2023 SLO COUNTY FUEL REDUCTION APPROVED

We were notified today that our $2.8 million 2023 SLO COUNTY FUEL REDUCTION grant application was APPROVED for funding

Scope of work: (Project list attached)

This project will provide 30 treatments to enhance wildfire protection for 17 WUI communities at risk and more than 2,400 structures in SRA and 955 in LRA/SRA fringe by treating a total of 1,320acres of hazardous fuels including 44 miles (411 acres) of roadside and 885 acres of hazardous fuels reduction.

Projects focus on Very High and High Fire Hazard Severity Zone’s areas and are consistent with CAL FIRE-SLU Unit Fire Plan; Priority Landscapes, PG&E Tier 2 & 3 areas, 2019 Countywide CWPP, 2020 San Luis Obispo County Safety Element and Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, and the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan where previous high consequence fires have burned in the county. 30 treatments will include prescribed grazing, hand crews, mechanical treatment (mastication/crushing), chippers, and arborists to improve emergency access/egress for public and responders on 44 miles of roadside; 160 acres of dead and dying eucalyptus trees; 225 acres of woodland shaded fuel break (125 acres are LRA in Salinas river and 30 acres in San Luis creek in city of San Luis Obispo where more than 200 fires have occurred in the last 3 years due to homeless issues); and 500 acres of prescribed fire prep on shrublands throughout San Luis Obispo County.

The treatments will be in 17 communities at risk (Santa Margarita; Pozo; Parkhill; Nipomo; Arroyo Grande; Adelaide; Oak Shores; Paso Robles; Avila Beach; Pismo Beach; Huasna; Cayucos; San Luis Obispo; Lake Nacimiento; Heritage Ranch; Creston; and Templeton).

Dan Turner, Executive Director