Recap of the Task Force Sierra Nevada Regional Meeting
Nearly 500 gathered in Grass Valley on September 27 for the regional meeting of the Task Force. The agenda focused on the Sierra Nevada Region and the Task Force’s efforts to develop a Regional Framework, translating statewide strategies to regional decision making and priority setting.The regional meeting of the Governor’s Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force brought together a wide range of experts and agency partners for updates and in-depth panel discussions on the State’s progress on wildfire and forest resilience. Presentations were recorded and can be viewed at the link below.
Forest Resilience in the Sierra Nevada: The Task Force’s interagency science team reviewed their efforts to develop a comprehensive set of metrics and a Sierra Regional Resource Kit aimed at helping forest collaboratives measure and map wildfire resilience, biodiversity, carbon storage, watershed health, and other key priorities. Google.org unveiled the Planscape tool, developed to work with the Regional Resource Kits to help resource managers with prioritizing projects and treatments.
• Moderator: John Battles
• UCB Alan Talhelm, CARB
• Tadashi Moody, CAL FIRE-FRAP
• Pat Manley, USFS-PSW
• Michele Turner & Mojia Shen, Google.org
From Data to Decision-Making: Forest Service leaders and their partners shared their efforts in using decision support tools for planning and prioritizing projects with their partners and communities. These landscape level land managers also gave us special insight to the opportunities and challenges specific to their national forests.
• Moderator: Forest Schafer, Tahoe Conservancy
• Eli Ilano, USFS
• Willie Whittlesey, Yuba Water Agency
• Jason Kuiken, USFS
• Patrick Koepele, Tuolumne River Trust
• Jeff Marsolais, USFS
• Angel Hertslet, The Nature Conservancy
Resources For Resilience: Task Force partners USFS and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy described how they are actively working to align funding to high priority landscapes. A description of SNC’s pilot project is below.
• Moderator: Melinda Booth, SYRCL
• Jonathan Kusel, Sierra Institute
• Sherry Hazelhurst, USFS
• Angela Avery, SNC
• Steve Frisch, Sierra Business Council
Recreation Strategy Update: Finally, state, federal, local, and tribal leaders of CALREC Vision outlined their strategic plan to promote equitable, accessible, and climate and fire-resilient outdoor recreation facilities throughout the state.
• Greg Williams, Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship
• John Wentworth, CALREC Vison
• Jim Bacon, USFS
• Katherine Toy, CNRA