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Cambria receives $498,000 fire hazard reduction grant 

SLO FSC Check ceremony

Left to right: Shirley Bianchi, former County Supervisor 2nd District and Chair of Cambria Fire Safe Focus Group; Chris Dicus, Cal Poly Forestry professor, SLO FSC Director; Supervisor Bruce Gibson, 2nd District, behind Sup Gibson- Mark Elliott SLO County APCD, SLO FSC Director; Supervisor Frank Mecham, 1st District, President of SLO FSC Board, behind Frank Mecham-Martin Scott, Ranchita Estates-SLO FSC Director; Ralph Covell-owner Covell Ranch in Cambria; Chief Rob Lewin, Cal Fire; Dan Turner, Manager SLO FSC; Assemblyman -Katcho Achadjian; Ed Wagge, Pismo Beach City Council. SLO FSC Director; State Senator Bill Monning’s legislative assistant. Courtesy photo.

SLO County Fire Safe Council receives $498,000 fire hazard reduction grant for Cambria

–The nonprofit organization San Luis Obispo County Fire Safe Council received a Cal Fire/California Air Resources Board Greenhouse Gas Reduction grant to help reduce the fire hazard in Cambria. There was a presentation ceremony held in front of the Government Center in San Luis Obispo on Thursday.

The goal of the grant is to reduce the public safety hazard and restore a healthy forest. The 6,400 residents of Cambria are at extreme risk from a devastating wild land urban interface fire due to the massive die-off of native Monterey Pine, according to the nonprofit. More than 50-percent of the mature trees are dead across the 3,200 acre forest. The pines are victims of a bark beetle infestation caused by a weakened forest, extended drought and record setting daily high temperatures. Even if the dead trees do not burn, they present an additional public safety hazard of falling on people, houses and infrastructure.

Funded from the proceeds of California Air Resources Board Cap and Trade auction proceeds and administered through Cal Fire, the grant is for removal of a portion of the dead and dying trees that present extreme fire and public safety hazard in Cambria. This is one of two greenhouse gas grants applications submitted by the SLO County Fire Safe Council. The other $1.3 million grant is still pending decision from California Air Resources Board and Cal Fire. Combined, the two grants will significantly reduce the hazard, help prevent a catastrophic forest and wild land urban interface fire and stimulate healthier forest growth in order to reduce greenhouse gases.

It should be noted to date the community has been very involved in mitigating the wildfire risk, but even with this grant a considerable amount of work still remains to be done and we encourage citizens to continue their efforts in protecting their homes and properties, the organization said in a news release.

In order to sequester the carbon to slow decomposition and reduce greenhouse gas release cut trees will be made into long lasting consumer products, like lumber. Other uses will be for compost, shavings, chips, and biomass for electric generation. The grant also funds research in methods to restore this rare Monterey Pine forest to a healthy sustainable forest.

 

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The news staff of the Paso Robles Daily News wrote or edited this story from local contributors and press releases. The news staff can be reached at info@pasoroblesdailynews.com.