Sierra Nevada Firewise Communities
2007 was a good year for communities in the Sierra Nevada who were seeking proactive methods to help reduce the threat of fire to their homes and property. Sierra Forest Legacy partnered with Firewise Communities USA and spent time educating interested communities on the benefits of adopting a Firewise program. The great success we had in these outreach efforts helped four communities achieve national recognition as Firewise Communities. The efforts of these communities in working toward reducing their potential loss from fire and protecting not only individual homes but also the greater community has helped to ensure that future fire seasons will not be a threatening as those of years past.
Firewise is an approach to fire mitigation that puts YOU, the community member, in the lead position to make change. YOU get to choose whether or not your home and/or community has a fighting chance of surviving a large wildfire. There are numerous people that have helped Sierra Forest Legacy's efforts in increasing the awareness of fire mitigation measures is the Sierra. Special thanks to Vicki Yorty (Executive Director of the El Dorado Fire Safe Council), Joanne Drummand (Executive Director of the Nevada County Fire Safe Council), Judith Leraas-Cook (Firewise Communities USA), Wayne Mitchell (CalFire), Richard Englefield (Grizzly Flat), Mary Cornelison (Volcanoville), John Moise (Alpine Meadows), and Lisa York (Lake Wildwood) for their help, guidance and participation in the Sierra Forest Legacy Firewise Program.
We are delighted to announce that thanks to all of the above individuals, the numerous community members who took part in these important efforts, and our Fire Protection Coordinator and Forester David Jaramillo, 4 more Sierra communities have worked with the Firewise program and now have national recognition by becoming certified as Firewise Communities. We want to thank the communities of Grizzly Flats, Lake Wildwood, Volcanovile, Alpine Meadows for their hospitality to us while working through the Firewise process. All of these communities, by moving through the Firewise process have recognized that they are no longer part of the problem, but part of the solution. They have chosen to make their communities more compatible to fire. Congratulations to Grizzly Flats, Lake Wildwood, Volcanoville, and Alpine Meadows!
To learn more about this important and exciting program and how you can help your community work toward becoming more Firewise contact Karina Silvas ( ) at Sierra Forest Legacy.