June 12, 2026
Landowners in the affected areas are urged to respond to Landowner Access Agreement requests now, so critical wildfire fuel-reduction work can move forward.
Napa, CA — Napa Communities Firewise Foundation (Napa Firewise) is asking residents who live in or near the areas burned by the 2017 Tubbs Fire and the 2020 Glass Fire to check both their physical mail and their email for a letter about a Landowner Access Agreement, and — if they’ve received one — to respond.
Since February 2026, Napa Firewise has been contacting landowners whose parcels fall within the proposed treatment area for the Tubbs/Glass Fire Complex Fuel Mitigation Project. Each targeted letter asks the property owner to sign a Landowner Access Agreement to allow Napa Firewise to carry out the necessary surveys needed to finalize the project scope. Every signed agreement helps keep this multi-year wildfire-safety effort on schedule.
“If you find a letter from us, please don’t set it aside,” said Mike Wilson, Director of Land Resilience at Napa Firewise. “Answering it is the single most important thing a landowner can do to help this be a successful project for our community.”
Why this matters
The project is funded through the 2022 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) — a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) program that helps communities reduce the risk of future disasters — in direct response to the Tubbs and Glass fires. The grant is administered in California by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). The County of Napa is the local subrecipient, and the County selected Napa Communities Firewise Foundation through a competitive request-for-proposals process to provide project management, environmental and historic preservation coordination, community outreach, and oversight of the fuel-reduction work. The contractors who perform the actual treatment will be chosen later through a separate competitive process.
The goal is to lower wildfire risk by reducing hazardous fuels such as overgrown brush, ladder fuels, and dead and dying trees. All work takes place within two miles of a structure, and every property is studied individually — because the right treatment in one place may be the wrong treatment in another.
What the letter is asking
Signing the Landowner Access Agreement grants the Napa Firewise team, acting on the County’s behalf, permission to enter the property for two related phases of work: first, site surveys and resource monitoring conducted by a Registered Professional Forester, and later — only after environmental review and permitting are complete — the actual fuel-reduction work.
Surveys come first for a reason. Because this is a federally funded project, it must complete an Environmental and Historic Preservation review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and federal requirements before any treatment is planned. During a survey visit, nothing is removed and no treatment is performed; the forester simply walks the property to identify and avoid sensitive plant species and other natural and cultural resources. Fieldwork itself is anticipated for 2027–2028.
How to respond
Landowners who have received a letter can sign the Landowner Access Agreement in either of two ways:
- Online: scan the QR code printed on the letter, or use the link provided in it.
- By mail: NCFF, P.O. Box 2336, Napa, CA 94558.
Have questions?
Residents who have received a letter — or who simply want to understand what the project means for their property — are encouraged to visit the project webpage, where they’ll find maps, a full project timeline, and answers to frequently asked questions:
https://napafirewise.org/projects/tubbs-glass-fire-fema-fuel-mitigation-project/
**Press release modified July 8, 2026 with link update**
About Napa Communities Firewise Foundation
The Napa Communities Firewise Foundation (Napa Firewise) is a countywide nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to strengthening wildfire resilience across Napa County through land stewardship, strategic fuel management, and community preparedness. Napa Firewise works with residents, landowners, fire agencies, and partners to reduce wildfire risk, improve forest and ecosystem health, and support fire-adapted communities. Learn more at https://napafirewise.org.
Media Contact:
Stephanie Smithers
Communications & Development Manager, Napa Communities Firewise Foundation
stephanie@napafirewise.org | 909-786-9208