Tuolumne County Gets Millions To Help Forest
Sonora, CA — Tuolumne County will get nearly $5 million of a $36.2 million state grant pot to help restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat throughout California.
The Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) approved the funding this week for 31 projects. The money will benefit a range of natural resources like fish and wildlife, including some endangered species, and provide public access to natural resources. It will also be used to integrate economic, social, and environmental stewardship practices beneficial to the environment, landowners and the local community, according to WCB officials.
Tuolumne County garnered a $4.7 million grant for a cooperative project in the Stanislaus National Forest. The other agencies involved are the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), CAL FIRE, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the U.S. Forest Service. The funding will go towards enhancing forest health and reducing hazardous fuels through selective thinning and replanting activities. That work will be conducted on nearly 6,434 acres of mixed conifer forest in the Tuolumne River watershed area of the forest about 20 miles east of Sonora.
Funding for the projects comes from a combination of sources including the Habitat Conservation Fund and bond measures approved by voters to help preserve and protect California’s natural resources, relays WCB officials.
