Valley Outdoors is extremely grateful for the opportunity to participate in a recent pilot program for the Starlite community in partnership with the Whitebark Institute and Southern California Edison. The program was to help prepare rural communities to defend against wildfire risks.
The importance of preparing defensible spaces and ongoing fire prevention programs within communities adjacent to public lands has never been greater. Several wet winters in a row have resulted in more vegetation and an increased fire risk on private property around homes. Often this increase has overwhelmed the property owners’ capacity to maintain important defensible spaces.
Land management agencies have been working to reduce fuel loads on public lands, but a specific program like this was needed to work on fuels reduction within private lands on small parcels. This program was funded by Southern California Edison and administered by Whitebark Institute.
Valley Outdoors secured a $5000 grant from Whitebark to provide green waste debris bins for the residents of Starlite just West of Bishop, CA. The purpose was to remove vegetation and help provide defensible spaces around homes. The Starlite pilot program aimed at filling three, 20-yard green waste bins (approximately 12 tons of material) and providing landscape services to residents who needed help.
Through grant matching with equipment and fee waivers submitted by Valley Outdoors and the County of Inyo’s Wildfire Preparedness Program, the community was able to stretch the initial $5000 grant into over $15000 worth of work and benefit. In the end, the Starlight community removed over 30 tons of green waste around homes in a 3-week period. This amount of flammable vegetation removed is outstanding and truly represents a community stewardship effort.
Valley Outdoors would like to thank the following: Margy Marshall for the initial fuel reduction study, we also express gratitude to Wildlife Preparedness Coordinator Kristen Pfeiler, County of Inyo, The Starlite CSD, The Inyo National Forest Service, as well as Mary and Wendy at Bishop Waste Disposal.
The entire community owes it gratitude to the Whitebark Institute and Southern California Edison. Most importantly, a huge thank you to all the residents of Starlite for understanding the importance of the project and the colossal effort to make a difference where we all live.
Valley Outdoors’s mission is “Partnering with agencies to build community-based stewardship of our public lands.” We are a Bishop, CA based, all-volunteer 501c3 non-profit supported through tax deductible donations. Please consider us when making your next donation so we can continue to do the work we love to do.
