Sonoma County creates online hub to help communities reduce wildfire risk

Sonoma County today announced the launch of SonomaCountyResilient.org, a new website that makes it easier than ever to find information and funding for land management projects that reduce wildfire risk and protect local ecosystems. 

The website will serve as a one-stop hub for residents, landowners, resource managers and organizations seeking technical assistance, funding and practical tools for local forest and watershed management projects.

The website is part of the Resilient Forests & Watersheds Initiative, which aims to reduce wildfire risk, restore ecosystems and build a skilled local workforce to manage and protect natural resources.

“Our goal is to reduce the threat of wildfires by making our forests and watersheds more resilient to the effects of climate change,” said Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “This website gives people a direct pathway to the information, partnerships and resources they need to take action where it matters most.” 

The website’s Resource Hub is designed to help users quickly locate information from a wide network of service providers, funders and educators in one place. By entering keywords, users can find resources ranging from fuel treatment guidance and grant opportunities to watershed restoration strategies and community fire safety programs.

“By centralizing vetted resources and guidance, we aim to empower property owners and communities with the knowledge they need to effectively reduce wildfire risks while protecting local ecosystems,” said Kim Batchelder, vegetation management coordinator with Sonoma County Ag + Open Space, which is leading the Resilient Forests and Watersheds Initiative. “We’re aligning science, local knowledge and community action to create healthier landscapes and safer neighborhoods.”

The Resilient Forests & Watershed Initiative was launched in the spring of 2023 by the County of Sonoma and local Resource Conservation Districts. It offered practical education and training that landowners can use to improve their property and the community’s resilience to wildfire. More than 1,600 people attended over 60 workshops hosted by the County with additional funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Participants learned about prescribed grazing, forest management, defensible space, home hardening, pile burning, prescribed fires and landscape-scale shaded fuel breaks. SonomaCountyResilient.org offers a calendar of events, recorded webinars, educational materials and much more.

The initiative builds on the Vegetation Management Grant Program launched in 2021 by the Board of Supervisors, which dedicated $25 million to vegetation management from the County’s settlement with PG&E over the 2017 wildfires. The program, overseen by Ag + Open Space, has provided $11.4 million in grants to 74 projects that have reduced fuel loads on 5,426 acres by using prescribed burns, grazing, hand crews and equipment to remove vegetation. The grant funding has helped to create defensible space around 630 homes, construct 92 miles of shaded fuel breaks and reduce fuels along 64 miles of roads that serve as critical evacuation routes. A map depicting all the projects can be found at SonomaCountyResilient.org. 

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Media Contact:
Ted Appel, Communications Specialist 
publicaffairs@sonomacounty.gov 
(707) 565-3040  
575 Administration Drive, Suite 104A 
Santa Rosa, CA 95403