Project Background
Fire in the wildland urban interface (WUI) is a growing problem, causing destruction of property, water supply issues, and landslides. Yet cities have very few policy tools for managing fuels and fire.
In 2006, a Proposition 218 Wildland Fire Suppression Assessment District (WFSAD) was created by voters within the City of Santa Barbara. This District levies fees on residents in order to fund vegetation road clearance for fire response and public evacuation safety, defensible space inspections, community vegetation chipping, and fuel management projects.
Over the 8 years the district has been in operation, they have cleared 143 miles of roads, performed over 300 voluntary defensible space inspections, chipped over 3,200 tons of brush, and completed 126 acres of fuel management projects.
Fire in the wildland urban interface (WUI) is a growing problem, causing destruction of property, water supply issues, and landslides. Yet cities have very few policy tools for managing fuels and fire.
In 2006, a Proposition 218 Wildland Fire Suppression Assessment District (WFSAD) was created by voters within the City of Santa Barbara. This District levies fees on residents in order to fund vegetation road clearance for fire response and public evacuation safety, defensible space inspections, community vegetation chipping, and fuel management projects.
Over the 8 years the district has been in operation, they have cleared 143 miles of roads, performed over 300 voluntary defensible space inspections, chipped over 3,200 tons of brush, and completed 126 acres of fuel management projects.
Project Objectives
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Before (left) and after (right) vegetation management.
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