Dec

Draft Community Wildfire Protection Plan for Yolo County: Available for Review

Since the fall of 2020, Yolo County Resource Conservation District has been leading the planning process for the Yolo County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). Yolo County RCD is pleased to announce that a draft of the Yolo County CWPP along with a CWPP project list is available for review to the general public. This document was written by Yolo County Resource Conservation District staff, who are official coordinators of the Yolo County Fire Safe Council through a Memorandum of Understanding with the County of Yolo. This document has been guided by, edited and commented on by the CWPP Steering Committee, composed of citizens, fire officials, and staff from the Yolo County Office of Emergency Services and the Yolo County RCD.

A CWPP is a collaborative plan developed to reduce wildfire risk and create fire-adapted communities. With community input, a CWPP is designed to mitigate and prepare for wildfire risk by recommending actions including fuel treatments, road improvements, evacuation planning, and more. All CWPPs are required by the Federal Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA, 2003) to have the following standards:

Identify and prioritize fuel reduction opportunities throughout the plan area.
Address structural ignitability.
Collaborate with relevant partners and stakeholders.

The Yolo County CWPP provides an analysis of wildfire hazards and risks in unincorporated areas of Yolo County. Projects are focused on rural areas in the “Wildland-Urban Interface” (WUI), which is defined as any populated area that falls within high severity fire hazard areas. This countywide planning document has been created with input from local fire departments and governments, land managers, and residents. CWPPs are designed to address the conditions, values, and priorities related to wildfire risk reduction and community resilience. Developing a CWPP enables access to funding sources for fuels reduction work and other wildfire resilience projects. A CWPP is an excellent way for community members living in Yolo County to influence how and where fuels reduction projects occur as well as help guide wildfire risk reduction priorities.

The Yolo County CWPP must be approved and signed by the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, The Yolo County Firefighter’s Association of Fire Chiefs, and CAL FIRE.

The public is invited to review this Draft CWPP on the Yolo County Living with Wildfire site (linked below) and provide any comments and corrections to Tanya Meyer, RCD Senior Program Manager, at meyer@yolorcd.org or 530-661-1688. The deadline for comments is Monday, January 9, 2023.

Yolo County CWPP DRAFT _2022_December

This project is funded by: