The Firewise Committee of Manzanita Village is proud to announce that the Village has been awarded a two-year Title III grant for community ravine fire fuels mitigation. Funds from this grant would be used to do fire fuels mitigation using private contractors during each year of the grant period. During the first year we would do fire fuels mitigation in the four acres closest to community homes. In the second year, we would do whatever would be required to maintain the area mitigated and mitigate fire fuels in the remaining portions of the ravine.
This project will decrease the fire potential of this ravine area in order to move the community toward a more FireWise model. We hope to not only mitigate the fire fields but also enhance groundwater penetration and provide a healthier environment for both the plants and animals living in this area. This project could also become part of the larger effort on the part of Manzanita Village to become known as an exemplary neighborhood that is a good steward of our natural resources. Because of the visibility of this community space (which appears to be rural but is only a mile from the Prescott downtown square), this project could also be used to provide members of the larger Prescott community with education into the management of fire-sensitive ecosystems through community-sponsored FireWise days or other educational activities.
In conjunction with this grant work, the Village is also applying for certification as a Firewise Community through the National Fire Protection Association. The Firewise Communities program is sponsored by the USDA Forest Service, the US Department of the Interior, and state forestry organizations. It is designed to reach beyond the fire service by involving homeowners, community leaders, planners, developers, and others in the effort to protect people, property, and natural resources from the risk of wildland fire — before a fire starts. The Firewise Communities approach emphasizes community responsibility for planning in the design of a safe community and individual responsibility for safer home design and construction, landscaping, and maintenance.
The Village has also joined the Prescott Area Wildland/Urban Interface Commission (PAWUIC), the local organization responsible for bringing together representatives of local, state and federal fire-fighting organizations with communities who have been or are applying to become Firewise communities.
The grant will be administrated by the Village Firewise Committee, a subcommittee of the Maintenance Committee.