodland
    • Map 4 - Model of Existing Oak Woodland - Score Based on Large Expanses, Undeveloped Land, and Parcel Size
    • Map 5 - Model of Future Oak Woodland - Score Based on Large Expanses, Undeveloped Land, and Land Use
    • Map 6 - Important Oak Woodland Habitat (without Corridors)
    • Map 7 - Priority Conservation Areas (without Corridors)
    • Map 8 - Important Oak Woodland Habitat with Existing Natural Resource, Agricultural Districts, and other Open Space Designations
    • Map 9 - Priority Conservation Areas with Existing Natural Resources, Agricultural Districts, and other Open Space Designations
      
      
• Planning Commission - 12/14/2006 Meeting Items
  • Staff Memo - Oak Woodland Management Plan - Workshop on Mitigation Options with Focus on General Plan Policy 7.4.4.4 Option B Fee Methods
  • Presentation - Progress Report, Cost Components, Option B Fee Methodology Criteria, Other Considerations affecting Option B   
    
• Joint Planning Commission/Agriculture Commission - 11/16/2006 Meeting Items
  • Staff Memo - Oak Woodland Management Plan Overview, Participation, Evaluation, Challenges
  • Oak Woodland Management Plan Overview Presentation  
  • Preliminary Draft, Oak Woodland Technical Report, Evaluative Criteria
  • Preliminary Evaluative Oak Woodland Maps
    • Government Ownership
    • Important Biological Corridors, Ecological Preserves, and Protected Lands
    • Important Farmlands
    • Land Use Intensity
    • Oak Woodland Habitat Evaluation
    • Oak Woodland Habitat
      
      
• Planning Commission - 11/9/2006 Meeting Items
  • Staff Memo - Interim Interpretive Guidelines for Oak Woodlands Draft/Strikeout & Underline
  • Streamlined Process for Ministerial Projects on Existing Lots
  • Draft Interim Interpretive Guidelines for Oak Woodlands (underline/strikethrough version)
  • Site Assessment Form
  • Biological Resources Study and Important Habitat Mitigation Program Guidelines Draft/Strikeout & Underline
  • Interim Oak Woodland Guidelines Final/Adopted 11/09/2006
  • Interim Biological Resources Study and Important Habitat Mitigation Program Guidelines Final/Adopted 11/09/2006
    
    
• Planning Commission - 10/26/2006 Meeting Items
  • Staff Memo - Draft Interim Interpretive Guidelines for Oak Woodlands
  • Oak/Canopy Site Assessment Form
  • Interim Guidelines for Oak Woodland Policy 7.4.4.4
  • Biological Resources Study and an Important Habitat Mitigation Program Interim Guidelines
    
  • Fire Safe Guidelines
  • OWMP Process Review PowerPoint Presentation
  • Staff Memo - Oak Woodland Management Plan Work Plan and Schedule Overview
    
    
• Planning Commission - 10/12/2006 Meeting Items
  • Staff Memo - Draft Interim Interpretive Guidelines for Oak Woodlands
  • Oak/Canopy Site Assessment Form
  • Interim Guidelines for Oak Woodland Policy 7.4.4.4
  • Biological Resources Study and an Important Habitat Mitigation Program Interim Guidelines
    
  • Fire Safe Guidelines
    
    
• Planning Commission - 09/28/2006 Meeting Items
  • Oak Guidelines Key Concepts, Final, Planning Commission Approved
    
    
• Board of Supervisors - 9/19/2006 Meeting
  • Staff Memo - EN2 OWMP Scope of Work
  • EN2 OWMP Proposed Scope of Work [2.02 MB, 25 pages]
    
    
• September 1, 2006 - Courtesy Notice of Public Hearing Regarding the Oak Woodland Management Plan Contract
  
  
• Planning Commission - 9/14/06 Meeting Items
  • Staff Memo - Interim Guidelines for Oak Woodland Policy 7.4.4.4
  • Oak Guidelines Key Concepts Issues and Recommendations
  • Oak Guidelines Key Concepts Strikeout and Underline
  • Oak Guidelines Key Concepts Final
  • Oak Guidelines Key Concepts Public Comments Summary
    
    
• Planning Commission - 07/27/06 Meeting Items
  • Staff Memo - Oak Woodlands Policy Issues
  • Key Concepts for Discussion Related to General Plan Policies 7.4.4.4 (Option A), 7.4.4.5, 7.4.5.1, and 7.4.5.2