Permit Sonoma releases draft of updated Community Wildfire Protection Plan for public review

Permit Sonoma, in partnership with community members, fire agencies and local organizations, released an updated draft of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan for public review. The plan provides wildfire hazard and risk assessments, community descriptions, options for addressing issues of structural vulnerability to wildfire (home hardening) and provides a prioritized list of projects which, if implemented, can serve to reduce wildfire hazards.

Before the final plans are submitted to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to vote for adoption, Permit Sonoma will host review meetings in each district for the public to learn about the draft plan. The public can determine which district they live in by visiting the Sonoma County redistricting webpage. Virtual meetings will be conducted for each district on the following dates:

• District 1 – Jan. 20, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
• District 2 – Jan. 13, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
• District 3 – Jan. 19, 6 – 7:30 p.m. 
• District 4 – Jan. 26, 6 – 7:30 p.m. 
• District 5 – Jan. 27, 6 – 7:30 p.m.

Comments on the draft plan are welcome during the public comment period, which is currently open until Feb. 28. Comments may be submitted via the Community Wildfire Protection Plan project page or via email at PermitSonoma-WildfirePlan@sonoma-county.org.

The goal of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan, as defined in the United States Congress Healthy Forests Restoration Act (2003), is to enhance efforts to protect communities, watersheds and other at-risk lands from catastrophic wildfire. Permit Sonoma has worked with a diverse set of stakeholders throughout the creation of the Plan, including a steering committee of fire prevention experts and community members who oversaw the creation of the draft Plan. Organizations participating in the  collaboration process include:

• Audubon Canyon Ranch 
• Bureau of Land Management 
• California Department of Parks & Recreation 
• CAL FIRE
• Farm Bureau
• Geyserville Fire
• Healdsburg Fire
• Kashia Band of Pomo Indians
• Pepperwood
• PG&E 
• Santa Rosa Fire
• Sonoma County Fire Department
• Sonoma County Open Space District
• Sonoma Ecology Center
• Sonoma Resource Conservation District
• Sonoma Valley Fire
• Wilmar Fire

For more information, please visit the Community Wildfire Protection Plan project page.