A Public Workshop to Identify Priority Fuel Break Project Areas
August 23, 2019 - Oakhurst, California - A public workshop to identify strategic fuel breaks in Eastern Madera County will be held on September 10th at the Oakhurst Library Community Room from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. The Fire Resilient Madera Workshop is a program, developed under the Madera Strategic Wildfire Mitigation Project, to seek public input as to where fuel breaks should be implemented and to develop a plan. A series of workshops will be held in the coming months and public participation is key to the success of the program.
Participants are encouraged to RSVP to the workshop on the Yosemite Sequoia Resource Conservation and Development Council (Yosemite Sequoia RC&DC) website ysrcandd.org/fireresilientmadera or on the Facebook event. If you are unable to make it to the workshop, you can still participate in the program by filling out the public input form online. There will be other opportunities to provide your input, such as the Town Hall meetings hosted by Madera County District 5 Supervisor Tom Wheeler. The next Town Hall meeting will be held in Ahwahnee at the Wasuma Elementary School on September 19th from 6:00pm – 8:00pm. Representatives from Yosemite Sequoia RC&DC will be presenting information on various fuel reduction projects, the Fire Resilient Madera Workshop and taking questions.
The Madera Strategic Wildfire Mitigation Project, initiated by Yosemite Sequoia RC&DC, will fund the strategic implementation of fuel breaks and defensible landscape projects in Eastern Madera County. Five to seven projects over three years will protect 15,000 habitable structures, as well as businesses, infrastructure and community resources. Treatments will vary based on fuel types and conditions (slope, elevation, etc.) but could include tree felling, mechanical or hand crew thinning, chipping and pile burning to accomplish public safety and fuel reduction goals.
Funding for this project is provided by the California Department of Forestry andFire Protection as part of the California Climate Investments Program. Work on the fuel breaks is expected to begin this fall.
The Madera Strategic Wildfire Mitigation Project is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment —particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at: www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.
The Yosemite Sequoia Resource Conservation & Development Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to natural resource conservation and economic development. The Council service area includes the rural and foothill communities of Fresno, Madera, Mariposa and Tulare counties.
Source: Yosemite Sequoia Resource Conservation & Development Council
