Wildfire resiliency projects underway in Santa Barbara
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The pro-active work to prevent wildfires now includes a new crew in Santa Barbara.
The Santa Barbara City Fire Department is working with Parks and Recreation to protect communities, natural resources, and property.
A new Vegetation Management Crew is carving away at the risks with targeted projects throughout the city.
This week, they are in the Honda Valley Park between TV hill and the Mesa.
The overall scope of the work started with a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). It was completed in 2021.
The city provided some insights in a news release, saying, “We are excited to initiate this groundbreaking project and the opportunity to collaborate with City Parks and Recreation to lessen the fire risk in our parks and open spaces. This is the first time that a collaboration of this nature has taken place,” said Wildland Specialist, Mark vonTillow.
Many homeowners associations and neighborhoods are working to reduce their risk factors and create a fire-wise and resilient community.
The city said the joint Fire Resiliency project will:
- Maintain defensible space in city park land around adjacent homes.
- Maintain and improve fire access roads.
- Vegetation management targeted at deadwood, excessive thatch, high-fire risk invasive species removal, and associated native plant restoration efforts.
- Fuel load reduction in at-risk areas, and
- Community outreach and education around fuels management.
This funding will be used in open spaces across the city including: Arroyo Burro Open Space, Barger Canyon Preserve, Cold Spring Trail and Gould Park, Douglas Family Preserve, Equestrian Circle, Franceschi Park, Hale Park, Hidden Valley Park, Honda Valley Park, Jesusita Trail Corridor, La Mesa Park, Laurel Canyon Park, Parma Park, Rattlesnake Canyon Trail Corridor, Sheffield Reservoir, Skofield Park, and Stevens Park.
Looking at the work ahead, vonTillow said, "right now we've got overgrown and overcrowded dead and down, all kinds of fuel we are trying to remove some of that and leave the good stuff so if fire comes in here it's not going to be as bad"
Santa Barbara City Parks Department Associate Park Planner Monique O'Conner said. "It's a win-win for both parties. We want to create this healthy ecosystem with plants that are natural and more suited for this environment and the climate that we see."
She also said there's funding to restore native plants in the area.
This project was funded through the California State Coastal Conservancy grant program.
Similar programs in the months ahead will also be funded by CAL FIRE.
