REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
DATE: Regular Meeting of March 25, 2025
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
SUBMITTED BY: Dante Hall, City Manager
SUBJECT: Authorization to Apply for the Community Wildfire Defense Grant - Reinvesting in the City of Hercules’ Hazardous Fuels Reduction/Fire-adapted Ecosystems Restoration Project RECOMMENED ACTION:
Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to apply for the Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CDWG) from the US Department of Agriculture and to execute any necessary documents related to the application process.
BACKGROUND:
The CWDG is a program administered by the US Department of Agriculture and is designed to help communities implement strategies for wildfire management. Launched in 2022, the $1 billion, five-year competitive grant program, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, prioritizes communities located in areas identified as having high or very high wildfire hazard potential.
The City of Hercules is continually hampered by natural hazards each year, partly due to the loss of existing tree canopy and high-risk reduction zones that have been exacerbated by at least seven severe disaster impacts, as declared by FEMA, between 2017 and 2023. The unprecedented rate of change in our local climate system has rapidly created unanticipated conditions unfavorable to Hercules’ ecosystems, as seen in the increasing number of projected wildfire risks and environmental landslides.
In 2019, the Diablo Fire Safe Council prepared and developed an updated Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for all of Contra Costa County. This plan identifies wildland fire hazards, prioritizes ways to reduce them, and recommends measures for homeowners and local communities to reduce the ignitability of structures. The Contra Costa Countywide CWPP serves as a multi-year guiding document, helping to facilitate the implementation of current and future wildfire hazard mitigation measures. Together with the adopted Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and recent updates to our General Plan, the City comprehensively understands the hazardous risks to our community and has a roadmap to mitigate them.
Staff believes that applying for the CDWG is aligned with the City's goals of proactively protecting our community from hazards. It presents an excellent opportunity for the City to implement the approved fire management strategies aimed at creating defensible space and reducing fuel loads within the City’s highest-priority hazard zones, thereby shielding Hercules against the destructive impacts of wildfires, severe storms, flooding, and landslides.
ANALYSIS
The CDWG provides an opportunity to secure up to $3.8M in funding to Remove or reduce fuels on Hercules’ urban community landscape. Because fuel treatments tend to be successful when combining multiple remedies required to disrupt the City’s potential for wildfire spread and intensification, fuel management practices will complement other wildfire mitigation strategies, such as educating residents on how to manage the vegetation around their homes to reduce risks to people and property.
Encourage proactive, systematic maintenance and monitoring of urban trees and forested natural areas to improve forest health, assess risks to forests from pests, diseases, and adverse climate impacts, and formulate adaptive management strategies to enhance forest resilience.
Protect, enhance, and increase access to watersheds in urban and developing areas with a focus on conserving and managing forest patches and green stormwater infrastructure.
Improve preparation for severe storms and the recovery of damaged or deteriorated landscapes to achieve healthier and more resilient conditions.
A complete grant narrative with additional details has been attached to this report for review.
If awarded, the grant will require a 50% match, which can be met by ongoing community fire hazard education and fire code enforcement efforts (performed by the Fire District with Measure O funding) and recent investments in planning initiatives that complement the CWPP update. These efforts include the Parks System Master Plan, the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, and the General Plan's Safety and Open Space Elements. Staff recommends pursuing this funding opportunity as it will provide critical resources to implement existing fire safety strategies for the community.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The application for the CWDG does not have any additional fiscal impact. However, if the grant is awarded, a 50% matching contribution will be required. This matching requirement can be satisfied through ongoing fire prevention efforts and recent investments in planning initiatives that complement the CWPP update.
ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution
Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) Proposal Narrative Measure O funding is a parcel tax that helps fund fire protection and emergency services in the community. The funds are used to maintain staffing levels, equipment, and facilities to ensure effective fire and emergency response.