Butte Strong Fund focuses latest grants on defensible space
In final year of Camp Fire disbursements, groups receive $1.1 million to clear wildfire fuels
CHICO >> In its final year of disbursements for Camp Fire relief, the Butte Strong Fund is dedicating $1.1 million to local organizations clearing trees and brush in the burn scar.
The five grants, announced Tuesday by the North Valley Community Foundation, focus on a priority set by the fund’s citizens committee to create defensible space in the fire’s footprint. The fund also awarded $165,000 in small grants to four community groups, bringing the total to $59 million since the 2018 wildfire. Another cycle will start next month as the fund, managed by the community foundation, allocates its final $5 million.
“We really wanted to be strategic about it and really make some larger-impact grants in certain areas that align with our priorities — one of those being housing,” Jovanni Tricerri, NVCF’s vice president of programs, told this newspaper. “This is to augment some of the programs that are already there. We already have the county and the town (of Paradise) trying to clear those trees, but realize trees have an impact on housing affordability.”
Those impacts include the expense of insurance and keeping vegetation away from structures. Tricerri said the funding addresses the issue “on a wide scale, making sure our community is resilient.”
Beneficiaries
For these grants, the Butte Strong Fund selected the Fuel Reduction Assistance Program operated by Paradise Alliance Church ($245,286), the Yankee Hill Fire Safe Council ($250,000), From the Ground Up Farms ($186,000), the Butte County Fire Safe Council ($249,583) and All Hands and Hearts ($200,000). From the Ground Up Farms clears properties in Concow; All Hands and Hearts organizes volunteers nationwide to create defensible space.
“The reason we chose (fire-prevention projects) now is we have all this rain, and we know in the spring that vegetation is going to explode,” Tricerri said. “We’ve got to get ahead of it, this year in particular.”
In addition to fuels management, the Butte Strong Fund also awarded grants to the Paradise Ridge Chamber of Commerce ($50,000 to attract residents and businesses), the Butte-Glenn Community College District ($50,000 to address wildfire trauma), Tiny Pine Foundation ($45,589 to retrofit tiny homes) and Mindful Littles ($15,000 to provide farm experiences to nine schools).
The next round will emphasize housing — notably, acquisition of properties to foster multi-family units and “self help” groups such as Habitat for Humanity and Community Housing Improvement Program — and hubs for health and wellness. The latter, Tricerri explained, encompass “collaboratives that provide resources to Camp Fire survivors, everything from basic needs like food and clothing to home goods to make sure they can furnish their homes.
“We’re excited to keep on going,” he added. “For this year, as we’re ending, we want to be really mindful of the type of projects that have long-term impact and are able to demonstrate that they have some long-term sustainability.”
The Butte Strong Fund unites NVCF, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and the Aaron Rodgers NorCal Fire Recovery Fund. Visit nvcf. org/buttestrongfundapply to learn more about the grant process.