2025 Wildfire County Coordinators Grant Program

Term: May 15, 2025 - July 31, 2026  Funded: $151,500

Funding for this project was provided by a grant from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection as part of the California Climate Investments Program, through the California Fire Safe Council (CFSC). This marks Cycle 2 of the CFSC grant, building upon the foundation established through the 2022 Southern Region County Coordinator Grant Program supporting a Tulare County Coordinator position. The Coordinator plays a supportive role in promoting collaboration among all active wildfire mitigation groups across Tulare County, identifying gaps in county-wide resilience and emergency preparedness, and developing practical strategies to address these needs. A key focus of this role is to enhance outreach and coordination efforts, supporting the establishment and long-term sustainability of Firewise Communities in wildfire-prone areas throughout the county.

Doreen Alvez serves as the Tulare County Wildfire County Coordinator and can be contacted at: https://county.tcweb.acsitefactory.com/forest-health/contact-us-forest-health

 

2022 Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program - Tulare County

Term: August 1, 2024 - October 31, 2027   Funded: $466,103  

Funded by the Department of Conservation and administered by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, this program is designed to build regional capacity to prioritize, develop, and implement projects that enhance forest health and resiliency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase carbon sequestration throughout California’s forests.  The project supports two primary initiatives:

❖ Subregional Capacity Support: Enhancing the organizational capacity, planning, outreach, engagement, partnership development, and long-term sustainability of the Tulare County Forest Alliance (formerly the Tulare County Forest Health Task Force).

❖ Project Development Support: Developing and designing potential future wildfire mitigation projects in Tulare County by establishing a pipeline of projects ready for implementation. This effort will focus on Upper Grouse Valley and includes project design for approximately 981 acres, timber cruising, unit layout, and a comprehensive forest inventory stand examination.

 

Phase I - Sequoia National Forest Wildfire and Forest Hazard Mitigation Project

Match Funding

The County of Tulare is partnering with the USFS Sequoia National Forest and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) to remove accumulated hazardous fuels at near 100% mortality along 10.27 project miles in Phase I of the project. Phase I includes County M216 (Redwood and Alder Drive), Forest Service Road 20S03 (Fox Farm Road), and Alder Drive.

❖ 2022 Wildfire Recovery and Forest Resilience Directed Grant Program (California Budget Act of 2021)

Phase I - Sequoia National Forest Wildfire and Forest Hazard Mitigation Project

Term: October 11, 2023 - January 1, 2028    Funded: $2.5 Million

Funded by Sierra Nevada Conservancy. The project addresses hazard tree mitigation within the Sequoia National Forest, focusing on areas impacted by wildfire. Treatments will target dead and dying trees that pose immediate risks to roadways in order to enhance motorist safety, create defensible space, and maintain critical access routes. Hazard tree removal activities will include both hand and mechanical felling, skidding, decking, yarding for processing, and the loading and hauling of materials.

 

❖ United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service for the Hazardous Fuels Transportation Assistance Grant Program

Phase I - Sequoia National Forest Hazard Fuels Transportation Project - 7,948 tons

Term: January 16, 2025 - December 31, 2026  Funded: $326,720

Funded by the United States Department of Agriculture and administered by Patriot Restoration Ops. This federal funding supports the transportation costs of cull logs resulting from hazard tree removal activities in the Sequoia National Forest’s Western Divide District to wood byproduct facilities.  

 

Phase I & II - Sequoia National Forest Wildfire and Forest Hazard Mitigation Project

Supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, Sequoia National Forest, and the Giant Sequoia National Monument through a Supplemental Project Agreement under an existing Master Stewardship Agreement.

Term: June 8, 2023 - December 1, 2028    Funding Amount: $4.5 million

The County of Tulare is partnering with the U.S. Forest Service – Sequoia National Forest to remove hazardous fuels and trees in areas of near-total tree mortality. These roads, damaged during the 2020 Castle Fire, contain large numbers of dead and torched trees that pose significant risks to public safety.

Project Phases: 

Phase I - M216 (Redwood and Alder Drive), Forest Service Road 20S03 (Fox Farm Road)

Phase II - Balch Park and Bear Creek Roads (Approximately 3.8 miles)