The catastrophic and tragic wildfires throughout California the past few years have shown how vulnerable our foothill communities are. Right here in Tuolumne County we have experienced major fires, although (thankfully) those fires have not resulted in loss of life or as significant of property damage as was experienced in other areas of the state.
However, we are ALL impacted by large fires, whether from the health hazards, loss of our county’s natural beauty, or increased homeowner’s insurance. Further, the risk of a truly devastating wildfire right here in Tuolumne County continues to grow. Clearly, the time to act is now.
That is why we have established TuCARE’s Community Wildfire Protection Fund (CWPF). The CWPF is a monetary fund established in partnership with the Sonora Area Foundation that is designed to provide fast and highly efficient funding for large and small vegetation management projects on private lands throughout the county, particularly in high hazard areas. The CWPF will pay for the cost of tree removal and fuel reduction in strategic places that have been identified as high fire hazard areas. This reduction in fuels will provide a much-needed buffer between areas prone to catastrophic fire and developed areas throughout the county.
By donating to the CWPF, you are helping the ENTIRE community, all with the peace of mind knowing that your donations are under the watchful stewardship of the Sonora Area Foundation. In addition, the CWPF has been established and will be administered entirely by volunteers.
The Fund is committed to 100 percent public transparency and has established an administrative cost limitation of no more than 1.5 percent. In other words, virtually all of your donation will go toward the “boots on the ground” work of removing the fuel that can destroy entire communities.
So please, let’s eliminate the red tape and make our community safer and more resilient to wildfire by donating today.
- The CWPF is endorsed by City of Sonora Fire Department and local CalFire agency representatives
- Projects to be funded will be evaluated by the TuCARE board of directors and the CWPF Project Review Committee, after consultation and input from City of Sonora Fire Department, CalFire, the USFS, Tuolumne County Fire Safe Council, and local foresters. Selected projects will be submitted to the Sonora Area Foundation for funding.
- All donations are 100 percent tax deductible.
TuCARE is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit
Federal I.D. #93-0990788 – CA Charitable Organization #07544