The purpose of the Coastal Fuel Reduction Network Project (proposed project), funded by Marin Wildfire, is to reduce wildfire rate of spread and intensity around and within coastal communities thereby establishing community defensible spaces to provide areas for fire personnel to defend the Marin County coastal communities should a wildfire ignite and allow safe ingress and egress during a wildfire. Treatments under the proposed project would be implemented by Marin Wildfire and its Member Agencies, including the Marin County Fire Department (MCFD), Inverness Public Utilities District (IPUD), Bolinas Fire Protection District (BFPD), Stinson Beach Fire Protection District (SBFPD), and Muir Beach Volunteer Fire Department/ Muir Beach Community Services District (MBCSD). The proposed project is located in areas designated as moderate to very high fire hazard severity zones (FHSZs). The proposed project would develop and maintain fuel reduction and wildfire resilience zones within and around the periphery of the coastal communities of Muir Beach, Stinson Beach, Bolinas, and Inverness. A total of up to 519.5 acres of fuel reduction would occur in and around these coastal communities, with approximately 2 acres in Muir Beach, 116 acres in Stinson Beach, 140 acres in Bolinas, and 261 acres in Inverness.
On March 1, 2025, Governor Newsom declared a state of emergency regarding wildfire risks, which suspends certain State statutes, rules, regulations, and requirements that fall under the jurisdiction of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), inclusive of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Marin Wildfire submitted a request for a suspension authorization for the proposed project on May 29, 2025, coordinated with various state agencies including the California Coastal Commission, and received authorization from the State to proceed with the project on July 9, 2025.
Implementation at several locations with the overall authorized treatment area will begin in 2025. All treatment activities will be conducted in compliance with the State Environmental Protection Plan. Additionally, Marin Wildfire has developed specific project design and implementation features (PDIFs) that are incorporated as applicable into this proposed project to protect the environment and sensitive resources as well as ensure that the proposed project is planned and implemented in an ecologically sensitive manner. Authorization to proceed under the Governor's current state of emergency is temporary and future project activities and maintenance will be permitted through a Public Works Plan (PWP) which is available in draft form for public review until August 29, 2025.
