Announcing the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority's Defensible Space Home Hardening Grant Program for Marin Residents

The Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA) has launched a $500,000 grant program to allow Marin residents to obtain funding for expenses related to the creation of defensible space and home hardening on their properties. The grant funds are available to qualified residents who complete a home and property evaluation from their local fire agency.

“To become a fire resilient community, we must help residents become aware of risks on their property and give them resources to offset the costs of making these improvements,” stated Mark Brown, Executive Officer of MWPA. “With these grant opportunities, there are available funds to serve as a natural extension to our Defensible Space and Home Hardening Evaluation program where evaluators inspect properties for fire resiliency and produce a report for residents to reduce wildfire risks to their home and property.”

Qualified residents will now be directed to available grants as part of their evaluation report allowing them to submit a funding request through an automated system. Based on local evaluations conducted from May to October of this year, over 80% of assessed properties have identified risks that would qualify for the grants.

To learn more about the requirements and to apply for the grant program, residents should visit the MWPA grants webpage. The grant funds are broken into two categories: Defensible Space grants and Home Hardening grants. Current funding is available through the 2021-22 fiscal year ending on June 30, 2022.

• Defensible Space grants intend to help residents create a buffer between structures on their properties and the grass, trees, shrubs or vegetation that surround it. MWPA’s Defensible Space grants are available to families with children, older adults, low-income and other residents with Access and Functional Needs as defined by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, for parcels in the MWPA jurisdiction. $250,000 in Defensible Space grants are awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis to residents in amounts between $100 (minimum) to $1,000 (maximum) per year, and eligibility documentation is required.

• Home Hardening grants address the most vulnerable components of your house with building materials and installation techniques that increase resistance to heat, flames, and embers that accompany wildfires. $250,000 in Home Hardening grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis in amounts between $100 (minimum) to $500 (maximum) per year and this grant program requires a 50% match from the applicant. Eligibility documentation is required. MWPA’s Home Hardening grants are available for all parcels in theMWPA jurisdiction.

For residents who have not yet received an eligible evaluation report, the MWPA grant application process will help residents request one from the local fire agency. The integration between the Defensible Space and HomeHardening Evaluation report program has been developed by Fire Aside, a private company dedicated to using technology to support wildfire prevention activities.

Help Keep the Flower Baskets in
Downtown San Anselmo

Donations are being accepted to help
fund this annual community effort
 
The San Anselmo Beautification Committee has launched
its 2022 fundraising campaign to raise funds for the annual
hanging flower basket program in the downtown.
 
There are two ways you can contribute:

1. Donate by visiting the program’s GO FUND ME PAGE or
2. Mail a check to:

 
San Anselmo Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 2844, San Anselmo, CA 94979
(please mark check for “baskets”)
 
For more information about this project contact:
Nancy Altman at nnaltman@me.com

A New Look and Feel for Meeting Access!

You've spoken and we've listened!

San Anselmo has launched a new look for our meetings page. It is a one stop shop for the Council and all Board and Commission meetings. Now there are direct clickable links embedded in the page and on our agendas for accessing our virtual meeting rooms. 

Check it out here: https://sananselmo-ca.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

JANUARY: Time to Prune! 

• Prune trees when dormant (except apricot and cherry)
• Trim tall trees to remove limbs 6 to 10 feet from the ground but keep at least 2/3 of the total height in foliage
• Remove branches within 10 ft of chimney. Consult an arborist to consider elimination of branches that overhang the roof to minimize plant debris but not to the detriment of the health of the tree.
• Avoid topping trees and shearing hedges as this causes weak and twiggy growth and more fuel for a fire.

 
PLEASE FIND DETAILED INFORMATION THOUGHOUT THE MARIN MASTER GARDENER WEBSITE ON ALL OF THE MONTHLY TIPS.
      https://marinmg.ucanr.edu/BASICS/FIRESMARTLANDSCAPING/