Sherwood Firewise plans for 2021
On Jan. 14, at the first meeting of the year, Sherwood Firewise Communities discussed 2020 accomplishments and 2021 programs in progress as well as plans for new programs in the upcoming year.
2020 SFC accomplishments include the FIRCO Emergency Access Route being open, cleared and used in the Oak Fire. The Willits Creek Emergency Access Route funding has been secured from CAL Fire for 2021 clearing work. Additional access routes are being negotiated by Supervisor John Haschak. The CSA3 Benefit Zone process was started with the Community Foundation
and Kronick legal firm. Safetynet and Sherwood Broadcastify Notification Systems were used in several incidents. The Oak Fire Evacuation was dubbed the smoothest evacuation ever by the Mendocino County Sheriff, CAL Fire and Brooktrails Fire Department, which was in no small part due to the work SFC has invested in making the community more fire safe. The SFC website was updated with online forms and payment options. Mendocino County Fire Safe Council (MCFSC) Brooktrails Chipper Days and Roadside Fuel Reduction projects were completed. MCFSC Fuel Reductions were also completed in The Gates subdivision. The group received Firewise USA recognition for 2020-2021. Mendocino County RCS Road Construction application was submitted. Finally, SFC has been working with Trout Unlimited on scoping large water storage projects in the Sherwood Corridor.
A big project currently in process is the creation of a CSA3 zone of benefit that would ensure continued funds for the maintenance of Emergency Access Routes. The agenda item will be presented to the county board of supervisors on Jan. 25 at 1:30 p.m. At this time, it will be an informational presentation only. Supervisor John Haschak has been collaborating with SFC volunteer Keith Rutledge and law firm Kronicks, who is doing pro bono work to help set up the CSA3 zone. Haschak said, “This is a pilot program for the rest of the county. This is the first time the county is doing it, one of these zones of benefit, and we are paving the way for others to come behind us. It’s exciting and it’s really good work.”
SFC volunteer Brian FerriTaylor said the group has secured funding to conduct another Chipper Days event. Rutledge said the group received a CAL Fire grant and will be conducting fuel reduction along Sherwood Road, as well as portions of Ridge, Blue Lake and Timber roads. The project will take a couple of years to complete. Trout Unlimited will continue to work on a proposal for the large-scale water storage.
Rutledge invited participants attending the meeting to share their ideas for projects to start in the upcoming year. Some ideas included a possible virtual expedition, a Fire Safe group workshop, informational flyers sent out to the community, a designation of permanent zones for ease of evacuation, and ways to involve younger families in the group. It was noted that if residents utilize Emergency Access Routes as Evacuation Routes, they might jeopardize the future use of Emergency Access Routes by first responders, as residents using the routes may cause private landowners to reconsider allowing the use of their property. Emergency Access Routes are intended to allow first responders an ingress during an emergency event, which would allow both lanes of Sherwood Road to be used as egress, as was the case during the Oak Fire Evacuation. The group decided to switch from monthly meetings to quarterly, the next of which will be April 14. There will be a special meeting on Feb. 11 to discuss the CSA Benefit Zone. For more information visit sherwoodfirewise.org