As part of the Resource Conservation District’s Forest Health and Wildfire Resiliency program, we have been working with Cal Fire and other stakeholders to identify and prioritize landscape scale projects in areas considered to be at high-risk for wildfire. This latest award of $970,000 will fund the Lockhart shaded fuel break, in one of those recognized critical hot spots. 

By McKenzie Gannon | Santa Cruz Local

Forest management projects that involve more than 140 Santa Cruz Mountains residents are set to start in August to reduce fuel for wildfires and help create safer escape routes. Some upcoming work includes:

From mid-August to at least mid-November, tree work and brush clearing is expected from Loma Prieta Joint Union School District on Summit Road to Highland Way and Mount Bache Road.

Read orginal article here...

 

By Benjamin Spillman | Pacific Gas and Electric Company

Instant gratification is a rare commodity in the world of species protection.

It’s a big reason Kelli Camara was so thrilled to find a Santa Cruz Long Toed Salamander during a monitoring visit to the Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge near Watsonville, where an existing wetland was improved to extend the period of ponded water for the endangered species.

Read orginal article here...

CAL FIRE has awarded the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts a Wildfire Resilience block grant to support ten Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) statewide in helping both public and private landowners with forest management planning and project implementation. More than $390,000 will be coming to the RCD of Santa Cruz County (RCDSCC) over the course of three years to provide technical assistance to support the development of forest management plans, forest health and fuels management project design. 

by McKenzie Gannon | Santa Cruz Local          photo credit: North Rodeo Gulch FireWise

As a 30-year Santa Cruz County resident, Susan Tatsui-D’Arcy was alarmed by the destruction of the CZU Lightning Complex Fire in 2020. Tatsui-D’Arcy lives on North Rodeo Gulch Road in the Soquel Hills, and she couldn’t help but picture a similar wildfire ripping through forested areas from Highway 9 to Aptos that have not had a large blaze in years. 

Read original article here..

The Resource Conservation District (RCD) of Santa Cruz County is excited to announce our Spring 2022 No-Cost Community Chipping Program. The program is available to Santa Cruz County residents who live in areas, defined as the Wildland Urban Interface, that have the potential for wildfire to impact their properties. Pre-registration begins on April 1, 2022 at 6:00 AM.

An informational Zoom meeting about how to participate in the the program will be held on Tuesday, March 29 at 6:00 PM. Click HERE for more information or to register.

This program is funded through grants from the California Fire Safe Council, US Forest Service and CalFire.