CAL FIRE Funds 94 Wildfire Projects
CAL FIRE Funds 94 Wildfire Projects to Build Climate and Community Resilience
August 20, 2024 – CAL FIRE announced grants with $90.8 million in funding for 94 local wildfire prevention projects across California. Wildfire Prevention Grant projects include hazardous fuels reduction and wildfire prevention planning and education, with an emphasis on improving public health and safety while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Over two-thirds of the projects will go to communities that are low-income and disadvantaged. These grants bring CAL FIRE’s Wildfire Prevention Grants Program total funding to $450 million that have supported over 450 projects across the state which have collectively accelerated progress toward the goals of California’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan.
CNRA Webinar on the State of Wildfire in California
CNRA Webinar on the State of Wildfire in California
August 8, 2024 – California Natural Resources (CNRA) Secretary Wade Crowfoot hosted a webinar on the state of wildfire in California as part of the Secretary Speaker Series.
Secretary Crowfoot was joined by representatives from the Task Force, CAL FIRE, U.S. Forest Service, the Karuk Tribe, and others for a conversation on current efforts to protect California from dangerous wildfires and restore the health of our landscapes.
New Reports on Post-fire Restoration & Public Health Impacts of Wildfire
New Reports on Post-fire Restoration & Public Health Impacts of Wildfire
New Report on Emergency Forest Restoration Teams: Small private landowners often lack the funding, expertise, or time to undertake restoration work. To address these barriers, California’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan called for the establishment of Emergency Forest Restoration Teams (EFRTs). In June, 2024 a report on lessons learned was released from three pilot EFRTs that were developed in late 2021 in response to the Dixie, Tamarack and Caldor Fires. The report provides key recommendations for future EFRTs to be successful.
New Report on the Public Health Impacts of Wildfire: This new scoping report covers the intersections of wildland fire and public health. Developed by UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy, & the Environment in partnership with the Climate and Wildfire Institute, the report investigates key issues in the physical and mental health impacts of wildfire, provides an overview of the current state and federal policy landscape, and presents key recommendations for future resilience.
California Leads Nation with 800th Firewise USA Community
California Leads Nation with 800th Firewise USA Community
On May 18, KenCrest Ridge community in Ventura County became California’s 800th Firewise USA community. Reaching the 800th Firewise community within a year of the 700th community is a major accomplishment statewide, demonstrating the pace California is taking to create more fire-adapted communities. The recognition by the National Fire Protection Association highlights the steps taken by the community to ensure wildfire risk is reduced in their area and that residents are prepared. The KenCrest Ridge community worked closely with CAL FIRE, the Ventura County Fire Department, and the Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council to reach this recognition.
New Pocket Guide Empowers Communities to Collect Seeds and Support Reforestation
New Pocket Guide Empowers Communities to Collect Seeds and Support Reforestation
Seed collection is a critical first step in successful reforestations projects. The new ‘California Cone Hunter’s Pocket Guide’ serves as an in-the-field reference for those assisting with seed surveys and seed collection in support of post-fire reforestation efforts. The pocket guide was created by seed bank managers, geneticists, seed collectors and Cone Corps members, led by the USDA Forest Service, CAL FIRE, and American Forests. The Pocket Guide is available in both electronic and printed formats and will be distributed at Cone Camp seed collection trainings.
New Online Resources Now Available to Help Prepare for Wildfires
New Online Resources Now Available to Help Prepare for Wildfires
Understanding how best to prepare for wildfire season just got easier with several new, easy-to-navigate online resources that identify low-cost and achievable recommendations to protect yourself, your home and loved ones.
ready.ca.gov: On May 24, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the launch of ready.ca.gov, a new one-stop-shop for Californians to prepare for wildfires and other emergencies. The website is part of Listos California, a state effort that connects communities with resources before, during and after emergencies. The website offers resources and alerts for wildfire and wildfire smoke risks.
firePLANNER: CAL FIRE’s newly updated firePLANNER is a web-based platform that helps residents develop customized readiness plans for wildfire and other emergencies. It also provides information on preparing home and property for wildfire; creating an evacuation plan, including for pets and livestock; and special considerations to keep in mind during a wildfire. Users can also access information on active California wildfires. FirePLANNER is available in both English and Spanish.
wildfirerisk.org: The USDA Forest Service now offers an easy-to-use website to help communities understand, explore, and reduce wildfire risk. It includes interactive maps with the latest data and innovations in vegetation, weather, and fire behavior models, along with updated and improved building footprint datasets, a new funding section to help communities find grants and support for wildfire risk reduction, and a new feature called “Risk Reduction Zones” to help communities see the most effective mitigation activities in different locations.
wildfire defense videos: The Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains released a series of wildfire defense videos to serve as an educational hub to provide home-hardening and defensible space information to prepare and defend your property and yourselves against wildfire ignition. The series provides guidance on home hardening, defensible space, fire ecology, and preparedness.
Wildfire Preparedness Week – Meeting the Mission Through Partnerships
Wildfire Preparedness Week – Meeting the Mission Through Partnerships
May 5, 2024 – Governor Newsom issued a proclamation declaring May 5-11, 2024 as California’s “Wildfire Preparedness Week.” This year’s Wildfire Preparedness Week theme, Meeting the Mission Through Partnerships, emphasizes the importance of collaboration and collective responsibility in reducing and managing wildfire risk. California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CAL OES) and CAL FIRE will be hosting a series of events to provide valuable wildfire safety and preparedness tips in Sacramento, San Mateo, San Luis Obispo, and Orange counties. Federal partners in California, including the USFS, National Park Service, BLM, and Bureau of Indian Affairs, are launching an online campaign focused on wildland fire safety and prevention while recreating on public lands.
At the community level, Californians can make their neighborhoods safer by creating defensible space around homes, hardening homes, developing wildfire action plans and teaming up to join Fire Safe Councils and Firewise Communities, which work to regularly assess wildfire risk and prioritize action to address it. Visit ReadyForWildfire.org to learn about steps to prepare for wildfire season and help prevent loss of life and property and explore the Task Force’s webpage dedicated to advancing Fire Adapted Communities.
Nearly 39,000 Acres of Land Returned to California Tribes
Nearly 39,000 Acres of Land Returned to California Tribes
May 2024: The California Natural Resources Agency, in partnership with the CAL FIRE and the Ocean Protection Council awarded $107.7 million to fund 33 projects and support the return of approximately 38,950 acres of land to California Native American tribes through the Tribal Nature-Based Solutions grant program. Funding will support the return of ancestral lands to tribal ownership and stewardship, planning and implementation of habitat restoration projects, protecting our coast and oceans, advancing wildfire resiliency and cultural fire, and more multi-benefit nature-based solutions projects across California.
WATCH: Tribal Nature-Based Solutions Grant Program (YouTube)