MAST receives national award for inter-agency cooperation and achievement.
In February 2007, the Riverside County Mountain Area Safety Taskforce (MAST), along with those from San Bernardino and San Diego counties, were each presented with the national Two Chiefs Partnership Award. This award is made by the chiefs of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the U.S.D.A. Forest Service.
MAST includes federal, state and local agencies and groups that meet regularly to collaborate on best protection practices of the mountain communities. The Forest Service, NRCS, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE), Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council are all members of Riverside County MAST. The award recognized these groups for “the highly effective partnership across ownership lines to seamlessly provide for forest health and fuel treatments that accomplished critical community protection and evacuation routes. This partnership across the landscape transformed Southern California forests from an explosion waiting to happen to forests with a future.”
Mike Esnard (MCFSC president) and Blair Ceniceros (past MCFSC president) expressed elation and pride for the successes which have been achieved. It’s the cooperation between the aforementioned agencies which have made our community safer and our forest healthier.
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