Community Wildfire Protection Plan

CWPP Update

2010-04-07T15:28:00.000-07:00

The 30-day public comment period on the initial draft of the CWPP closed on March 19th. During that period, many agencies, organizations, landowners, community members and other stakeholders have submitted thoughtful feedback that will now guide the revision process. CAL FIRE and the RCDs are presently reviewing all comments submitted by email or through attendance at the March public meetings in both counties. Stakeholder comments will be included in the final draft in summary form. The finalized CWPP will be presented for acceptance by the Board of Supervisors in both Santa Cruz and San Mateo Counties.

CWPP March 2010 Public Meetings

2010-03-12T10:19:00.000-08:00

If you missed the March 2010 Public Meetings to review the draft CWPP, you can review the Powerpoint Presentation slides below.

Public Meeting about the Draft Community Wildfire Protection Plan for San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties

2010-03-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

CAL FIRE (San Mateo – Santa Cruz Unit) in partnership with the Resource Conservation Districts of San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties invite you to participate in either of two meetings for the presentation of the draft San Mateo – Santa Cruz County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). The purpose of these meetings is to provide an overview of the draft CWPP and to solicit feedback for incorporation into the final draft. The public comment period closes on March 19, 2010.

CLICK HERE TO LINK DIRECTLY TO DOWNLOAD SITE FOR DRAFT PLAN

Santa Cruz County Meeting:
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 6:00pm—8:00pm
Meeting Room at Aptos Village Park
100 Aptos Creek Road, Aptos

San Mateo County Meeting:
Thursday, March 11, 2010 6:00pm—8:00pm
San Mateo County Board of Supervisors Hall of Justice
400 County Center, Redwood City

If you are unable to participate in a CWPP meeting on either March 9 or 11, please consider sending your information/comments by email: wildfireplan@gmail.com.

Draft CWPP and Public Survey are ready for Public Input!

2010-02-17T17:00:00.000-08:00

CLICK HERE TO LINK DIRECTLY TO DOWNLOAD SITE FOR DRAFT PLAN

We are pleased to announce the release of the preliminary draft of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan of San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties. This CWPP attempts to identify wildfire hazards in our region and provide strategies to mitigate risk and restore healthier, more resilient ecosystems. It is also a tool for the accrual of grant funding to aid in the implementation of local wildfire prevention projects. It includes feedback solicited over the course of multiple meetings with diverse stakeholders, including local fire professionals, residents, agency and organizational staff, private businesses, large landowners and other members of the community.

For the next thirty days, we invite broad public feedback on the current draft, available for download at San Mateo County RCD's website or at RCD of Santa Cruz County's website. Comments will be accepted on this draft until 5pm on Friday, March 19, 2010, after which CAL FIRE will integrate comments into a final draft for release no later than March 31, 2010. Please direct all comments to this email address (wildfireplan@gmail.com).

Please also consider completing a 15-minute online survey to help us better assess local values and concerns about wildfire hazards and risks. You may complete the survey by March 19, 2010 at 5pm, at the following link: Click here to take survey

We thank you in advance for your attention to this important effort toward wildfire prevention in your community.

CWPP Project Proposal Guidelines: Your Feedback Is Needed ASAP!

2009-11-25T16:17:00.000-08:00

We are seeking input from homeowners, businesses, landowners, land managers, fire districts and federal, state and local governments about projects you would like included in the CWPP. For example, projects may reduce hazardous fuel loads, develop emergency evacuation plans, improve access for emergency response, or improve understanding of fire on the landscape.

Fire prevention projects that are included in a CWPP are more likely to acquire grant funding and receive assistance from partnerships that have been formed to reduce fire hazards. Fifty percent of federal funds for fuel reduction must be spent in these areas, and communities that develop a CWPP are given priority when funding opportunities for fuels reduction on private and public lands are available.

Please fill out the Project Proposal Guidelines and submit your project by December 23, 2009 to wildfireplan@gmail.com. Email us to request the Project Proposal Guidelines as a Word Document. You may also view the Project Proposal Guidelines as a GoogleDoc or as a webpage.

Agency/Large Landowner Meeting

2009-08-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: MEETINGS CANCELLED

Due to the Lockheed Fire, the 8/13 and 8/14 meetings have been postponed. We apologize for the inconvenience and will reschedule as soon as possible.

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On August 13th and 14th, CAL FIRE and the RCDs will host two CWPP input meetings seeking feedback and ideas from:
• Federal Agencies
• State Agencies
• County and local government
• and stakeholders such as Land trusts, Resource operations (timber, mineral, agricultural, etc…), Utilities (electric, water, etc…) and Large property owners

Click here to view a detailed invitation.

If you would like to attend, please RSVP at wildfireplan [at] gmail [dot] com.

San Mateo County Disaster Preparedness Day

2009-08-03T16:24:00.000-07:00

Click on the image to enlarge.

The 5th Annual San Mateo County Disaster Preparedness Day is Saturday, September 12, 2009 from 10am-2pm. This year, the county-wide event will be held at South San Francisco High School, 400 B Street, in South San Francisco.

In addition to preparedness instructions, booths, emergency vehicle and
equipment displays and demonstrations and a basic CPR course, speakers will
specifically address the needs of pets, seniors and those with disabilities.

Plus, there will be an H1N1 flu virus update, and helicopters are expected
from the California Department of Forestry, the US Coast Guard and
Lifeflight. The aircraft have always been a crowd favorite, especially
during landings and take-offs.

As in previous years, the event is free, with a free gift for the first 500
families and free hot dogs and soft drinks for everyone. It's a great,
family-oriented, fun and educational event.

If you have any questions, please contact the sheriff's Office of Emergency Services at 650-363-4790.

"Dire forecast for fire season in the West"

2009-07-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

The San Francisco Chronicle reports today on a new forecast from U.S. Forest Service researchers that predicts "this fire season throughout California and the West is likely to be one of the worst on record as heat and drought persist through the fall."

Read the full article here: "Dire forecast for fire season in the West"

In other news, check out this story published the same day in the Half Moon Bay Review:

"Local duo fills fire prevention service void in La Honda"

Follow-up to Introductory Meetings

2009-06-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

The June 2009 Introductory Meetings for CWPP Development were very well attended in both San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties. The two-hour agenda was packed, including presentations by CAL FIRE (San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit) and the RCDs (San Mateo County RCD and RCD of Santa Cruz County), Q&A, and breakout sessions during which participants responded to the following prompts:

Breakout Questions:

What are critical assets in your community that need to be protected from wildfire? Indicate preferred treatment method if relevant.
What are your concerns about access to fight fires? Can you provide any updates on conditions of access roads, gates, etcetera?
Is there anything you see on this map that you would consider inaccurate or incomplete?
Are there any special hazards in your community with respect to wildfire? Indicate preferred treatment method if relevant.
Are there key individuals in your community that you think should be involved in developing the CWPP for any reason?
Is there anything else you’d like to share about this process, such as hopes or concerns?

Please take a moment to browse the following meeting materials to review presentations or read through community feedback from Breakout Sessions. Please feel free to email us or comment on this post if you have further input to offer.

Meeting Agenda and CWPP Fact Sheet

CAL FIRE Presentation: "What a CWPP Is and Isn't"

RCD Presentation: "CWPP Development Process"

Breakout Session Results for San Mateo County (June 2)

Breakout Session Results for Santa Cruz County (June 9)

Remember to send follow-up comments to wildfireplan [at] gmail [dot] com! Alternatively, you can post comments to this blog by clicking on the comments link below (please note that comments are anonymous so we will not be able to follow up with you individually).

CWPP Introductory Meetings: 6/2 & 6/9

2009-05-21T12:36:00.001-07:00

CAL FIRE San Mateo—Santa Cruz Unit and the Resource Conservation Districts of San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties invite you to participate in developing the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties. Meetings on June 2 and June 9 will introduce the CWPP process and explain how you can contribute your unique local knowledge to this collaborative community-based plan.

Click on the thumbnail to the right to view larger image.

San Mateo County Meeting
Tuesday June 2nd at 7:00 p.m.
Coastside Fire Protection District (Click here for map)
1191 Main Street
Half Moon Bay, CA

Santa Cruz County Meeting
Tuesday June 9th at 7:00 p.m.
Zayante Fire Protection District (Click here for map)
7700 East Zayante Road
Felton, CA

Please email questions or comments to:
wildfireplan [at] gmail [dot] com

Headwaters Economics Report

2009-05-04T13:06:00.000-07:00

A recent study conducted by Headwaters Economics ranked Santa Cruz County 14th and San Mateo County 23rd in the state for fire risk amongst the 58 counties of California. This study looked at 413 counties within 11 western states and ranked Santa Cruz County 9th for percentage of wildland urban interface (WUI) with homes (58%). Amongst counties in the western states ranked by number of homes located within the wildland interface, Santa Cruz ranked 12th with 16,266 homes and San Mateo County ranked 21st with 11,687 homes.

An aerial view of Santa Cruz County and rural San Mateo County clearly illustrates this as housing development is barely visible beneath dense forest canopy.

County of San Mateo:

View Larger Map

County of Santa Cruz:

View Larger Map