Los Gatos Creek Watershed Collaboration
The Los Gatos Creek Watershed Collaborative Forest Health Project
Forest Health Grants are awarded by CAL FIRE to regionally based partners and collaborations. CAL FIRE seeks to significantly increase fuels management, fire reintroduction, treatment of degraded areas, and conservation of forest through the grant program. The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council has been awarded two Forest Health Grants, known as the First Collaboration and the Second Collaboration.
The First Collaboration grant award is $7.5 million to treat 938 acres, started August 29, 2021 and concludes March 31, 2025.
The Second Collaboration grant award is $6,925,128 million to treat 840 acres, started September 24, 2023 and concludes September 30, 2027.
To implement forest health treatments on approximately 1778 acres of strategically identified areas, the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council has partnered with the San Jose Water Company, Santa Clara County Parks, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District and smaller, private landowners, to form the Los Gatos Creek Watershed Collaboration.
The public can monitor project communications and updates by subscribing to the Los Gatos Creek Watershed Collaborative newsletter at: https://sccfiresafe.org/subscribe/
Forest Health Grant Goals:
This collaborative landscape-level effort has identified an interconnectable mosaic pattern of treatment areas that, with ecologically sensitive treatments, intend to:
- Establish healthy, resilient fire-adapted ecosystems to protect and conserve natural resources.
- Protect upper watersheds where important regional water supplies originate.
- Promote the long-term storage of carbon and reduce the severity of catastrophic wildfire
thereby increasing community and forest ecosystem protection.
Resources for the Collaboration
The Los Gatos Creek Watershed Collaborative Forest Health Grant is a collaboration between these public and private entities and is a part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment, particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution.
California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at: www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.