Mountain Community Fire Safe Council continues to help homeowners with abatement, other agencies with forest health

Mountain Community Fire Safe Council (MCFSC), the nonprofit organization that helps local property-owners plan and pay for home fire abatement, was among the stakeholders reporting at the March meeting of the Mountain Area Safety Taskforce. Executive Director Callie Squires provided an update on older grants that are wrapping up, and new grants and applications.

MCFSC’s Wild Fire Prevention grant started in 2019 and funded over 200 projects, removing approximately 200 trees and 500 tons of biomass; a USFS Forest Health grant, with MCFSC as a sub-recipient, removed about 100 dead dying and diseased oaks affected by the Goldspotted oak borer (GSOB), another 200 tons of biomass; a second GSOB grant, with Riverside County Fire, took out over 80 trees from 40 parcels.

Looking forward, MCFSC has a grant for $3.7 million, for work through 2029. This will include vacant parcel compliance, working with CalFire and the Office of the County Fire Marshall. They also hope to treat 3,500 GSOB trees this year, up from 3,000 in 2024.

Pending applications include a Forest Health grant for over $3 million to continue GSOB work for the next five years. Another application seeks to revisit the Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which has not been updated since 2017. Also in the works are other Forest Health Projects, including reforestation in burn scars and workshops on native oak propagation.

Staff are revisiting treated oaks and seeing that areas treated in 2021 and 2022 have a reduction in the spread of infestation. Education is also part of this mission; Riverside County Parks has discovered GSOB at Lake Skinner, and MCFSC will be participating in a June event there to spread community awareness of the treatment program. CalFire’s Lynette Short noted that MCFSC’s work on both private and public land, and their ability to survey and keep records of the program, is really helping CalFire understand the situation. Chris Fogle, of the USFS, noted the Forest Service’s participation in the GSOB project, surveying treated trees in their areas of responsibility.

Homeowners interested in MCFSC’s grant programs should visit their website, mcfsc.org, or call their office at (951) 659-6208. Field staff will visit and inspect your land and create an abatement plan. Bids for tree work will be solicited from three contractors, and the homeowner presented with the lowest bid. Grants pay for 75% of the cost. There is no cost to homeowners for GSOB chemical treatment.