LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, this week awarded $43.5 million to local organizations to reduce the risk of wildfires to homes and communities across California.

Fifty-five local fire prevention projects are receiving funding for hazardous fuel reductions, wildfire preparedness planning and fire prevention education.

“We have doubled down on our efforts to clear brush, inspect homes for defensible space and reduce the risk of wildfires,” said Chief Thomas Porter, Cal Fire director. “These 55 local projects will play a critical role in augmenting our fire prevention efforts.”

Among the groups receiving grants is the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center, which received $3,019,106 for the first phase of the Lake County Hazardous Fuel Reduction Project.

The center’s award was the fourth-largest of the awards announced Tuesday.

The Clear Lake Environmental Research Center proposal will reduce the total amount of wildfire around communities, homes, infrastructure and other highly valued resources in Lake County in order to lower the lowering the forecast wildfire greenhouse gas emissions occurring without the project area.

“This will be achieved by creating and maintaining fuel breaks, ingress/egress vegetation management, and defensible space around high value assets, all high priority activities to prevent, stop or slow the spread of GHG [greenhouse gas] emitting wildfire. Project will be phased so that other high priority treatments can be accomplished in subsequent phases, and current work can be maintained, to ensure the scale of GHG emission reduction can be sustained and increased in the future,” according to the award announcement.

Other projects receiving awards include a $1.9 million grant to the San Luis Obispo County Fire Safe Council for removing dead and dying trees and other hazardous fuels on 17 treatment areas throughout San Luis Obispo County. This project alone will reduce fire risk in nine communities, and will include a 600-acre prescribed burn near Lopez Lake park.

Another project receiving funding is a public education grant of nearly $100,000 to Forestry Educators Incorporated for its "2020 Forestry Challenge" in El Dorado County. The Forestry Challenge is an academic competition for high school students in technical forestry and current forestry topics. Participants spend four days in the forest learning about the ecology and management of the forested landscapes that provide communities with water, recreational opportunities and wood products.

CAL FIRE’s Fire Prevention Grant Program is part of the California Climate Investments, or CCI.

CCI is a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment – particularly in low income and disadvantaged communities. Award recipients include cities, counties, fire districts, Native American tribes and other non-profits.

These projects all meet the goals and objectives of California’s Strategic Fire Plan adopted in 2019.

Since 2014, Cal Fire has funded over 430 local fire prevention grants totaling more than $150 million. These projects and activities have addressed the risk of wildfire and reduced wildfire potential to communities in wildland-urban interface areas.