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City of Santa Cruz –
Wildfire Resilience Planning

Project Partners

City of Santa Cruz
Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County

Overview of Actions

ARC Forestry completed the preparation of the Wildfire Resilience Plan and has prepared grant applications, permits, and prioritized and strategic wildfire resilience treatments for critical infrastructure on City of Santa Cruz (COSC) lands. These treatment areas include the 911 Emergency Operations Center, critical water infrastructure, and De LaVeaga and Pogonip parks surrounding communities.

In collaboration with various COSC departments, including the Fire Department, Water Department, Parks and Recreation Department, and Public Works Department; the Wildfire Resilience Plan outlines priority treatments and prescriptions around critical assets for each department and identifies strategic treatment areas where wildfires might reasonably be stopped or slowed.

To generate funds to implement priority treatments around the most critical COSC infrastructure, ARC Forestry developed and supported the development of a CAL FIRE Wildfire Prevention Grant application submitted in 2025. Additionally, ARC Forestry contacted the State Coastal Conservancy through the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County and with the support of the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County obtained funding to develop a California Vegetation Treatment Program (CalVTP) Project Specific Analysis (PSA) for long-term CEQA compliance for COSC lands.

ARC Forestry is working with COSC to plan and prepare for treatment implementation in contiguous areas across multiple adjacent landownerships to support the protection of the City of Santa Cruz communities and increase wildfire resilience across the landscape; this effort is made feasible through regional planning efforts supported by the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz and ongoing vegetation management planning efforts by large landowners adjacent to COSC.

Treatment Status

Wildfire Resilience Plan completed and approved by the Santa Cruz City Council. Permits complete for all prioritized treatments on COSC lands. Wildfire Prevention Grant submitted, and planning for a collaborative Forest Health Grant application. Treatments will begin in 2026.

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LOCATION

Santa Cruz County

TREATMENT ATTRIBUTES

  • Forest Health Fuels Reduction
  • Forest Density Reduction/ Large Tree Restoration
  • Roadside Treatments
  • Hazard Tree Removal
  • Invasive Species Management
  • Forest Trend Monitoring

PROJECT COMPONENTS

Documentation

  • WRP – developed, completed, and approved
  • PSA – in development
  • Archaeological Survey Report – in development
  • Vegetation Treatment Specifications – in development
  • Supporting contract and bid development

Field & Operations

  • Treatment Operations on 911 Emergency Operations Center and expected to occur in 2026
  • Other prioritized treatments to begin implementation in 2027

STAFF INVOLVED

  • Shelby Kranich, Director of Forest Resilience – direction, grant development, and permitting
  • Lindsey Jasperse , Assistant Forester III – lead document development of the WRP and CalVTP PSA (Former Staff)
  • Steve Auten, Owner/RPF – project design and strategy, grant development, permit development, mapping, and operational supervision