Wildfire season is here! Remembering the Big Pine fire of 2011 that destroyed 19 homes and caused evacuation of nearly half the town, Inyo County has been working in conjunction with the Big Pine Community Association and the Big Pine American Legion Auxiliary in creating a community Big Pine Fuels Reduction Team.
“My heartfelt gratitude to Southern California Edison for providing the funding and the Whitebark Institute for administering the grants that are enabling this project,” said Fourth District Supervisor Jennifer Roeser. “Support and guidance for projects like these is much appreciated and makes a big difference in our fire resiliency and preparedness. Our ultimate success, however, will come down to individual preparation, neighborhoods coming together to get work done, and our local residents taking the lead to accomplish big tasks – and that’s exactly what Big Piners are doing. I’m so proud of them for their dedicated efforts and hard work to make their town safer.”

“These mini-grants are making it possible to accomplish wildfire risk reduction work in a timely manner that is community-informed and led. It’s ideal for me at the county-level to utilize the work we’ve done through the Community Wildfire Protection Plan to connect with a community group, like the Big Pine Association, to implement these types of community-based projects. It’s exciting to see an accessible local funding source like these easy-to-apply for mini-grants that help inspire community members to come together to own these types of projects in their neighborhoods. I hope we will be able to partner with more organizations to offer this type of program across our entire county,” said Kristen Pfeiler, Wildfire Preparedness Coordinator.

With the guidance from Kristen, Matt Kerley-Otten applied for a Big Pine Defensible Space Clean Up Project Grant through Whitebark Institute. With the grant, the newly formed BP Fuels Reduction Team is coordinating a community clean-up day on Saturday, October 19. Lots of volunteers will be needed. There will be two big dumpsters set up at the Animal Shelter and the corner of Crocker and West Streets across from the cemetery for Green Trash only. This is a great time to clear a defensible space around your home and take the green shrubs to the dumpsters for free. The team is looking for volunteers to monitor the dumpsters. The Big Pine Community Association will once again be offering a free dump day to all “Piners” for all other trash. It will also be a Highway Clean up day.

Allison Peeler, project coordinator, is asking all volunteers to meet at the Big Pine kiosk on the corner of Highways 395 and 168 at 9:00 on Oct. 19 to break into work groups. All volunteers will receive a lunch voucher from Copper Top. For more information please call 760-582-2058.