Monterey County Considers $200,000 Federal Wildfire-Preparedness Grant for 2026–28

BIG SUR AND MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. — Monterey County is considering acceptance of a $200,000 federal State Fire Capacity grant to support allowable wildfire-preparedness activities over a period extending into 2028. The request is listed on the Board of Supervisors’ October 27, 2026 agenda as RES 26-168.

County staff ask supervisors to authorize the Department of Emergency Management to accept the award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, administered through the California Fire Safe Council, and to approve related budget and grant-agreement steps.

When could the money be used?

The proposed agreement covers October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2028, with possible administrative changes for allowable activities through September 30, 2030. Under the proposed budget plan, $50,000 is anticipated to be spent in the current fiscal year and $150,000 in the following fiscal year.

As part of the October 27 decision, the county would also amend the Department of Emergency Management’s FY 2026–27 appropriations and revenue by $50,000, subject to the required vote threshold.

What this does not mean

A countywide grant does not establish that $200,000 has been allocated to Big Sur specifically, that a named fuel-reduction project is approved or that wildfire risk has been eliminated. The award’s implementing activities and actual expenditures should be verified against the grant agreement and later reports.

The topic is relevant to mountain and rural communities where roads, defensible-space work, emergency notifications and safe evacuation planning are particularly important. For the latest official preparedness instructions, residents should consult the Monterey County emergency management office and their local fire authorities.

Primary source: Monterey County, RES 26-168: proposed State Fire Capacity grant acceptance, award letter and resolution.

Published October 27, 2026. Final acceptance and actual allocations were not established by the meeting agenda alone.

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