Bad Time for a Drive to San Simeon • $240 Million: Fire Prevention and Forest Grants

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Bad Time for a Drive to San Simeon

Rockfall and debris in the roadway associated with ongoing rain has resulted in the closure of Highway 1 from the Elephant Seal Parking Lot north of San Simeon to south of Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County. The slide is located two miles south of Ragged Point at a location known as Polar Star.

Caltrans reports there is currently no estimated time for reopening.

Maintenance/engineer teams are assessing the closure area the morning of Dec. 27 and will continue to work during daylight hours when it’s safe for crews to do.

Decisions on modifying the closure parameters will be determined by field assessments, according to Caltrans, with additional rainfall impacting the cleanup effort.

Barricades, cones as well as message and directional signs are in place at both ends of the closure to alert motorists traveling in the area. n

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For traffic updates on other state highways in Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties, call Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at 805-549-3318 or see: dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5

Recent landslide on Highway 1

$240 Million: Fire Prevention and Forest Grants

Cal Fire is soliciting applications for projects that prevent catastrophic wildfires, protect communities, and restore forests to while sequestering carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Cal Fire plans to award up to $120 million for local projects in and near firethreatened communities that focus on increasing the protection of people, structures, and communities.

Qualified activities include hazardous fuels reduction, wildfire prevention planning and wildfire prevention education with an emphasis on improving public safety while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Cal Fire plans to award up to $120 million to landscape-level forest restoration projects that increase resilience to catastrophic disturbance.

Eligible activities include forest fuels reduction, fire reintroduction, reforestation, and the use of forest biomass.

These grant programs are part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of cap-andtrade dollars to work.

The programs complement the 2018 Strategic Fire Plan for California and the State Forest Carbon Plan.

Fire prevention applications are due by 3 p.m. Feb. 9, 2022.

Forest Health application filing opens Jan. 3, 2022, with the deadline 3 p.m. March 3, 2022.

Public workshops, in person and virtual, will be scheduled. The Fire Prevention Grant Program hosted its first virtual workshop on Dec. 17. n

Check www.fire.ca.gov/grants/fireprevention-grants/ and www.fire.ca.gov/ grants/forest-health-grants/ for more dates, times, and locations. Workshops are recorded. For more information and to sign up for grant email announcements, visit www.fire.ca.gov/ grants.