The Water and Wildfire Protection Initiative, on the ballot in Santa Cruz County this November as Measure Q, would introduce a parcel tax of $87 to be collected annually and distributed across the county for a wide range of projects from managing public lands and reducing wildfire risks to protecting drinking water sources. The only group to register official opposition to the tax is the Santa Cruz County Fire Chiefs Association. It believes that the measure does not offer enough specifics on how it will reduce wildfire risk and does not adequately fund fire districts.
Wildfires
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In Bonny Doon meeting, state says help on home insurance is coming
State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara told 140 attendees of an online event organized by the Rural Bonny Doon Association on Wednesday night that his overhaul of the state insurance market is expected to be ready for implementation by December. Other insurance experts spoke of ways homeowners could improve their chances of finding coverage in a market situation made dire by the threat of wildfires in Santa Cruz County.
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Bonny Doon homeowners to hear from state on insurance crisis
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has accepted an invitation from the Rural Bonny Doon Association to speak at an online forum at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, on the home insurance crisis facing residents of Santa Cruz County who live in wildfire-prone areas.
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Free wood chipping offered for fire-prone Santa Cruz County areas
The Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County is offering to reimburse the cost of wood chipping for residents who want to clear land in areas at risk for wildfires. The Neighborhood Chipping Program is accepting applications through Oct. 31 and aims to “incentivize the creation of defensible space around homes in high wildfire risk areas.”
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California ballot asks voters to invest in climate solutions
California officials cut billions from ambitious climate programs to offset an unexpected budget deficit. Now they hope voters approve a multibillion-dollar bond to fill the gap.
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Aptos power outages, PG&E response are frustrating residents
Power outages in Aptos have been an issue for years, and have become more frequent in the past year. Residents have grown frustrated with the lack of communication from PG&E about outage causes and why they continue to happen. Part of the issue is how at-risk Aptos is for wildfires and how that triggers an automatic shut-off system when fire dangers are detected.
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‘Weather whiplash’ helped drive this year’s California wildfires
Exceptionally wet winters drove a boom of grasses and shrubs that a record hot summer dried into the fuel powering the Park fire in Northern California, the Line fire outside Los Angeles and other conflagrations.
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Santa Cruz County wildfire season continues without major incidents, but local fire marshal urges caution
Property owners appear to have stepped up their fire preparedness this year by clearing vegetation from around their homes, according to Central Fire District Fire Marshal Mike DeMars. He told Lookout that this year’s fire season has been calm in Santa Cruz County so far.
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Trails to close for Santa Cruz Mountains work prepping for burns
Trails will close intermittently as the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County is working through December on a 211-acre wildfire resilience project in the upper Aptos Creek watershed of the Santa Cruz Mountains that will in part set the stage for controlled burns by California State Parks staff.
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$1 million grant funds Santa Cruz County wildfire prevention work
The state of California will pay for nearly $1 million worth of work in Santa Cruz County aimed at wildfire prevention and harm reduction. It’s one of 94 wildfire mitigation projects Cal Fire is funding across the state, and will fund work on Soquel San Jose Road to reduce the amount of material that might fuel a wildfire.