Yosemite West Property &
Homeowners, Inc.

• to finalize and sign a Yosemite West CWPP
• to establish a Fire Safe program in Yosemite West

• to construct a shaded fuel break on the north and west perimeter of Yosemite West

Construction of the shaded fuel break started around the northern and western boundaries of Yosemite West. The purpose of a fuel break is to change the behavior and character of any wildfire, so that it becomes a ground fire. A full fuel break would remove all vegetation, but a shaded fuel break leaves small woody plants among well-spaced trees. It is effective for fire safety while retaining the forest character.

There are two approaches for creating a shaded fuel break, either by using mechanical methods or fire. This project uses only mechanical methods because of safety concerns with the use of prescribed fire. On gentle slopes, mechanical methods will be used - a small bobcat-type tractor to move debris, and a chipper to dispose of the cut vegetation. On steeper slopes, hand crews with chainsaws will use the log-and-scatter technique.

Along the western boundary by the community burn pile, the vegetation was very dense. In some areas, hundreds of downed trees are piled on top of one another. A masticator (a machine like a rototiller mounted on the front of a tractor) will be used on these downed logs. The wood will remain on the ground, but its structure will have been changed into something that will not burn as readily. Another kind of masticator (a chipper mounted on the end of a small excavator or backhoe) will be used on some areas of brush.

Along the northern boundary, the topography and steep slopes often exceed 40% where chipping is not possible. The lop-and-scatter technique will be used to cut the slash into small pieces and place it on the ground. Over time, it will be incorporated into the soil structure.

May 4-10, 2008 is Wildfire Awareness Week whose themes this year build upon Defensible Space is Your Responsibility and Wildfires...Will Your Home Survive?. Homeowners need to play an active role in helping themselves and neighbors, and everyone's property survive a wildfire. Participate in community fire safety activities this spring. Read the Governor's proclamation.

Work on the shaded fuel break will resume the week of May 12th now that the snow has melted.

Yosemite West becomes the first Mariposa County community to complete a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP).

At their June 17 meeting, the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for Yosemite West. Yosemite West is the first Mariposa County community to complete a CWPP, which will become part of the overall Mariposa County CWPP that is being prepared by the Mariposa County Fire Safe Council. The Board of Supervisors' approval was the final step in a process that included approval by Mariposa County Fire Department's Chief Jim Wilson, Cal Fire's Chief Mikel Martin, and Yosemite National Park's Fire Use Manager Michael Beasley.

The non-profit Yosemite West Property & Homeowners, Inc. (YWPHI) was awarded a grant in 2006 from the National Park Service administered by the California Fire Safe Council to complete its CWPP. YWPHI used this federal funding, and matching funds from the Mariposa County Fire Department and Yosemite West property owners, along with support from its fiscal sponsor, the Yosemite/Sequoia Resource Conservation & Development Council, to complete the vital project.

A CWPP is a planning tool for at-risk communities in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), areas where homes meet with undeveloped wildlands, to identify and reduce the risk of wildfire across the landscape and jurisdictional boundaries. It is developed through a collaborative process that identifies and prioritizes potential solutions, so that when funding is sought to address wildfire issues, there is a comprehensive overall plan from which to start. A CWPP neither guarantees funding nor regulates actions, but communities with completed plans have a competitive edge for grants for hazard fuel reduction projects.

Wildfires in California have destroyed homes and entire neighborhoods, garnered national media attention, and created momentum for the passage of federal and state legislation addressing wildfire risk. A CWPP is a crucial step in communities working to protect themselves.

Download the press release.

The Yosemite West CWPP on CD was mailed to every property owner of record in Yosemite West.

Construction of the shaded fuel break was completed on October 10th. View a map of the 25-acre shaded fuel break.

The data analysis of the Red Zone Fire Risk Assessment Survey conducted in August 2008 was completed. The Red Zone survey was first conducted in 2004 and updated in summer 2008. In mid-November, a parcel-specific report will be mailed to every property owner of record in Yosemite West with a structure.