PLACERVILLE, CALIFORNIA, (Matthew Nobert, Fox40) June 2, 2022 — The El Dorado Fire Safe Council will be receiving assistance from CAL FIRE Wildfire Prevention Grants to help clear hazardous trees to slow the spread of bark beetles and also remove stressed trees left over from the Caldor Fire.

CAL FIRE announced on Wednesday that they will be providing close to $118 million in grants to help fund 144 local wildfire prevention projects across California.

This series of grant funding is a part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $1.5 billion Wildfire Resilience initiative that was started in 2021.

“Drought conditions have once again taken ahold of California and are already contributing to another year of early fire activity,” CAL FIRE Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler said. “This funding is a critical part of our overall wildfire strategy.”

The objectives of these grants is to help further projects that match the goals of the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan and the Strategic Fire Plan for California.

“These 144 local wildfire prevention projects, along with the 105 projects we just funded in September 2021, will significantly increase California communities’ preparedness towards wildfires,” CAL FIRE Deputy Director of Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation Chief Daniel Berlant.

These grants are funded by the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Strategy and the California Climate Investments Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.