RivCoParks awarded $1.7M grant for wildfire prevention

Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District (RivCoParks) has been awarded $1.7 million in grant funding from the CAL Fire California Climates Investments (CCI) Wildfire Prevention Program.

Through the program, CAL Fire provides funding for local projects and activities that address the risk of wildfire and reduce wildfire potential to forested and forest adjacent communities. Funded activities include hazardous fuel reduction, fire prevention planning and fire prevention education with an emphasis on improving public health and safety while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality for the region.

“Collaboration between CAL-FIRE and RivcoParks is essential to preserving our natural landscapes, combining expertise in fire prevention and conservation to protect both communities and ecosystems from the devastating impacts of wildfires,” said Riverside County Second District Supervisor Karen Spiegel.

The grant award is crucial to decreasing the frequency and potential of wildfires in the Santa Ana River bottom by controlling invasive non-native plants with on-going long term vegetation management. These efforts will reduce fuel load and minimize the impacts of future wildfires, while also protecting and restoring sensitive natural resources.

“This grant supports our commitment to the protection of sensitive natural resources from the threat of increased wildfires, while also providing RivCoParks with additional resources needed to implement effective wildfire prevention strategies, habitat improvements and safeguard our parks, wildlife areas and communities,” stated Dustin McLain, Bureau Chief – Parks and Natural Resources.

These efforts will also build wildfire resiliency in adjacent communities, while restoring ecological health of native habitat and aquatic resources. The project goal aims to further assist in the protection of residential communities surrounding the Hidden Valley Wildlife Area.

For more information about CAL FIRE’s CCI programs, visit CAL FIRE Grants at https://www.fire.ca.gov/what-we-do/grants/wildfire-prevention-grants.

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