Through programs and funding, MWPA and its member agencies’ ecologically sustainable vegetation management programs are designed and will be implemented to reduce hazards and achieve measurable fuel reduction as outlined in the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) and will provide funding for specific local wildfire mitigation projects within each member’s service area.
Vegetation management projects vary depending on fire risk, proximity to communities and roads, vegetation type, topography, land management agency stewardship goals, potential for sensitive resources to be onsite, and other factors. Member agencies, MWPA staff, and project partners work together to fine tune projects and determine the best approach.
Typical vegetation management projects consist of some or all of the following activities: removal of dead and downed woody material; thinning of nonnative, invasive, fire hazardous vegetation (particularly Spanish and French broom); limbing up of native and nonnative trees; and thinning of fire hazardous native vegetation where necessary. Some projects include goat grazing, pile burning, broadcast burning, targeted herbicide use or other fuel management techniques as appropriate. MWPA assists member agencies during environmental compliance for core projects to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal environmental laws and regulations.
The projects featured on the MWPA website are cross-jurisdictional projects known as "Core Projects" (60% of MWPA budget) as well as Defensible Space and Home Hardening projects (20% of MWPA budget). The remaining 20% of the budget goes to MWPA member agencies for Local Wildfire Prevention Mitigation projects (Local). See member agency websites or the MWPA Work Plans for specific project details for Local projects. In addition to project planning and environmental compliance, MWPA also helps fund positions and equipment to implement these projects.