CRWC partners with Fire Safe Council of Monterey County

The Carmel River Watershed Conservancy has partnered with the Fire Safe Council of Monterey County to strengthen wildfire preparedness efforts within our communities. Wildfire management protects both human communities and our ecosystem as wildfires become more destructive. These efforts include maintaining fuel breaks and thinning fuels to create effective defensible spaces. Within this partnership, both agencies have collaborated to create a comprehensive “Riparian Management Guidelines” to aid landowners in the proper management of the wide range of landscapes and vegetation types found within the 255 square mile Carmel River watershed.  

Currently within the watershed boundaries there are five recognized Firewise USA® Communities: Robles del Rio, Rancho Tierra Grande, Club Place, Boronda Garzas, and the most recent addition, Carmel Views. To achieve this status, these communities have taken the necessary steps to increase resistance against wildfires within their area by implementing a series of steps including proper vegetation management, home construction and design, and community preparedness preparations. Prospective Firewise USA communities within the watershed include Carmel Knolls, Country Club Drive, Ranch House Place, Rancho Rio Vista, Santa Lucia Preserve, Sleepy Hollow, Tehama, Tularcitos Ridge, Carmel Valley Ranch, Via Los Tulares, and Via Quintana. For more information on how to become a Firewise USA® community, visit firesafemonterey.org or contact [email protected]. 
​
Additional efforts to increase overall resiliency against wildfires include the installation of ALERT Wildfire cameras. Currently within the watershed there are seven ALERT cameras, one of which caught the exact location and direction of the fire on September 11th within Country Club Heights allowing first responders to arrive promptly to the scene. For information about installation of ALERT Wildfire cameras contact [email protected] or visit http://www.alertwildfire.org.