El Granada Wildfire Resiliency Scoping Project

  
The purpose of the El Granada Wildfire Resiliency Scoping Project is to develop a site-specific understanding of wildfire scenarios for El Granada and the surrounding community and scope a suite of actions that would most effectively reduce those risks. It will:

1. • Define the wildfire risks to El Granada and affected communities, including overview of fire ecology, local fire history, fire environment (fuels characteristics, fuel models, weather, topography)
   • Assess wildfire risks to El Granada and affected communities, including most likely scenarios, ignition probability, fire behavior, potential fire spread, and general identification of values at risk
   • Identify and scope an array of potential actions that would most effectively reduce those risks and build wildfire resiliency. 

The community of El Granada is located in unincorporated coastal San Mateo County within and adjacent to a CAL FIRE designated Very High Fire Severity Zone. This designation is based upon risk modeled on multiple variables including vegetation, topography, and wind patterns. Some stakeholders have expressed particular concern about highly flammable eucalyptus trees in residential areas (approximately 122 acres of eucalyptus) and in San Mateo County Quarry Park (approximately 314 acres of eucalyptus).  

Multiple actions to build wildfire resiliency have been and are being implemented by partners including vegetation management in Quarry Park and on street medians, and the Neighborhood Chipping Program. Private landowners and residents also have been managing vegetation.

A critical next step is to identify and further develop actions most likely to reduce wildfire risk and build wildfire resiliency, grounded in a thorough assessment of site-specific risks and opportunities. 

The project will develop a site-specific understanding of wildfire scenarios for El Granada and the surrounding community and scope a suite of actions that would most effectively reduce those risks including operational considerations, constraints and opportunities, methods, and detailed cost estimates. The array of actions will include those that may be implemented over the short- and long-term on both private and public lands, as appropriate to reduce risk of catastrophic wildfire, and will include a focus on eucalyptus management. 

Project Timeline (Updated)

Consultant Selection Process             September- October 2021 

Project Start Date                                December 7, 2021 

Community Input Listening Session    January 2022

Final Project Report                             June 2022

Presentation to the Community           June 2022 

Download the final report here.                                             

Project Consultants

• Panorama Environmental Inc.
• Prometheus Fire Consulting
• Vibrant Planet 

Project Partners 

• CAL FIRE 
• Coastside Fire Protection District 
• Midcoast Community Council
• San Mateo County 
• San Mateo County Fire Department  
• San Mateo County Parks   

Funding: 

San Mateo County Measure K Funds via Sup. Horsley

RCD Contact: Joe Issel 

For more information on related projects, visit the Forest Health and Fire Resiliency Program page.