GDPUD Wins Big with Cal FIRE Wildfire Prevention Grant by Georgetown Divide Public Utility District Oct 24, 2023 Member Submitted News The Cal FIRE Wildfire Prevention Grants program has awarded Georgetown Divide Public Utility District (GDPUD) $1,192,220 for their Fire Safe on the Divide Program. “The District is actively working to combat California’s growing wildfire threat, by protecting the resource and its communities, the foothills have recently experienced the realities of fire. We are taking every possible action to ensure potential future impacts are well mitigated,” shared General Manager Nicholas Schneider. Cal Fire awarded funds to projects which would prevent catastrophic wildfires and protect communities. The award to GDPUD provides resources to complete vegetation treatment and hazard fuels reduction around water distribution facilities while also enabling the District to purchase equipment for continued maintenance of the areas surrounding those facilities, communities, and evacuation routes long into the future. Foresters will be utilized for an initial vegetation clearing which the District will then maintain. Additionally, there is the benefit of protecting GDPUD’s sole water supply, the Stumpy Meadows Reservoir, and its corresponding water delivery system, during and after potential wildfires. Living in a fire-prone area of the country presents a special set of challenges and circumstances. This became a stark reality when last September the region and District headquarters were evacuated due to the Mosquito Fire burning over 76,000 acres. The incident positioned the small water District, which serves 10,000 customers, at the forefront of a changing water management landscape. GDPUD now has the funds necessary to proactively begin protecting the critical infrastructure needed for the continued development of its supplies while also shielding its residents through the construction of fuel breaks throughout the region. “Moving forward protecting the communities and supply will be much easier thanks to this much-needed grant award” shared GDPUD President Mitch MacDonald. GDPUD is actively adapting its management strategies regarding the resources it is charged with protecting. ###
