CAL FIRE Howard Forest Battalion Chief Tod Patten attended the Willits City Council meeting last week in order to provide an update and information regarding upcoming work to develop shaded fuel breaks in Brooktrails and Willits. After the City of Willits was turned down for a Greenhouse Gas grant to finance the breaks last spring, Governor Gavin Newsom coincidentally declared a state of emergency in California in March and directed 200 of the state’s “most wildfire-vulnerable communities” to submit potential fuel-reduction projects to be funded by the state. Only 35 priority fuel-reduction projects, covering approximately 90,000 acres, were approved “to help reduce the public safety risk for wildfire” including plans in both Willits and Ukiah.
Willits City Manager Stephanie Garrabrant-Sierra told the council that, “While we were disappointed we didn’t get that grant, almost simultaneously we learned that Governor Newsom signed legislation that basically put into place shaded fuel break that was almost identical to the one we applied for and that we are eligible for and all it takes is a signature to pass that.”