SACRAMENTO— Today Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Santa Rosa) announced that Mendocino County Fire Safe Council (MCFSC) is being honored as Assembly District 2’s 2021 Nonprofit of the Year.
Wildfires have existed in California for decades, but the past decade has seen some of the most destructive and deadly wildfires, including the Camp Fire in 2018 where the fire destroyed 18,804 structures and 85 people lost their lives, devastating the community.
“In recognition of its outstanding record of community support, I am very proud to select the Mendocino County Fire Safe Council as this year’s nonprofit of the year,” said Wood. “Wildfire is a reality for our entire state and MCFSC’s three-pronged approach to its mission of informing, empowering and mobilizing county residents to survive and thrive in a wildfire-prone environment is a model for other communities to follow.”
The MCFSC encourages road associations, homeowner groups, subdivisions and towns to create their own fire safe councils and assists local councils with education, guidance and grant funding. MCFSC also manages larger community fuels reduction and mitigation projects.
“In the 2020-2021 fiscal year alone, MCFSC has brought roughly $500,000 in grant funding into Mendocino County from a range of sources, in addition to managing millions of dollars in additional grant project work in collaboration with the County,” said Wood. “The critical work of MCFSC contributes tremendously to the success and well-being of the community and has enhanced the quality of life for local residents, bringing the community together to understand that, working together, they can create a safer environment protecting lives, homes and businesses.”
“In response to the urgency of the current wildfire situation, the MCFSC has expanded its programs and capabilities tremendously over the last few years,” said Scott Cratty, MCFSC Executive Director. “We now provide county-wide community chipping services, deliver income-qualified senior defensible space assistance, maintain comprehensive educational resources on our web page, mobilize substantial neighborhood volunteer power, and much more. We are delivering significant contributions to the County’s overall project of improving and accelerating our community wildfire preparedness. This substantial leap forward was made possible through significant partnerships, including those with the Hopland Band of Pomo Indians, the Mendocino County, the Mendocino Resource Conservation District, the Community Foundation of Mendocino, the California Fire Safe Council, Listos California, the Liberty Foundation, and PG&E.”
Founded in 2004, the MCFSC began as a response to a growing population in a county with significant, dense vegetation and a heightened danger of large, destructive wildfires. Visit the MCFSC website to see the work they do.
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