Board of Supervisors approves $1.5 million in vegetation management grants to reduce wildfire risk

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors today approved $1.51 million in grants for 10 projects that will reduce wildfire risk in high-priority landscapes, improve safety along key evacuation routes and train workers in land management practices that protect communities from wildfires. 

The grants are funded through the County’s Vegetation Management Grant Program and managed by Sonoma County Ag + Open Space. The Board of Supervisors created the program in 2020, allocating $25 million from the County’s settlement with PG&E over the 2017 wildfires. 

“Thoughtful investments and strong partnerships can reduce the growing threat posed by wildfires,” said Supervisor Rebecca Hermosillo, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “These grants support projects developed in collaboration with landowners, community groups and local fire experts. This results in practical work on the ground that will better protect communities and strengthen our county’s overall preparedness.” 

The 10 projects were developed by applicants with guidance from fire professionals, resource conservation districts, community-based organizations and County staff during a series of workshops and site visits over the last two years. Together, the projects will reduce vegetation around ridgelines, critical infrastructure and vulnerable communities, while also advancing environmental compliance for future large-scale projects. 

The approved projects include:

• Padmasambhava Peace Institute: $300,000 to construct a shaded fuel break and reduce fuels from Muniz Ranches to Fort Ross Road north of Jenner.
• Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District: $250,000 to reduce hazardous vegetation along the Cloverdale Road–Geysers Road corridor in the northern Mayacamas Mountains.
• Sonoma Ecology Center: $200,000 to begin large-scale vegetation treatment in eastern Sonoma Valley above Agua Caliente and Sonoma.
• Conservation Corps North Bay: $177,500 to extend a fuel break in Foothill Regional Park while providing hands-on training and paid experience for young adults entering the vegetation management workforce.
• Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation: $150,000 to expand SRJC’s Wildfire Resilience program, which offers paid internships for students and develops a skilled workforce to carry out fuel reduction and land management projects.
• Sonoma County Fire District: $108,500 to remove hazardous eucalyptus trees around critical water tanks on the east side of the Larkfield-Wikiup area.
• Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District: $100,000 to reduce fuels along the southern Bohemian Highway corridor south of Occidental.
• Sonoma Resource Conservation District: $100,000 to complete environmental review for future fuel reduction projects covering more than 130,000 acres across the southern Mayacamas, Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Mountain and west to Petaluma.
• Environmental Resource Solutions: $75,000 to create defensible space and reduce vegetation around a critical communications tower on Siri Ridge west of Guerneville.
• Coast Ridge Community Forest: $50,000 to expand fuel reduction work in the hills above Fort Ross and Cazadero. 

The $1.51 million in County grants will be matched by approximately $1.36 million from state, local and private sources, including contributions from landowners. 

Since 2021, the Vegetation Management Grant Program has funded 74 projects totaling $12.5 million, resulting in fuel reduction treatments on 6,845 acres and training for more than 3,500 individuals. With today’s action, approximately $5.7 million remains available from the original PG&E settlement allocation for future vegetation management efforts. 

The Board today also approved funding to extend the County’s Vegetation Management Coordinator position through October 2027 to oversee projects, coordinate partners, pursue additional grant funding and align local efforts with regional and state wildfire resilience initiatives. 

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Media Contact:
Ted Appel, Communications Specialist
publicaffairs@sonomacounty.gov
(707) 565-3040
575 Administration Drive, Suite 104A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403