Background: The Fire Safe Council of Santa Cruz County is an incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2016. Our mission is to educate and mobilize the people of Santa Cruz County to protect their homes, community, and the environment at risk from catastrophic fire. Two-thirds of Santa Cruz County is considered Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), putting a large percentage of our population, housing, economy, wildlife, and environment at risk.
The FSCSCC seeks an Administrative Coordinator to support and enhance the efforts of our volunteer board of directors to help the public learn to live with fire in Santa Cruz County. This is a limited term contract initiated and funded by the County Board of Supervisors through June 30, 2022, with the possibility of renewal in future years.
By: National Association of Conservation Districts
The Resource Conservation District (RCD) of Santa Cruz County got a jump start on a key piece of its forest health programs just a year after the worst fire on record in the county.
By: Hannah Hagemann | Santa Cruz Sentinel
SANTA CRUZ — Santa Cruz County residents looking to get their home ready for peak wildfire season can apply for the Resource Conservation District’s no-cost chipping program on Wednesday.
The RCD’s Santa Cruz County Forest Health and Fire Resilience Public Works Plan (PWP) was certified by the California Coastal Commission on June 25, 2021. View the Santa Cruz County Forest Health and Fire Resilience Public Works Plan here:
PWP final 061621 changes tracked (MS Word)
The goal of the RCDSCC PWP is to meet the need for programmatic permitting for high-priority forest health and fuels management projects to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire and improve ecological conditions for forests, woodlands, and grasslands within the coastal zone. The PWP provides a planning framework to efficiently review and authorize vegetation management projects within the Program Area over the next ten years using principles, strategies, and best management practices that align fire prevention planning with the protection of coastal resources. This draft PWP is the result of a coordinated planning process of the RCDSCC and San Mateo RCD, in collaboration with State Parks, Cal FIRE, CA Coastal Commission, and staff of the planning departments of Santa Cruz and San Mateo Counties. A parallel Draft PWP is under development to serve the need in San Mateo County.
Date of Resource Conservation District (RCD) of Santa Cruz County Public Noticing: April 28, 2021
View the complete RCD public notice by clicking here.
Date of California Coastal Commission Public Noticing: June 25, 2021View the complete Coastal Commission public notice by clicking here.
Date of Public Hearing: The RCDSCC will host a public hearing on the draft PWP at the RCDSCC Board of Directors Meeting June 9, 2021 at 6:30 PM
Location: Web https://zoom.us/j/708386048?pwd=bm5RWklIbEIvbEQ0K0ZWdTFmMENQQT09
Or Phone 1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 708-386-048, Meeting Password: 599600
The meeting agenda will be posted at least 10 days prior to the hearing, and can be found on the RCDSCC’s website here: www.rcdsantacruz.org/board-meeting-docs
Questions and comments regarding the Draft Santa Cruz County Forest Health and Fire Resilience Public Works Plan can be directed to the RCDSCC at or 831-464-2950.
Written comments are due by midnight on June 8th. Oral comments will continue to be received at the June 9th hearing.
Download comments that were received through the public comment period of June 9th.
Click here to view public comments submitted to the San Mateo PWP.
About Public Works Plans (PWP): A PWP is a land use planning document that plans for and sets a framework for implementing a specific public works project or array of public works-related activities. A PWP provides a land use planning alternative to Local Coastal Programs (LCPs) for obtaining approval of large or phased public works projects, as well as any development proposed by a special district, and remains under the authority of the Coastal Commission irrespective of coastal permit jurisdictional boundaries. A PWP is an alternative to project-by-project review for public works, which would otherwise require multiple coastal development permits for different components of the public works project. For more information contact the Coastal Commission at
Board Hearing Power Point Presentation