To: Board of Supervisors
From: Aaron J. McAlister, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Report Title: APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Fire Chief, or designee, to apply for and accept Proposition 4 California Climate Bond Department of Forestry and Fire Protection FY 2025-26 Wildfire Prevention Grant funding, in an amount not to exceed $950,000 for the creation of a shaded fuel break.
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Acting as the governing board of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Fire Chief, or designee, to apply for and accept Proposition 4 California Climate Bond Department of Forestry and Fire Protection FY 2025-26 Wildfire Prevention Grant funding, in an amount not to exceed $950,000 for the creation of a shaded fuel break.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The grant request will not exceed $950,000. Although there is no local agency cost sharing requirement, staff time and hand crew participation in the project is considered an in-kind match for the grant application.
BACKGROUND:
Proposition 4 California Climate Bond Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Wildfire Prevention Program Grant supports projects that focus on hazardous fuels reduction, wildfire prevention planning, and wildfire prevention education. The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (District) is requesting approval to apply for and accept this grant in order to implement a shaded fuel break in Concord and Clayton. This Concord / Clayton Shaded Fuel Break (Project) will result in the collective protection of over 9,000 residents in Concord and Clayton by creating a shaded fuel break approximately five miles in length.
The Project will significantly reduce the threat of uncontrolled wildfire and associated greenhouse gas emissions by reducing high fuel concentrations and disrupting the horizontal and vertical continuity of fuel beds. The tree canopy formed by healthy mature trees will remain largely intact to reduce the future growth of brush and understory vegetation and to preserve sequestered carbon in existing trees. The desired result is to restore fuel loading to more natural levels that can be maintained by the periodic introduction of prescribed fire or goat grazing.
Expected outcomes include reduction of biomass of woody and vegetative material available for combustion; significant reduction in the probability of uncontrolled wildfires from starting or entering the area; increasing the effectiveness of defensible space surrounding residential structures in the area; decreasing the amount of woody and vegetative material that is available for conversion to greenhouse gases by unplanned wildfire; and providing for a safer community.
The Project is a fuels reduction effort that will involve the use of goat grazing, hand crews, chippers and medium duty excavators equipped with forestry rotary brush cutters on articulating arms. The excavators will work from existing fire trails or roads to reduce soil disturbance and will focus on removing ladder fuels and accumulated ground fuels within mechanical reach of a fire trail or road. In areas that the excavators cannot reach, work will be accomplished using hand crews, chippers, and pile burning.
Once awarded the grant, the District will initiate a public outreach campaign to community stakeholders and environmental advocacy groups to build momentum and support for the project. The District will begin scheduling work units, depending on time of year and weather conditions. All project and activity work related to the grant will be completed by 2029, three years from the 2026 award date, in accordance with grant program requirements.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this action is not approved, the District will not be able to apply for this grant and will need to find an alternate source of revenue to fund this Project.