IFPD Chief explains grant funding “pause”
Idyllwild Fire Protection District Chief Mark LaMont told the District’s commissioners at their March 25 meeting that funding has been “paused” for the largest grant IPFD has ever received, last year’s nearly-$940 thousand CalFire Wildfire Prevention Grant.
In a phone interview, LaMont clarified that IFPD has received their “release of funds notification” letter for that grant, but is moving forward “cautiously” because of what the California Legislative Analyst’s Office (report 4960) called “substantial uncertainty.” Spending programs are being modified as Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act revenues are forecast to decline. LaMont also shared a link to a March 11 Politico story, “EPA’s Zeldin terminates $20B in Biden climate grants.”
“With the current administrations, state and federal, both talking about efficiencies, you’ll find there aren’t any grant funds that are secured,” LaMont said. “We want to make sure we don’t go spending money until we know we’re going to get reimbursed. This second, we have no reason to think we won’t, except for the data,” he added, referencing interagency communications and media reports. “You never want to get ahead of yourself. We’re ecstatic at the opportunity to reduce the threat to the community of Idyllwild, but we have learned to be careful guardians of a fragile funding mechanism.”
In addition to labor costs, the large grant includes $427,000 for equipment and supplies, mostly for a “masticator” and its support vehicles: a track loader, cargo and equipment trailers, and a RAM 4500 truck. While spending on smaller grant items that fall within normal operations expose the district to little risk, purchasing an item of this scale in the present environment is a risk LaMont is “pausing.”
LaMont also described one of the unique funding challenges that his partners in the USFS face in undertaking projects: they must use a separate credit card for travel, even local trips as from Vista Grande to Thomas Mountain, and those cards are now “frozen.” LaMont asks Idyllwilders to call their US Representative (Ken Calvert) about this, and said that staff is tired of hearing him yell into the phone on this subject.
