Fire Safe Council details $10 million grant progress, says more than 200 homes treated

Giselle, coordinator for the Fire Safe Council of Siskiyou County, updated the board on hazardous fuels reduction projects, grant activity and outreach. She said the council procured a $10,000,000 Community Wildfire Defense Grant intended to treat 500 homes countywide and about 300 acres of roadside fuels; the council has already completed assessments for more than 250 homes and reported "we've already done over 200" and in one passage, suggested the tally might be about 280 assessments.

Giselle outlined several ongoing and completed projects — Bray II (about 118 acres), South Old Stage (about 165 acres with treatments up to 300 feet into private property where allowed), Canterra (199 acres along the river), Lake Shastina and Dunsmuir projects — and said the council is updating the county CWPP and coordinating with partners including CAL FIRE and a subawardee called CORE. She also addressed board questions about insurance benefits for treated properties and constraints on removing vegetation: "When we do a Firewise Community, it ... makes a difference. They give up to 5% reduction," and she noted many federal- or state-funded grants restrict ground disturbance, which limits the ability to uproot vegetation under current funding rules.