Benefits: Mitigates wildfire risks to life, property, and the environment.
Sonoma County, California: $36.98 Million
Project Description
This project will establish an innovative "systems" methodology to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire losses in the Wildland Urban Interface. The system’s premise establishes zones containing an inner and outer core. The inner core is hardened by encouraging property owners to create and maintain defensible space and to mitigate their homes to reduce the potential for ignition from embers, direct flame or radiant heat. The outer core absorbs the impacts from wildfires before they get to this hardened inner core. This is accomplished by reducing vegetation in large-parcel infill sites and or wildland areas that abut communities. Infill sites are created to provide buffers to decrease fire spread and intensity, provide anchor points, and increase environmental benefits including forest health and water quality.