New Conservation Strategy to Protect Montane Forests in Southern California
New Conservation Strategy to Protect Montane Forests in Southern California
July 30, 2024 – The Southern Montane Forest Project released its Climate-Adapted Conservation Strategy, an initiative that will bolster the resilience of montane (i.e. higher-elevation forests) to confront threats from wildfires, droughts, pollution, and invasive species.
The strategy takes an all-lands approach, calling for state, federal, academic, and non-profit efforts to work in concert within the USFS’s Southern California Wildfire Crisis Landscape.
Southern California’s montane forests are a key Task Force priority because they protect watersheds that supply about 40% of downstream water for drinking and agriculture. They capture carbon, prevent soil erosion, and serve as critical habitats for threatened and endangered wildlife. They also supply Indigenous communities with food, fiber, and medicine while providing recreational opportunities to over 24 million people.
Wildfire Response Innovations and Investments Paying Dividends During Busy Fire Season
Wildfire Response Innovations and Investments Paying Dividends During Busy Fire Season
July 31, 2024 – California’s wildfire season has been off to a quick start with above average acres burned. However, recent investments and innovations have improved the state’s wildfire response and show how California is adapting with increased response capacity. The revamped Redding Air Attack Base has increased wildfire suppression capacity for the region. Additionally, for the past year, CAL FIRE and UC San Diego’s ALERTCalifornia has been analyzing camera feeds across California, alerting Emergency Command Centers and first responders to potential fire. Leveraging unprecedented federal and state investments in landscape resilience, California is making strides to protect communities in the face of climate change and increased wildfire activity.
New Website Offers a Deep Dive into Intentional Fire
New Website Offers a Deep Dive into Intentional Fire
July 25, 2024 – Intentionalfire.org, a new educational website from the Climate & Wildfire Institute, offers an immersive, interactive view into the use of intentional fire, including prescribed fire and cultural fire. The website provides concise and easy to understand information about the benefits and importance of intentional fire. It also features engaging audio and video clips, project case studies, and actionable steps for people to help advance intentional fire in their communities. Increased use of intentional fire is a critical component of California’s Strategic Plan for Expanding the Use of Beneficial Fire.
UC Berkeley Launches Tool to Select Plant Seeds in a Changing Climate
UC Berkeley Launches Tool to Select Plant Seeds in a Changing Climate
July 14, 2024 – UC Berkeley released a new spatial tool to help land managers in California select plant seeds for resilience to climate change. With the new online tool, called Seeds of Change, users can search by plant species, specify species parameters and climate change scenarios.
Users can search by plant species, specify species parameters and climate change scenarios, and click on the map to identify places to collect seeds to plant or places to plant with seeds from that site. Users can export a geographic information system (GIS) file of the results.
Climate resilient planting is an important strategy to create and maintain healthy landscapes that are less susceptible to catastrophic wildfire and adapted to a rapidly changing climate.
CNRA Webinar on the State of Wildfire in California
CNRA Webinar on the State of Wildfire in California
August 8, 2024 – California Natural Resources (CNRA) Secretary Wade Crowfoot hosted a webinar on the state of wildfire in California as part of the Secretary Speaker Series.
Secretary Crowfoot was joined by representatives from the Task Force, CAL FIRE, U.S. Forest Service, the Karuk Tribe, and others for a conversation on current efforts to protect California from dangerous wildfires and restore the health of our landscapes.