County Supervisors Will Determine If County Fire Can Provide Matching Funds for $10 Million Fuels Reduction Grant

Additional fuels reduction in the San Bernardino mountains will likely be funded with a grant through the U.S. Forest Service, though pending a vote from the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors tomorrow morning. Supervisors will vote on whether or not to direct San Bernardino County Fire Chief Pat Dennen to accept the grant award of $10 million, as the Forest Service grant is contingent on a 10% match, which equates to one million dollars. If approved, the 2008 San Bernardino Mountains Tree Mortality and Fuels Management Grant Program will be extended through July 2013, and matching funds will be included in the County Fire budget over the next five years. Tomorrow’s agenda also includes a resolution to continue special taxes for specific county service areas; among those is the $63 Sugarloaf-specific tax for road maintenance and improvements, as approved by voters in May 2007, and for those on Running Springs School Road (in Running Springs), a $600 per parcel tax for road upkeep.