Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project FAQ

The Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project is a free vegetation management opportunity for private landowners in select locations to reduce wildfire risk to life, property, and natural resources while fostering healthy landscapes that are resilient to wildfire. The project brings fire professionals, natural resource experts, and community-based organizations together to identify high-priority locations for large-scale vegetation management activities.

No, this is a free fuel reduction project. Private landowners will be asked to maintain the treatment in the future, but the initial fuel reduction work is free.

Sonoma County received federal funding to reduce hazardous fuels across the County. The County has collaborated with CAL FIRE and local Fire Districts and Fire Departments to identify 16 potential fuel reduction projects to be evaluated for feasibility and implementation under this grant. The proposed fuel reduction work will reduce risk to life and property by removing and reducing hazardous vegetation such as dead and dying trees, excessive ladder fuels, highly flammable non-native plant species (like eucalyptus and broom), and other flammable vegetation.

This work may reduce risk to communities in the Wildland-Urban Interface, improve evacuation and fire suppression access, protect critical infrastructure, and help us recover from wildfire destruction more quickly. Community participation interest is a critical factor in determining which projects make it to the final implementation list because there is not enough funding to complete all 16 projects. 

To view a full list of all 16 proposed project sites, please view the Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project page.

Project notification letters and Right of Entry Forms were mailed to landowners within the project footprint. If you did not receive a letter and form and think you should have, contact the project managers at PRMD-FuelsReduction@sonoma-county.org to confirm your address and location in a proposed project site.

If you received a notification letter, a Right of Entry Form, and an Opt-Out Form, we ask that you submit one as soon as possible.

If you choose to opt-in to the project, the County will provide at least 24-hour notice by phone or email (email preferred) if current contact information is available. Contact information is requested in the Right of Entry Form.

No, project participation is not mandatory. The Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project is 100% voluntary for landowners to opt-in to. However, fuel reduction work will only occur if enough of your community’s landowners and adjacent landowners say “yes” to this project and allow it to happen on their property. Large-scale fuel breaks and evacuation routes need continuity to benefit communities and fire professionals in the face of fire.

First Opportunity: The current Right of Entry Form allows landowners in the proposed project sites to voluntarily opt-in to non-ground-disturbing site visits and environmental surveying (described below).

Second Opportunity: Those who sign, return the Right of Entry Form, and opt-in to site visits and environmental surveying may receive a second form later for additional studies and vegetation management work to take place on their properties if their project site is selected for implementation. During this time, landowners can decide to opt-in to vegetation management activities.

Please note that allowing for site visits and environmental surveying through the Right of Entry Form does not guarantee fuel reduction activities will occur on your property.

The County has started to visit all proposed project sites, with landowner permission, to determine each project's environmental conditions and needs. These site visits will help identify potential natural resources in the area (plants, wildlife, waterways, historic sites, etc.). They will inform fuel reduction prescriptions for each project that goes through implementation.

The County staff and their contractors will park in designated pull-offs and walk properties to inventory the forest or area and survey plants and animals. To conduct these surveys, County staff need access to each property that wants to participate.

This first Right of Entry Form only allows for non-ground-disturbing site visits and environmental surveying. It does not allow for vegetation management activities to take place.

The Right of Entry Form you received is only for County access to private land from when the County gets your signed Right of Entry Form through December 31, 2023.

Yes, the County will provide at least 24-hour notice by phone or email (email preferred) if current contact information is available. Contact information is requested on the Right of Entry Form you received in the mail.

Landowners are to notify any property co-owners or tenants/occupants of the property and let the County know how to access the property safely and respectfully if there are locked gates or loose animals (dogs especially).

No, the County does not need landowners present on their properties to conduct site visits, biological surveying, and forest inventorying. Landowners can attend site visits if they wish.

If your property is selected for fuel reduction activities, work will begin in late 2024 at the earliest and continue until 2025 or 2026.

All discarded vegetation will be chipped, lopped, scattered, or processed by other methods. Prescribed or controlled fire methods are not funded by FEMA and will not be used by the County to get rid of vegetation. Piling material for later burning is under evaluation.

The County has a Registered Professional Forester on staff who will be developing vegetation treatment plans for all project sites. After reviewing the treatment plan designed for your property, or project site, you are welcome to provide comments to the County.