MENDOCINO Co., 1/30/22 — Do you know of a local organization working on wildfire preparedness and resiliency? The Mendocino Fire Safe Council will be opening up applications for a new round of micro-grants on February 1 that will be available to neighborhood fire safe councils, fire districts, and fire departments. The individual project selected will receive grant awards of between $2,000 and $6,000, and a total of $50,000 is available through this round of the program.
The application window will close on March 1, 2022. Here’s the announcement from the Fire Safe Council:
MENDOCINO COUNTY FIRE SAFE COUNCIL ANNOUNCES MICRO-GRANT LAUNCH
MENDOCINO COUNTY – The Mendocino County Fire Safe Council (MCFSC) has allotted $50,000 for the 2022 Fire Safety Micro-Grant Program which will provide direct financial assistance to organizations working to improve wildfire preparedness and resilience around the county. The funds will be made available to Neighborhood Fire Safe Councils (NFSCs) affiliated with MCFSC and fire districts or fire departments operating within Mendocino County. Individual grant applications will be considered for projects between $2,000-$6,000, and applications are limited to one per organization.
Applications for the 2022 Fire Safety Micro-Grant Program will be accepted from February 1–March 1. MCFSC will review applications during the month of March and applicants will receive notice of their application status no later than March 31.
The Fire Safety Micro-Grant Program is intended to facilitate actionable progress towards wildfire resiliency and to foster strong relationships within and between NFSCs and fire departments.
Wildfire preparedness and resilience are best accomplished through a community effort, and this grant program is intended to stimulate local-level discussion, organization and prioritizing of fire-risk needs. Projects eligible for funding include but are not limited to: neighborhood workdays to clear brush in strategic locations; neighborhood alert systems; fuel reduction along primary access roads; home preparedness assessments; emergency water source development; bulk purchase of reflective address signs or home-hardening equipment; road renaming and/or signage; responder emergency mapping, with or without Knox or similar lockboxes at rural road entries; wildfire-safety trainings; joining a fire-detection camera network—and other creative ways of addressing locally identified priorities.
Preference will be given to projects that can show a significant benefit toward improving wildfire safety, preparedness and resilience. Successful projects would also generate photos, quotes and/or stories that can be shared with others; have a project lead with experienced on previous similar projects, or otherwise demonstrate a strong likelihood of success; and/or leverage volunteer time and collaboration (if applicable) with other local groups or fire departments. Proposals for projects or equipment that can be funded through other sources is discouraged. Projects must be completed by March 31, 2023, and preferably before the end of the year.
Applicants should thoroughly review the program Guidelines prior to submitting an application. More information can be found on the MCFSC website at https://firesafemendocino.org/micro-grant-program, or you may contact MCFSC directly with questions or to receive the Guidelines and Application Form: [email protected] or 707-486-9838.
This funding opportunity was made possible by the Mendocino County Fire Safe Council and its members and donors, with special thanks to Factory Pipe, LLC for their funding contribution towards this program.
