SIERRA COUNTY FIRE SAFE COUNCIL gave a presentation to the Board of Supervisors on February 21st in Loyalton. Board Chair Sharon Dryden asked the Council to come give an update, stating she was encouraged to see on all the projects that are in progress. County Forester, Danielle Bradfield talked about the County Coordinator Grant of $175,000 that created the County Coordinator position she was hired as and the Outreach Specialist position. She explained meetings are a nexus for wildfire mitigation in the county. She told of a survey that was distributed to Sierra County communities to gage concerns about fire resiliency and risk. Results showed that people resoundingly wanted fuels reduction on public lands adjacent to their communities. They are now going after a CAL FIRE Prevention Grant to treat roughly 400 acres around Sierra City and Sattley if awarded. She reported on the Sierraville WUI (Wildland-Urban Interface) project for 70 acres of mastication along West Willow Street which will be completed in the spring. Bradfield announced Greene Acres decision memo was signed after two years. The project is between the Tahoe National Forest and Sierra County utilizing the Master Stewardship Agreement for a little less than 1,200 acres around the community of Greene Acres. It involves saw log, biomass extraction, as well as fuels treatment. Bradfield called it great news to finally have a signed decision. She stated next steps were preparatory work, then an RFP (Request for Proposals).
GREEN WASTE PROGRAM
Rodd Rummel, Executive Director for Sierra County Fire Safe looked ahead, stating they applied for several different grants for mitigation and capacity building to continue what they’ve set forth so far. One key element is the Green Waste Program. He stated they’ve had one in the past but it has been dormant due to COVID and other issues. He asked Supervisor Paul Roen to talk more on this. Roen stated he’d been in discussions with Transportation Deputy Director Bryan Davey because a high number of residents indicated on that survey they wanted to utilize the Green Waste trailers again. County Counsel put together a template to mitigate the County and the plan is to have the trailers at transfer stations for use. He stated the County would take calls and manage them to be used. One would be on each side of the county. Roen stated there were funds left in Title III they could use to buy another one, if the demand is high. He said this is the first step to getting the trailers back out into the communities. Rummel explained having green waste programs makes it an efficient and easy way for homeowners to get rid of green waste. Defensible space is the responsibility of homeowners. Dryden called the Fire Safe Council very robust and fantastic to see all they are doing. By consensus, the Board directed staff to bring back the Green Waste trailer topic to the next meeting to be voted on.
GREEN WASTE PROGRAM
Rodd Rummel, Executive Director for Sierra County Fire Safe looked ahead, stating they applied for several different grants for mitigation and capacity building to continue what they’ve set forth so far. One key element is the Green Waste Program. He stated they’ve had one in the past but it has been dormant due to COVID and other issues. He asked Supervisor Paul Roen to talk more on this. Roen stated he’d been in discussions with Transportation Deputy Director Bryan Davey because a high number of residents indicated on that survey they wanted to utilize the Green Waste trailers again. County Counsel put together a template to mitigate the County and the plan is to have the trailers at transfer stations for use. He stated the County would take calls and manage them to be used. One would be on each side of the county. Roen stated there were funds left in Title III they could use to buy another one, if the demand is high. He said this is the first step to getting the trailers back out into the communities. Rummel explained having green waste programs makes it an efficient and easy way for homeowners to get rid of green waste. Defensible space is the responsibility of homeowners. Dryden called the Fire Safe Council very robust and fantastic to see all they are doing. By consensus, the Board directed staff to bring back the Green Waste trailer topic to the next meeting to be voted on.
