Inland Empire Regional Meeting
SEPTEMBER 4-5, 2025
The Inland Empire Community Foundation and the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District are hosting the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force Regional Meeting September 4 at the University of Redlands in San Bernardino County. A remote attendance option will be available via Zoom.
The meeting on September 4 will highlight the 2025 Action Plan and issues of regional importance. We will kick off the day with refreshments and a resource fair.
On September 5, Task Force partners will host field tours offering immersive opportunities to better understand the critical landscape health and wildfire resilience work being done in the region.
DRAFT EVENT SCHEDULE
September 4
– Resource Fair – 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
– Morning Session – 10:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
– Lunch – 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
– Afternoon Session – 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
– Reception – 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Inland Empire FIELD TOURS – September 5
North Big Bear Landscape Restoration Project
Implementing the Montane Forest Strategy as Fires Approach
Destination: Join the San Bernardino National Forest and Headwaters Resiliency Partnership to learn about the 13,000 acre North Big Bear Landscape Restoration Project, which focuses on forest health, water quality, and managing landscapes within the urban interface. The tour will visit wildfire scars near the project area and will include discussions on The Southern Montane Forest Conservation Strategy; conservation finance with Blue Forest and National Forest Foundation; and workforce development with Southern California Mountains Foundation and Urban Conservation Corps Crew.
Tour Host: USFS – San Bernardino National Forest
Location: Big Bear Discovery Center: 40971 North Shore Drive/Hwy 38, Fawnskin, CA 92333
Start/End Time: 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Accessibility: Limited walking on level terrain
Notes: Carpooling is encouraged; bring a packed lunch, water, sunscreen, and wear protective clothing for sun exposure.
Collaborative Conservation in the San Bernardino Mountain Foothills
Facing Ecosystem and Community Threats in Oak Glen and Yucaipa
Destination: Learn how public agencies, non-profits, and communities are working together toward wildfire resilience on this multi-stop tour in the San Bernardino Mountain foothills. The first stop at El Dorado Ranch Park will highlight the 2020 El Dorado fire impacts, recovery, and restoration. The tour will then head to Wildwood Canyon State Park to hear about a multi-partner restoration project that’s utilizing the Statutory Exemption for Restoration Projects (SERP) CEQA pathway. The tour will conclude at The Wildlands Conservancy’s Oak Glen Preserve to learn about local invasive issues like the Goldspotted Oak Borer and White Pine Blister Rust. Attendees are encouraged to further explore or grab lunch at the Preserve after the tour.
Tour Host: Inland Empire Resource Conservation District
Location: El Dorado Ranch Park: 37216, Oak Glen Road
Start/End Time: 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Accessibility: Some walking on dirt roads, uneven surfaces
Notes: Bring water, sunscreen, and wear protective clothing for sun exposure and walking on dirt trails. Attendees can purchase lunch at Los Rios Rancho at the final stop of the tour.
Santa Ana Mountains Holistic Risk Reduction
Grounding the Airport Fire and Preparing for the Next One
Destination: Visit the Cleveland National Forest to learn how firefighters leveraged holistic wildfire risk reduction efforts during the 2024 Airport Fire and how fire recovery is being implemented with the next fire in mind. The tour starts on the South Main Divide fuelbreak, where the fire was held before it could move into the densely populated areas of Riverside County around Lake Elsinore. The tour will also highlight a collaborative pilot project, led by CalTrans, for the Southern California Ignition Reduction Program. The tour will conclude with a visit to the CAL FIRE managed Los Pinos California Conservation Camp, which was successfully protected due to proactive vegetation management.
Tour Host: USFS – Cleveland National Forest
Location: California Wildland Firefighters Memorial Picnic Area: Immediate left from South Main Divide Road within 100 yards of Hwy 74.
Start/End Time: 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Accessibility: Limited walking on level terrain
Notes: Bring water, sunscreen, and wear protective clothing for sun exposure.
Upper Santa Ana Watershed & Seven Oaks Dam
Responding to Disasters and Opportunities in Water Management
Destination: Join the San Bernardino National Forest and Headwaters Resiliency Partnership to learn about connections between water management and community defense. This tour will explore damage from Tropical Storm Hilary, impacts from the Line Fire and will focus on how the Angelus Oaks Hazardous Fuels Reduction project demonstrates the effectiveness of fuel breaks. The tour will also visit Seven Oaks Dam and discuss water management opportunities.
Tour Host: San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District
Location: Mill Creek Ranger Station (34701 Mill Creek Rd., Mentone, CA 92359)
Start/End Time: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Accessibility: Limited walking on level terrain
Notes: Carpooling is encouraged; Bring a packed lunch, water, sunscreen, and wear protective clothing for sun exposure.
Thomas Mountain Prescribed Burn & Fuels Reduction
Protecting Communities and Habitats Through Collaborative Fuels Reduction Efforts
Destination: Come along on a tour of San Jacinto to see a collaborative approach to fuels reduction and community protection in the Southern Montane Forest that is enhancing and restoring critical habitat. The tour begins with a look at the Thomas Mountain Prescribed Burn and Fuels Reduction project and will then visit Inspiration Point where CAL FIRE, Idyllwild Fire, California State Parks and the U.S. Forest Service will demonstrate an interagency approach to fuels reduction and community protection.
Tour Host: USFS – San Bernardino National Forest
Location: Keenwild Ranger Station: 28500 Hwy 243, Mountain Center, CA 92561
Start/End Time: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Accessibility: Short walks on paved and dirt roads
Notes: Bring water, sunscreen, and wear protective clothing for sun exposure.
Angeles National Forest Fuels Treatments Put to the Test
Hazardous Fuel Treatments Save Critical Infrastructure
Destination: Join Angeles National Forest Fire Personnel and local community members to learn how the Big Pines and Table Mountain Fuel Reduction projects protected their community in the midst of a raging fire inferno consuming everything in its path. The tour will explore before and after conditions of strategically planned fuel treatments implemented prior to the Bridge Fire and will include a guided discussion based on a fuel treatment monitoring report and testimonials. The tour will also highlight how the network of fuel treatments around NASA JPL, numerous organizational camps and Big Pines aided firefighters to save the vast majority of infrastructure in the area.
Tour Host: USFS – Angeles National Forest
Location: Table Mountain Campground: 22223 Big Pines Hwy, Valyermo, CA 93563
Start/End Time: 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Accessibility: Mostly short stops walking on even terrain
Notes: Bring water, sunscreen, and wear protective clothing for sun exposure.
Eaton Fire Response and Recovery
Community Preparedness for Santa Ana Winds
Destination: Hear from local, county and federal partners on their experiences in preparation, initial attack, and recovery during and after the Eaton Fire. Learn about the operational complexities in a mutual threat zone and how the Eaton Fire quickly burned across city, county, state, and federal jurisdictions and became an urban conflagration destroying thousands of structures. Join field commanders on a tour through the impacted community of Altadena, from the area of the fire’s origin through the far reaches of the urban conflagration.
Tour Host: USFS – Angeles National Forest
Location: Angeles National Forest Supervisor’s Office: 701 N. Santa Anita Ave. Arcadia, CA 91006
Start/End Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Accessibility: Limited walking on level terrain
Notes: Bring water, sunscreen, and wear protective clothing for sun exposure.
hotel information
Questions? Please contact foresttaskforce@fire.ca.gov
Thank You to our Hosts
Thank You to our Sponsors
