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County highlights completed water tanks, backs CalFire grant projects and broadens grazing for fuels reduction
Summary
Board members and staff reviewed several wildfire-preparedness efforts: a completed $3.3 million FEMA-funded tank project, letters of support for CalFire grant proposals (including fuels reduction near Yosemite Mountain Ranch and prescribed grazing in Hunters Valley), and discussion of prescribed grazing on public and private lands.
Mariposa County staff and supervisors used the Aug. 5 meeting to highlight recent and planned investments in wildfire preparedness, from completed water-storage infrastructure to new grant applications for fuels reduction. Public works director Shannon Hansen announced completion activities for a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant-funded "tank project" that installed 250,000 gallons of water storage and hydrants for Greeley Hill, Hornitos and Woodland. Hansen said the project came in on budget and that county, Cal Fire and county fire personnel were doing a walk-through the same day. Supervisors and staff noted the tanks proved useful during recent fires. On the consent agenda the board approved (and later separately approved CA 11) a letter of support for the Mariposa County Resource Conservation District's (RCD) CalFire Wildfire Prevention Grant application covering two projects: fuels reduction in the Fish Camp/Yosemite Mountain area and a Hunters Valley prescribed-grazing and fuel-break extension related to the Pedro Fire. County staff clarified that while the project area abuts U.S. Forest Service-managed lands, portions of the Yosemite Mountain-area work are planned on privately owned property (identified in the grant as "Yosemite Mountain Ranch"). The Resource Conservation District is still mapping final project boundaries. Supervisors and staff discussed prescribed grazing as a wildfire-risk-reduction tool and noted barriers ranchers face when seeking grazing permits on federal lands; the board and staff referenced recently issued state priorities encouraging expanded prescribed-grazing opportunities. Supervisor Poe asked how grazing leases are obtained; staff replied that processes vary by public land manager and noted grazing on county-owned land is leased at low cost. Supervisor Toso recused from CA 11 because her family holds a Bureau of Land Management grazing permit in Hunters Valley; the board approved the RCD letter of support 3-0 with Toso recused. Separately, staff also brought several other fire-prevention items on the consent agenda: letters backing Mariposa Fire Safe Council applications to CalFire grants and a letter supporting a Happy Goats Inc. application for a CAL FIRE grant for the "Ponderosa Hoof and Foot Project" (item 10). Supervisors praised local fuel-reduction partnerships and vegetation-management work across the county. No binding grant awards were made at the meeting; the board's actions were limited to letters of support and routine project updates.
