The following agencies and districts have joined the MWPA to date:

 

County of Marin

Sleepy Hollow Fire District

Stinson Beach Fire District

Muir Beach CSD

Town of Fairfax

Novato Fire Protection District 

City of Larkspur

Marinwood CSD

Town of San Anselmo

Southern Marin Fire District

Town of Ross

​Town of Corte Madera

Kentfield Fire District

City of San Rafael

City of Mill Valley

Inverness Public Utility District

Bolinas Fire District

Update 

To date, almost 90% of the fire districts and agencies have voted to join the JPA, forming the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority. The proposed parcel tax measure, with a 10-year sunset, will be presented to councils and boards. This proposed parcel tax would fund the wildfire prevention and mitigation efforts of the MWPA.

Marin’s Communities
are Threatened
by Wildfire

More than 260,000 people live in Marin County, served by cities, towns, the County of Marin, and well-coordinated fire agencies. Marin’s wildlands and lush vegetation make our neighborhoods beautiful and desirable places to live, but also leave residents and visitors vulnerable to wildfire. Local fire agencies and communities must coordinate wildfire prevention and disaster preparedness, including maintaining defensible space, reducing combustible vegetation, making homes fire resistant, and planning for organized evacuation in an emergency. Individual homes and properties are more fire resilient when preparedness is approached at the community scale. A collective effort by all citizens and property owners is necessary to build a resilient community and reduce the threat of wildfire to life, property, and infrastructure.

 

A Wildfire Prevention Effort to Reduce Marin’s Fire Risk

Wildfires are bigger, burn longer, cause more damage, and kill more people than ever before. This new reality requires greatly expanding prevention, preparedness, and fuel-reduction efforts throughout Marin. The Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA) is a coalition of local fire agencies, emergency service providers, and cities, towns, and county government being formed to support the development and implementation of a comprehensive wildfire prevention and emergency preparedness initiative.

MWPA Initiative

Key elements of this initiative include:

  • Improving emergency alert and warning systems to enhance early alert for organized evacuations

  • Expanding coordinated efforts to reduce combustible plants and vegetation

  • Improving evacuation routes and infrastructure to enhance traffic flow and promote safe evacuations

  • Expanding and enhancing defensible space and home evaluations and educating homeowners about how to reduce the vulnerability of their home and neighborhood to wildfire

  • Providing grants and support to seniors, persons with disabilities, and low-income homeowners who need assistance maintaining a defensible space, making homes fire resistant, reducing combustible vegetation, and preparing for emergencies

  • Creating and sustaining a coordinated local wildfire public safety and disaster preparedness program

  • Supporting residents to establish Firewise USA programs in neighborhoods through ongoing public education

Bringing a Local Wildfire Prevention Initiative to Reality

  • Marin’s fire agencies, cities, towns, and county government are currently working to form the MWPA and develop a coordinated program for wildfire prevention.

  • To be successful, a stable source of locally-controlled funding dedicated to wildfire prevention and public safety is required.

  • A countywide parcel tax measure is under consideration for the March 2020 election to provide dedicated funding for the MWPA program.