Nevada and Placer counties among CAL FIRE’s Fire Prevention Grant awardees

CAL FIRE announced today it will direct nearly $138 million in funding for 105 local fire prevention projects across the State. According to a news release, these grants enable local organizations such as fire safe councils to implement
activities that address the risk of wildfire and reduce wildfire potential for communities. Funded activities include fuel reduction, wildfire planning and fire prevention education.

Both Nevada and Placer counties were awarded funding for two important projects.

Nevada County’s South County Shaded Fuel Break, a project slated to treat 226 parcels for a total of 339 acres, was awarded $1,038,230. According to the project description, the fuel break is strategically designed to provide egress for a highly populated WUI region, while providing firefighters a place to defend lives and property from a wildfire. Through fuels reduction on highly trafficked roadways, the aim is to avoid a severe wildfire altogether thereby reducing GHG from being emitted into the atmosphere. Funding for the project will come from CAL FIRE’s Early Action California Climate Investments (CCI) Program.

The Placer County Resource Conservation District applied for funding for Phase II of the North Fork American River Shaded Fuel Break. According to the project description, this proposal will decrease the risk of high-severity wildfire by reducing fuel loading on 2,331 acres of land along the North Fork American River canyon, protecting high-risk communities including Auburn, Weimar, and Colfax.

If left untreated, a high-severity wildfire will release large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, in addition to threatening more than 15,000 people, millions of dollars of infrastructure, and priceless cultural and natural resources. Decreasing fuel loading using a combination of handwork, mastication, prescribed burning, and grazing will disrupt fuel continuity, mitigate fire behavior, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The project was awarded $4,558,000 from CAL FIRE’s Early Action General Fund (GF).