Weber Creek Project

What is El Dorado County Doing?

El Dorado County has received a $25 million California Wildfire Mitigation Program (CWMP) grant to assist in creating defensible space and retrofitting homes with ignition resistant building materials. This three-year project is one of six pilot program grants in California aimed to reduce the impacts of wildfire through implementing a series of mitigation measures. This project focuses on 525 homes within the project area and identified as high wildfire risk along the Weber Creek drainage, south of Placerville. See the announcement(PDF, 238KB) from CAL FIRE and Cal OES.

How Was the Project Area Selected?

Please visit the CWMP "About" page for detailed information regarding selection criteria for the project area: CWMP - About Page

What Will the Grant Fund?

Each participating residential property in the project area will be evaluated for defensible space and home hardening retrofit measures and a property-specific list of mitigation measures will be developed that align with local and state requirements, as well as the grant program wildfire resilience standards. El Dorado County will hire contractors to complete the identified defensible space clearing and home hardening retrofits, up to a maximum dollar limit, at no cost to the homeowner. Prior to implementing any home hardening measures, defensible space must meet the grant program requirements.

Is My Home Located in the Project Area?

Please visit our Online Mapping Tool, turn on the Weber Creek Project layer and search for your address to verify if it is within the Weber Creek Project boundary (see below for quick visual).

How Do I Get Notified About Project Updates?

Homeowners in the project area will receive notices via U.S. Mail regarding eligibility criteria and next steps as the project progresses. To expedite the receipt of future notices and communications regarding the project, please complete our Homeowner Contact Information form below.

Homeowner Contact Information Form

When Will the Project Begin?

Phase 1 of the grant was approved in 2023 and focuses on environmental review clearance for parcels less than 45 years old. Project implementation will occur in Phase 2, anticipated to begin mid-2025.At that time, home assessments will be scheduled, and each property will be assessed to determine recommended defensible space and home hardening retrofit measures. Once the scope of work has been developed and discussed with the homeowner, an agreement will be signed to complete the work. In some cases, additional approval may be required by Cal OES and FEMA to comply with Environmental and Historic Preservation considerations and as part of the final eligibility determination. The second round of environmental reviews for the remaining parcels within the project area will also occur during Phase 2.

How Do I Apply?

A link to the CWMP application portal for eligible homeowners will be added to this page once the environmental review is approved by FEMA. To qualify, participants must:

Be the legal property owner in a participating area at the time of application.
Be willing to participate in a home assessment to determine the measures which may be taken to safeguard your home.
Be willing to sign a right of entry to your property and allow contractors to implement the defensible space and home hardening activities.