Let’s reduce wildfire risk in our region

Thanks to an early season rainstorm, the Alisal Fire was contained within 10 days of when it started in mid-October. But not before destroying over a dozen residential structures and severely burning coastal watersheds. As Gaviota Coast ranches, nature preserves, and residents impacted by the wildfire begin to recover, there is still work to be done – and much we can learn for future preparedness and resilience planning.

One effort underway is the recently released Regional Priority Plan, which emerged from CEC’s Climate Resilience Roundtables.

Read more about the Regional Priority Plan here

Read about projects and ideas underway

Developed by the Cachuma Resource Conservation District, LegacyWorks Group, McGinnis Environmental, Conservation Biology Institute, and CEC, the plan seeks to reduce fire risk and improve ecosystem health in Santa Barbara County by:

• Prioritizing projects that mitigate wildfire risk, build community capacity, and increase wildfire and climate resilience.

• Centralizing public databases of Santa Barbara County wildfire-related data to prioritize wildfire risk-reduction activities.

• Deepening relationships, networks, and trust among community partners and agencies that need to work together to build resilience.

• Developing a platform for funding and implementing collaborative projects.

As our region becomes increasingly vulnerable to fire due to extreme drought and heat conditions exacerbated by climate change, we must expand collective capacity and work together on regional solutions. CEC and its partners – including local fire agencies, land managers, and community-based organizations – are elevating and supporting projects like the Regional Priority Plan that reduce wildfire risk and build community resilience.

It's time to recognize that in the face of climate change, everyone is at risk for wildfire – and we all need to be prepared.

Be safe,

Sharyn Main, Climate Resilience Program Director
Community Environmental Council