MWPA Adopts Wide-Ranging 2022-2023 Work Plan

On May 19, 2022, the Board of Directors for the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA) adopted the 2022-23 Work Plan. The Work Plan outlines approximately $20 million in funding for 124 wildfire-related projects prioritized by the Marin Community Wildfire Protection Plan and the MWPA Strategic Plan. The MWPA Strategic Plan outlines goals and objectives in 5 key areas: Vegetation Management and Local Wildfire Prevention Mitigation; Detection, Alert and Evacuation; Grants; Public Outreach and Education; and Defensible Space and Home Hardening.

“The vast majority of our Marin residents live in areas that face potential near-term wildfire threats,” stated Mark Brown, Executive Officer of MWPA. “Given this reality, MWPA is executing a systematic approach to transform Marin into a more resilient, fire-adapted community. The 2022-2023 Work Plan prioritizes a number of key initiatives that will reduce wildfire risks and help residents take the necessary steps to prepare themselves and their properties.”

Among the list of projects in 2022-2023 are these large wildfire safety initiatives:

• Investment of $4 million toward home hardening and defensible space evaluations

• Implementation funding for 83 miles of new shaded fuel breaks in the greater Ross Valley and Novato areas, comprised of 3,298 total acres

• Vegetation management and maintenance of extensive open space areas and existing shaded fuel breaks

• Expansion of the resident grant program that includes up to $5,000 for home hardening and $1,000 for defensible space projects

• Investment in a new, science-based risk model to analyze the quantitative safety impact of fuel reduction, defensible space, home hardening, and other risk reduction activities in the MWPA’s jurisdiction

• Addition of acoustic warning systems in targeted locations for evacuation and notification purposes

“The 2022-2023 Work Plan represents many months of collaboration among the MWPA’s 17 member agencies, community stakeholders, and the general public,” offered Bruce Goines, MWPA Board President. “Together, we have identified 124 projects to get accomplished over the course of the next year. Each of these projects will make a significant contribution toward our multi-faceted approach to fire prevention and safety throughout the county.”

A jurisdictional breakdown of the funding allocations for the projects includes:

• JPA-wide: 23 proposals totaling over $4.5 million

• Novato: 20 proposals totaling over $2 million

• San Rafael: 21 proposals totaling over $2 million

• Central Marin: 22 proposals totaling over $1.8 million

• Southern Marin: 23 proposals totaling over $1.44 million

• West Marin: 15 proposals totaling $827,000

Revenue from Measure C funding is allocated with 60% of funds going to cross-jurisdictional projects (referred to as “core funding”), 20% going to community-level wildfire prevention mitigation (referred to as “local funding”), and 20% going towards defensible space evaluations and home hardening for residents. Additionally, 80% of the Core funding is spent in the geographic area from which the revenue is generated from property taxes over a five-year average.

The approval of the annual Work Plan adopts a set of priorities that the MWPA and member agencies intend to pursue. It is not a final approval of the proposals in the Plan as “projects” under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Rather, this action allows for fiscal year 2022-2023 funding to be released for certain activities starting July 1, the beginning of the next fiscal year.

View the full range of individual 2022-2023 Project Proposals found in the Work Plan on the MWPA website at webportal.marinwildfire.org. An Executive Summary of the Work Plan and the full 2022-23 Work Plan can be found here.