Existing law requires the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to establish a local assistance grant program for fire prevention and home hardening education activities in California and extends eligibility for grants to, among others, local agencies, resource conservation districts, fire safe councils, the California Conservation Corps, certified community conservation corps, Native American tribes, and qualified nonprofit organizations. Existing law requires the department, on or before December 31, 2023, and annually thereafter, to post on its internet website certain information regarding hazardous fuel reduction and vegetation management projects funded or conducted by the department for the preceding fiscal year, including projects funded under the department’s Wildfire Prevention Grants Program, as provided.

Existing law requires the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection to establish a statewide program to allow qualified entities, as defined, who have completed a specific training program developed and administered by the department to support and augment the department in its defensible space and home hardening assessment and education efforts.

This bill would authorize any group of residents to apply to the department for identified cohesive fire community status, defined as a neighborhood that has reached 50% of homes certified by any home hardening certification program approved by the State Fire Marshal on or before June 1, 2027. The bill would authorize the department, commencing with the 2028–29 fiscal year, to disburse up to 20% of funds appropriated for the Wildfire Prevention Grants Program to identified cohesive fire communities that partner with fire safe councils, as provided, to use for activities related to hazardous fuels reduction, wildfire prevention planning, and wildfire prevention education, among other activities. The bill would require the department, commencing with the 2028–29 fiscal year, to award additional points in its evaluation of applicants for the Wildfire Prevention Grants Program to identified cohesive fire community grant applicants that partner with fire safe councils.