The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) is set to spend about $200,000 over three years to reduce fire fuels at Wildcat Canyon Regional Park.
The funds are part of an announcement today that EBRPD will invest $10.9 million over the next three years on fuel reduction efforts at multiple parks.
“The funding will help reduce wildfire risks by removing dead and dying trees and hazardous vegetation on over 600 acres,” the EPRPD said. “Dead trees burn hotter and faster and can cast embers long distances, igniting new fires.”
This investment adds to ongoing fuels reduction work districtwide, including large-scale projects at Anthony Chabot Regional Park (544 acres) and Tilden Regional Park (39 acres), a 16-person year-round fuels reduction crew, and annual goat, sheep and cattle grazing.
In 2024, hazardous fuels were removed from over 104 acres in 11 parks. Additionally, more than 86,800 acres of parkland are grazed annually by cattle, sheep, or goats.
The $10.9 million for fuels reduction projects includes $8.3 million in grants, with $6.1 million coming from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), $2.1 million from the California State Coastal Conservancy, and $100,000 from the U.S. Forest Service. FEMA funding was obtained in partnership with U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, who secured $1.5 million in the 2023 budget, and U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, who secured $1.4 million in the 2024 budget.
An additional $2.6 million comes from required Park District matching funds, which include general funds and voter-approved local revenue measures like Measure FF.
The Park District Board of Directors will consider authorizing about $1.9 million in matching funds from Measure FF at its upcoming Board Meeting on Tuesday, May 20. Measure FF was passed in 2018 by East Bay voters to provide funding to reduce fire risks, improve public access, and restore natural habitat. The Board of Directors previously authorized $500,016 in matching funds in March 2023.
