The Watershed Center Partners to Build CA’s Wildfire Resilience Workforce
The Watershed Center Partners to Build CA’s Wildfire Resilience Workforce
Increased workforce training is critical to meeting the goals of the Task Force. To boost that effort, The Watershed Research and Training Center (The Watershed Center) is launching a new kind of workforce development effort, specifically tailored to Corpsmembers of Local Conservation Corps across California. The Watershed Center piloted this approach from January 2022 to August 2023 with Conservation Corps North Bay, using funds from the California Department of Conservation’s (DOC) Regional Forest and Fire Capacity (RFFC) Program. Now, thanks to continued RFFC funding and also a grant from CAL FIRE’s Workforce Development grant program, the Watershed Center is scaling up the effort.
CAL FIRE's and ALERTCalifornia's Fire Detection AI Program Named One of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2023
CAL FIRE's and ALERTCalifornia's Fire Detection AI Program
TIME selected the University of California ALERTCalifornia program, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), and industry partner Digital Path’s AI fire detection tool as one of the best inventions of 2023. The value of this public-private partnership is the development of AI to aid firefighters, mitigate watchstander fatigue, reduce false positives, and confirm fire incidents in the incipient phase. Early detection and rapid response allow firefighters to combat fires before they grow. The AI tool became available to all 21 CAL FIRE 911 Dispatch Centers in September 2023.
Statewide Set of Regional Resource Kits Completed with Release of Northern CA Region
Task Force Offers Statewide Set of Regional Resource Kits with Release of Northern CA Region
On October 5, 2023, the Task Force released its fourth and final Regional Resource Kit and Regional Profile for Northern California. This adds to the kits and profiles already available for the Sierra Nevada, Southern California, and Central California Task Force designated regions. Kits provide sets of tools and data created to accelerate the work by regional partners and collaboratives to reduce wildfire hazard and improve the conditions of forested and shrub landscapes. Regional Profiles add socio-ecological context for each region, highlight examples of current condition assessments from the associated kit, and present findings from interviews and surveys about stakeholder priorities and concerns for community and ecosystem resilience.
Wildfire Mitigation and Management Commission Releases Final Report
Wildfire Mitigation and Management Commission Releases Final Report
On September 27, the federal Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, co-chaired by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Interior and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, released a final report submitted to Congress that reflects a comprehensive review of the federal wildfire system. The report makes 148 recommendations covering seven key themes:
- Urgent new approaches to address the wildfire crisis
- Supporting collaboration to improve partner involvement
- Shifting from reactive to proactive in planning for, mitigating and recovering from fire
- Enabling beneficial fire to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire
- Supporting and expanding the workforce to hire and retain the wildland firefighting staff needed to address the crisis
- Modernizing tools for informed decision-making to better leverage available technology and information
- Investing in resilience through increased spending now to reduce costs in the long run
USFS Invests Over $100 Million to Plant Trees and Combat Extreme Heat
USFS Invests Over $100 Million in California to Plant Trees and Combat Extreme Heat
On September 14, the US Forest Service announced over $1 billion in Urban and Community Forestry grants to plant and maintain trees, combat extreme heat and climate change, and improve access to nature in cities, towns, and suburbs where more than 84% of Americans live, work, and play. This includes 43 funded projects with funds totaling over $100 million across cities in California. This is the largest single USDA Inflation Reduction Act investment to date in urban and community forests.
Grants Support Tribal-led Wildfire Resilience Projects
First-of-their-Kind Grants Support Tribal-led Wildfire Resilience Projects
On September 22, CAL FIRE awarded $19 million for 13 projects as part of the nation-leading Tribal Wildfire Resilience Grant Program launched earlier this month. This funding supports California Native American tribes in managing ancestral lands, employing Traditional Ecological Knowledge in wildfire resilience, and improving wildfire safety for tribal and surrounding communities. Projects that will receive funding from the grants include ongoing fuels reduction projects on tribal lands, recruitment and training of tribal youth and conservation staff, and the improvement of access to and quality of traditional food and basketry materials. These projects support the promotion and innovation of tribal expertise and science to build capacity and improve wildfire resilience throughout tribal ancestral lands.
Liberty Utilities Partners for Powerline Resilience Corridor Project
Liberty Utilities Partners for Utilities Powerline Resilience Corridor Project
To protect the remarkable Lake Tahoe Basin from wildfire risks, Liberty Utilities’ Powerline Resilience Corridor Project is reducing fuels along powerlines and working alongside the U.S. Forest Service, the National Forest Foundation, and the California Tahoe Conservancy to expand fuels treatments to increase energy safety and promote wildfire resilience in this ecologically and economically important region. Multi-partner collaborations like this project are imperative to Task Force goals to scale up treatments from individual project to landscape scale.
Forest Service Conducts Fuel Reduction Work in Lake Tahoe Basin
Forest Service Conducts Fuel Reduction Work in Lake Tahoe Basin
The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit continues cut-to-length mechanical fuels reduction (forest thinning) operations on approximately 275 acres around the Lake Tahoe Basin. This fuels reduction work is part of the NV Energy Resilience Corridors Project that aims to reduce the risk of severe wildfire and create healthier and more resilient forests.
Northern California Regional Meeting
Northern California Regional Meeting
Join us in Redding or remotely via Zoom. Hosted by Shasta College, North Coast Resource Partnership, and Napa and Tehama RCDs, discussions will focus on landscapes and land management issues unique to Northern California. The meeting will open with a Resource Fair showcasing local organizations at work in the region. Field tours will be offered on October 6. We look forward to connecting, committing to action, and collaborating on real solutions to the daunting challenges facing our landscapes and communities.
OCTOBER 5 & 6
Shasta College
11555 Old Oregon Trail
Redding, CA
Tentative Event Schedule
8:30-10:00 a.m. Resource Fair
10 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Morning Session
12:15-1:30 p.m. Lunch
1:30-4:30 p.m. Afternoon Session
5:00-7:00 p.m. Reception
Free parking available in the South Parking Lot, adjacent to theatre.
EV charging stations located in East Parking Lot.
field tours
FIELD TOURS WILL BE OFFERED ON OCT 6
Tour of Ross Ranch
Regenerative Agriculture and WUI Projects to Maintain the Land & Protect the Community
Destination: Join The McConnell Foundation for a tour of this beautiful 860 acre working ranch, just on the outskirts of Redding. The ranch is permanently protected under a conservation easement and is utilized as a “learning laboratory” that plays host to a variety of regenerative agriculture and fire resilience demonstration projects. This tour will focus on several of the soil health, fuel reduction, and grazing management projects that have been taking place across the ranch. In particular, we will hear from CAL FIRE about the 120 acre prescribed burn they implemented on the property in July 2023.
Start/End Time: 9am – 1pm
Tour Host: The McConnell Foundation
Accessibility: Easy accessibility. 1.25 mile walk.
Notes: Lunch Included.
Location: Ross Ranch (3 minute drive from campus)
Trinity Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscape
Shared Stewardship and Collaboration in Action to Reduce Wildfire Risks to Local Communities
Destination: Please join us on a field trip to Trinity County, the highest risk county for wildfire in California, to learn how we are working with local partners and stakeholders to reduce the risk of wildfire on a landscape level! We will discuss current and future efforts to reduce wildfire risk to communities and natural resources on the Trinity Landscape, under the Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy. Working closely together with partners, stakeholders, and local communities is crucial to reducing wildfire risk across land ownerships, and will promote strengthened relationships, increased effectiveness, and greater planning and implementation capacities. To learn more about the Trinity Landscape, please visit the following website: LINK >
Start/End Time: 9am – 2:30pm
Tour Host: Shasta-Trinity National Forest & The Watershed Research Training Center
Accessibility: Trucks and any size SUV. Parking is limited, please carpool.
Notes: Bring lunch.
Location: Weaverville Ranger Station
I-5 Corridor Fuels Reduction Efforts
Partnering for Resilience – Proactive Strategies in Managing Public Lands to Reduce Wildfire Risks and Promote Healthy Forests
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Destination: Please join us on a field trip along the crucial transportation corridor of Interstate 5 to the north of Redding. We will observe footprints and impacts from multiple recent fires, higher risk areas for wildfire, and our strategic plans for future work along the corridor and on the landscape. We will cross over Shasta Lake, which is the largest reservoir in all of California. The field tour will provide opportunities for discussions and questions with Forest Service Fire Ecologists, Fuels and Silviculture Specialists, and other resource specialists. We will observe recent prescribed fire and thinning around Shasta Lake. To learn more about one of the project areas we will be observing, please visit the following project page: VISIT >
Start/End Time: 9am – 12pm
Tour Host: Shasta-Trinity National Forest
Location: Shasta Lake Ranger Station (30 minutes from Shasta College)
Accessibility: Any size vehicle. Parking is limited, please carpool.
LOCATION: Shasta Lake Ranger Station
Mount Shasta – McBride Plantations Project
Thinning for Healthy Forests and a Sustainable Future
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Please join us on a field trip to the McBride Plantations Project in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest adjacent to Mt. Shasta City! Participants will be able to observe and experience the area before, during, and after project thinning activities have occurred. This wildfire risk reduction work is being accomplished within a 3000-acre plantation area, and within the wildland urban interface (WUI). Expect majestic views of Mount Shasta, depending on weather conditions. To learn more about the McBride Plantations project, please visit the following links:
TOUR HOST: Shasta-Trinity National Forest
TIME: 9 AM – 2:30 PM
Location: U.S. Forest Service Mt. Shasta Ranger Station (1 hour from Shasta College)
Accessibility: We will view the sites from roads and landings. Parking is limited, please carpool.
NOTES:
Wear hiking clothes. Bring lunch, water, sunscreen, and a sun hat.
LOCATION: 204 W Alma St, Mt Shasta, CA 96067
Shasta College Workforce Development and Training: Partnership in Action
Partnering for Resilience – Proactive Strategies in Managing Public Lands to Reduce Wildfire Risks and Promote Healthy Forests
Destination: This tour will begin on campus visiting the College’s CDL Class A/B License Training, Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry/Natural Resources, and Heavy Equipment Training Grounds. We will then venture offsite to the Logging Operations Training Grounds, located on program partner Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) land, before returning to campus for lunch and presentations from the College’s STEP UP restorative justice program and its Fire Academy. Co-leading the tour will be Ted James, SPI District Forester, to provide an active employer partner’s perspective on the critical nature of strategic, intentional collaboration between training providers and their industry partners.
Start/End Time: 8am – 2pm
Tour Host: Shasta College & Sierra Pacific Industries
Location: Meet in East Parking Lot, Shasta College Campus
Accessibility: Free parking on campus in the East Lot is available. College transportation will be provided from there. Program areas on campus are easily accessible. Individuals may encounter uneven ground on the Logging Operations site visit. Restrooms are available on campus with a portable restroom available at the Logging Operations Training Grounds.
Notes: Please wear closed-toe shoes and long pants. Bring layers for our visit to the Logging Operations Training Grounds. Please bring water for the morning segment of our tour. Lunch will be provided when we return to campus.
LaTour Demonstration State Forest
Onsite with California’s first Demonstration State Forest – since 1946
Destination: LaTour became California’s first Demonstration State Forest in 1946 and continues to demonstrate forest health and fire prevention projects utilizing existing permits, a skilled workforce, and commercial markets available to private landowners. In partnership with the Shasta College Resource Management and Heavy Equipment Logging Operations (HELO) programs LaTour is committed to developing the next generation of forest professionals, advancing their motto of “Trees and Foresters Growing Together.” Projects that can be viewed on the tour will include the University of Nevada Reno AMEX study (PI Dr. Bisbing), researching long term climate driven adaptive silviculture. Another stop will be the 1980 Whitmore Plantation, resulting from a 1978 fire. This site includes a study supported by FRAP, to investigate plantation restoration on legacy post-fire regenerated stand. The study will showcase the benefits of silvicultural reinvestment to restore site productivity, wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration, aesthetics, and biodiversity.
Start/End Time: 9am – 1pm
Tour Host: CAL FIRE, Shasta College Heavy Equipment Logging Operations, University of Nevada Reno
Accessibility: carpooling in high clearance vehicles is required. One ADA restroom available upon entry and exit from the forest. Short walks on uneven ground at each tour stop.
Location: Whitmore CAL FIRE station 35, 11787 Ponderosa Way, Whitmore, CA 96096 (one hour from campus)
Wood Products Innovations
Market-Driven Solutions in Action
Destination: Tour Sierra Pacific Industries’ small log mill and learn how the latest innovative technology is being applied to maximize lumber production and minimize wood waste in alignment with sustainable forest management practices. Visit Shasta-Sustainable Resource Management where non-merchantable waste wood from Shasta-Trinity and Lassen National Forests, as well as from private lands, are selectively removed and processed in its facility to enhance remaining standing timber while generating electricity for sale to the local utility. Shasta plays a key role in the State’s effort to safely manage forest residue in high hazard areas to reduce the risk of forest fires.
Start/End Time: 8am – 12pm
Tour Host: Sierra Pacific Industries and Sustainable Resource Management
Accessibility: This is a walking tour with a moderate number of stairs to climb.
Notes: Sturdy, closed-toe, flat-heeled shoes must be worn. No sandals, flip flops, or high heels will be allowed. Long pants are highly recommended. PPE will be provided as appropriate.
Location: Anderson, CA, (more information coming soon.)
Shasta County Fuel Reduction Collaborative
Using Prescribed Fire, Mechanical, and Hand Treatments for Fuelbreaks Across Multiple Agencies and Landowners
Destination: Following the Carr Fire and Camp Fire in 2018, the CAL FIRE Shasta-Trinity Unit and the Western Shasta RCD (WSRCD) began to strengthen their partnership to increase the pace and scale of wildfire resilience in Shasta County. As part of Governor Newsom’s 45-Day Report, three out of the ten highest priority projects were identified in Shasta County. In order to tackle all of these projects, CAL FIRE enlisted the WSRCD to implement the China Gulch Fuels Reduction Project that included initially treating over 500 acres of heavy fuels in the community of Happy Valley, west of Redding, CA. This tour will highlight that project and several others that CAL FIRE and the WSRCD have partnered on over the past several years including China Gulch Fuels Reduction Phase II (CAL FIRE Fire Prevention Grant)/CAL FIRE Shasta County Dump VMP/CAL FIRE Cal Vets Cemetery VTP).
Start/End Time: 9am – 1pm
Tour Host: CAL FIRE & Western Shasta RCD
Accessibility: There will be short walks at each stop. Terrain is relatively flat. Open toed shoes not recommended.
Notes: Bring lunch. (There is a cool spot on the way back at the Clear Creek Gorge (BLM Property) where there are picnic tables and you might get to see some spawning Salmon.)
Location: End of Bohn Boulevard (30 minutes from Shasta College)
Manzanita Lake – Mechanical Thinning/Prescribed Fire
Reducing Forest Density Through a Two-Step Approach
Destination: Human suppression of wildfire has resulted in overly dense conditions; loss of old-growth trees and wildlife habitat; and increased risk of severe wildfire in the Manzanita Lake and Lost Creek areas. These combined areas are known as the Northwest Gateway, which contains numerous facilities and other infrastructure along the park highway. The Northwest Gateway project uses a two-step process to reduce forest density through one-time use of mechanized equipment and then apply prescribed fire to restored forests 3 to 5 years after mechanical treatment.
Start/End Time: 9am – 2pm
Tour Host: Lassen Volcanic National Park, Superintendent Jim Richardson
Accessibility:
Location: Manzanita Lake (Meet up with group and park car at Loomis Museum parking lot.)
Mineral Forest: Hazard Tree Removal
Helping Communities with No-Cost Hazard Tree Removal
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Destination: The RCD of Tehama County has partnered with the Mineral Firewise USA® Council to implement Phase I of the Mineral & Stringtown Hazard Tree Removal Project. This project will ultimately serve Mineral’s Cool-Air, Lassen Alpine Village, and Meadowview subdivisions in addition to Stringtown to treat dead, dying, and diseased trees, and trees that violate Public Resources Code 4291. The Mineral & Stringtown Hazard Tree Removal Project is a TinderSmart Tehama program available at no cost to residents.
Start/End Time: 9am – 12pm
Tour Host: Crane Mills & RCD of Tehama County
Accessibility: Limited parking, Carpooling encouraged.
Location: (one hour from Shasta College)
PODs in Action, Cross Boundary Spatial Fire Planning at Scale
Aligning Mutiple Policy Initiatives for Succesful Spatial Fire Planning
Destination: Successful spatial fire planning requires the orchestration of funding, planning, and governance functions. In 2021 the NCRP launched a cross boundary Potential Operational Delineation mapping project. Subsequently there have been major investments in landscape resilience through the USFS Wildfire Crisis Priority Landscapes, the Sierra Nevada Conservancies Wildfire Resilience program, the Community Wildfire Defense Grants, and Calfire’s Fire Prevention program.
This driving tour will give participants an understanding of how Potential Operational Delineations, Firesheds, and Community Wildfire Protection Planning processes intersect and complement one another. In addition this will profile the linkages between fuels planning and other natural resource and recreational values in a series of critically important watersheds.
On the 2 hour drive participants will see a variety of forest management strategies in different phases of planning and implementation and discuss the governance and capacity needs to move forest resilience projects forward at scale. The tour will stop at projects being developed by the Shasta Valley RCD, Watershed Research and Training Center, and the Shasta Trinity National Forest as well as profile major landscape conservation strategies.
Start/End Time: 10am – 2pm
Tour Host: The Watershed Research & Training Center
Accessibility: Short walks, limited parking. Carpooling encouraged.
Approximate Drive Time from Shasta College: 1 hour
NOTES: Meet at Siskiyou Box Canyon Dam at 10am – Discuss proposed USFS actions in the watershed, SVRCD private lands strategy in the Urban interface issues. Depart for the Parks Creek Trailhead at 11:30am – Discuss Klamath Meadows partnership strategy, Pacific Forest Trust, High Value Recreation sites and how these all fit into a comprehensive landscape plan. Final break up of the group at 2pm with a guide for choose your own adventure route home with an optional stop to look at extreme watershed impacts from the 2021 River Complex.
Location: Meet at Siskiyou Box Canyon Dam
Walking the Westside Trails
Post Wildfire Treatments to Achieve Multiple Objectives
Destination: This project is an example of post high severity wildfire WUI hazard fuels treatment in Northern California. Treatments in or adjacent to urban areas will often seek to achieve multiple objectives. This example looks to reduce hazard fuels post fire, maintain the existing recreation investments/ trails, manage vegetation for long term goals, and coordinate with landowners/ agency cooperators/ special intrest groups locally.
Start/End Time: 9am – 1pm
Tour Host: Bureau of Land Management, Redding Office
Accessibility: Parking is limited please carpool, no restooms, trail hiking with some moderate inclines.
NOTES: 5+ stops along the trail. Bring snacks, water, and wear outdoor apparel.
Location: Westside Trails Kilkee Trailhead (20 minutes from Shasta College)
City of Shasta Lake: WUI Field Tour
Overcoming Obstacles from Multiple Ownerships to Create Shaded Fuel Breaks
Destination: The City’s Fuels Reduction Manager will guide you through the area’s wildland urban interface and highlight fuel treatments including mastication and vegetation spraying to create shaded fuel breaks. We will discuss obstacles and successes of working with private property owners, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the U.S. Forest Service to gain right of entry to conduct fuel reduction projects and the impact they have on the community. The tour will begin at City Hall for a brief introduction. From there, City staff will transport participants to various project sites around the City. A portion of the tour will include hiking moderate terrain.
Start/End Time: 8am – 10:30am
Tour Host: City of Shasta Lake
Accessibility: Transportation from Shasta Lake City Hall to various project sites will be provided.
Approximate Drive Time from Shasta College: Shasta Lake City Hall (20 mins from Shasta College)
NOTES: Shoes suitable for hiking are required. Long pants are recommended. Bring water.
Location: Shasta Lake City Hall: 4477 Main Street, Shasta Lake, CA 96019
Shingletown Fuel Reduction – Highway 44 Project
Connecting Landscape and WUI Fuel Treatments to Existing Projects
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Destination: Connecting landscape fuels reduction to Governors 45-day, Hwy 44 project. Tour completed hazardous fuels reduction treatments in the Whispering Woods neighborhood in Shingletown and ongoing landscape fuels reduction biomass operations on non-industrial and industrial timberland. View completed mastication and planned biomass fuels reduction treatments at the Woodridge Estates community and Wilson Hills road in Shingletown.
Start/End Time: 8am – 12pm
Tour Host: Lassen Fire Safe Council
Accessibility: Active landing operations, carpooling encouraged
Approximate Drive Time from Shasta College: 50 mins.
NOTES:
Sturdy, closed-toe, flat-heeled shoes must be worn. No sandals, flip flops, or high heels will be allowed. Long pants are highly recommended. Hard hats and hearing protection will not be provided.
Location: CALFIRE Station:32249 CA-44, Shingletown, CA 96088
Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve
Ecological Restoration and Prescribed Fire
Destination: Mixed oak woodland habitat in the foothills of the Cascade Range. Ecological restoration, fuels reduction/wildfire mitigation. The Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve contains 7,835 acres of diverse canyon and ridge habitats, including 4.5 miles of Big Chico Creek, and is home to many species of plants and animals. The mission of the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve is to preserve and steward critical habitat and to provide a natural area for environmental research and education.
Start/End Time: 10am – 2pm
Tour Host: Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve
Accessibility: Flat area around HQ/parking lot (meadow). Dirt roads, foothills. Outdoor setting. Wear hiking clothes/shoes. No potable water on site, so please bring plenty of water. Sun exposure (hat, sunscreen).
NOTES:
Location: Big Chico Creek Ecological Preserve (1.5 hours from Shasta College)
Recommended Accommodations
Thank You to our Sponsors
Reclamation Continues Wildfire Prevention in Auburn Project Lands with Fuels Reduction Project
Reclamation Continues Wildfire Prevention in Auburn Project Lands with Fuels Reduction Project
The Auburn area Five-Year Fuels Reduction Project work is on schedule and the Bureau of Reclamation’s contractor, Wildfire Services Group, Inc., has completed several segments of shaded fuel break construction and maintenance work on Auburn Project Lands within the Auburn State Recreation Area in Placer and El Dorado counties.