Our senior staff has extensive experience in assisting local agencies with fire recovery, including the Counties of Mendocino, where our ongoing work has focused on:

Coordination of debris removal

Rebuilding efforts

Preparation of urgency ordinances

Overseeing coordination between various County departments, regional, state and Federal agencies

Long-range planning for resiliency planning

Our experience includes management and preparation of Multi-Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plans and updates to County General Plan Safety Elements, as well as oversight of various fire recovery grants.

Land Logistics has extensive experience in the implementation and oversight of local agency Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975 (SMARA) programs. SMARA was enacted by the State Legislature to address the need for a continuing supply of mineral resources, and to prevent or minimize the negative impacts of surface mining on public health, property and the environment.

Expertise in SMARA Compliance

Land Logistics provides a full range of SMARA compliance related services. Land Logistics assists lead agencies to ensure compliance with SMARA lead agency responsibilities including such tasks as review of current entitlements, vested rights determinations, review of financial assurance cost estimates (FACE), financial assurance mechanisms (FAMs) and annual reporting requirements, including annual mine inspections and preparation of inspection reports and report submittal to the Division of Mine Reclamation (DMR).

Our team includes the former Chair of the State Mining and Geology Board, and a registered engineering hydrogeologist formerly with OMR.

Entitlement/Permit Processing and Implementation

Land Logistics can take applications for new mines through the use permit and reclama-tion plan review process. Staff analyzes proposals for compliance with state and local regulations, prepares staff reports and prepares environmental documents, and takes the projects through the entitlement process. Our staff has extensive experience working at both the local and state level to achieve compliance in a changing regulatory environment. Land Logistics also understands that mining operators with limited resources sometimes require guidance to develop creative solutions to achieve compliance with permit conditions and SMARA requirements.

Financial Assurance Services

Financial assurance are required to be reviewed and adjusted annually by the lead agency to determine adequacy based on annual changes in the amount of land that is subject to reclamation and changes in reclamation costs. SMARA requires that financial assurances be adjusted annually and submitted to the lead agency for review and approval prior to submitting them to the State Office of Mine Reclamation for their review and approval.

Land Logistics reviews the current financial assurance cost estimates and financial assurance mechanisms for consistency with the provisions of SMARA and with the requirements of the approved reclamation plans.

Annual Inspections / Report Preparation

SMARA requires that all mine inspections be conducted utilizing a form (MRRC-1) ap-proved by the State Mining and Geology Board (SMGB). Land Logistics inspects mine sites at least once in any calendar year, and within six months of the lead agency’s receipt of the surface mining operations report (MRRC-2) submitted by the operator pursuant to PRC §2707. Land Logistics also inspects for compliance with the recla-mation plan, conformance with use permit conditions and checks for any environmental or safety issues that would have to be addressed by the lead agency. Land Logistics also conducts subsequent inspections on those mine sites where deficiencies or violations were noted to verify any corrections.

SMARA Compliance Audits and Education

Land Logistics can also perform internal audits of existing lead agency SMARA programs to determine compliance with the provisions of the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act. This includes a thorough review of approved entitlements, reclamation plans and financial assurances, including the lead agency’s SMARA ordinance as well as its current practices. Land Logistics prepares a report to the lead agency on its findings and recommendations. Land Logistics can also provide training to lead agency staff on the provisions of the administration of SMARA, including the performance of inspections, financial assurance review and the conduct of annual inspections.

Land Logistics provides a wide variety of services to the development community, including:

Permitting and entitlements assistance.

Our experienced staff can help you successfully navigate what can sometimes be a challenging permitting process with local agencies.

We handle all types of development projects, including subdivisions, use permits, design reviews, development agreements, General Plan amendments and rezones, CEQA documentation, building permit processing and more.

Due diligence studies, including property acquisition evaluations, development feasibility studies, fee studies, site constraints analyses and environmental review.

Project management.

We can assist or take a lead role in managing basic or the most complex of development projects, from application filing, agency and community meetings, public hearings and project implementation.

Expertise in:

• Residential, Commercial and Mixed-use developments
• Wineries (new wineries winery expansions, tasting rooms and special events)
• Use permits
• Subdivisions
• Design review
• Development Agreements
• Building permit processing

Private sector clients have included:

Equity Residential

Safeway Property Development Centers

Longs Drugs

Dunmore Capital

Ancient Olive Trees

Guenoc/Langtry Winery