Meeting Showcases California's Momentum Toward Wildfire Resilience
Meeting Showcases California's Momentum Toward Wildfire Resilience
October 10, 2024
At the Task Force’s most well-attended meeting to-date, nearly 500 people gathered in South Lake Tahoe (and over 300 joined online) for the Sierra Nevada Regional Meeting. Hosted by the California Tahoe Conservancy and Tahoe Fund, the meeting featured several new tools that will revolutionize how California tracks and communicates progress toward improving wildfire and landscape resilience. Other topics covered included progress being made in the Tahoe Basin and the benefits of landscape fuels treatments to vibrant ecosystems and economically thriving communities.
REGIONAL MEETING AGENDA HIGHLIGHTS
• Director’s Report: Director Wright provided an update on recent accomplishments and investments in the Sierra Nevada and a preview of the 2025 Action Plan.
• Statewide Progress on Wildfire Resilience Efforts
– Interagency Treatment Dashboard
– Core Reporting Metrics
– Treatment Effectiveness.
• State & Regional Presentations
– Protecting & Restoring Tahoe: Tahoe partners shared their progress and priorities for advancing state, regional, and local goals through the Environmental Improvement Program.
– Focus on Wildlife – A Vision for Vibrant Ecosystems: A panel of state and regional leaders discussed next steps for evolving large-landscape projects to promote comprehensive climate, watershed, and wildlife benefits.
– Focus on Recreation – A Vision for Thriving Communities: A panel of regional leaders discussed how Sierra partners are broadening planning and implementation to promote recreation and rural economies.
Welcome & Opening Remarks
• Wade Crowfoot, CA Natural Resources Agency
• Kara Chadwick, US Forest Service
• Serra Smokey, Washoe Tribe of NV & CA
• James Settelmeyer, NV Dept. Conservation & Natural Resources
• Joe Tyler, CAL FIRE
Director's Report
• Patrick Wright, Task Force
Statewide Progress on Wildfire Resilience Efforts
Moderator: John Battles, UC Berkeley
• Alan Talhelm and Emily Brodie, CAL FIRE
• MV Eitzel, UC Davis
• Frank Bigelow, CAL FIRE
Tools:
• Monitoring, Reporting & Assessment Page
• Interagency Treatment Dashboard
• CAL FIRE’s Fuels Treatment Effectiveness Reports
Protecting & Restoring Tahoe
• Kacey KC, Nevada Division of Forestry
• Jason Vasques, Tahoe Conservancy
• Julie Regan, Tahoe Reg. Planning Agency
Focus on Wildlife – A Vision for Vibrant Ecosystems
Moderator: Erin Ernst, Tahoe Conservancy
• Stephanie Coppeto, US Forest Service
• Rachel Henry, US Fish & Wildlife Service
• Rich Adams, CA State Parks
• Rhiana Jones, Washoe Tribe of NV & CA
• Meghan Hertel, CA Natural Resources Agency
Focus on Recreation – A Vision for Thriving Communities
Moderator: Danna Stroud, GoBiz
• Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund
• Stew McMorrow, CAL FIRE
• Luke Hunt, Sierra Nevada Conservancy
• Michelle Abramson, Sierra Buttes Trails
• John Wentworth, MLTPA
Closing Remarks
• Task Force Co-Chairs
Sierra Nevada Regional Meeting Event 2024
Welcome ToThe Sierra Nevada
Regional Meeting
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 – 3:15 p.m. Afternoon Session
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Small Group Discussion
4:30 – 6:00 p.m. Reception
Questions? Please contact foresttaskforce@fire.ca.gov
Thank You to our Hosts
Thank You to our Sponsors
Sierra Nevada Regional Meeting
Sierra Nevada Regional Meeting
Register early to reserve your seat at the next meeting of the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force, October 10 at the Tahoe Blue Event Center in South Lake Tahoe, hosted by the California Tahoe Conservancy and the Tahoe Fund.
The Task Force and CAL FIRE will unveil several new tools that will revolutionize how California tracks and communicates progress toward improving wildfire and landscape resilience at its seventh regional meeting on October 10th in South Lake Tahoe:
Interagency Treatment Dashboard: One year after its beta release with 2022 data, CAL FIRE will present three years (2021-2023) of treatment data from a more complete range of federal, state, local, tribal, and private entities through its expanded and improved Interagency Treatment Dashboard.
Draft Metrics: Task Force Science Advisory Panel staff will present a subset of initial proposed metrics to document the outcomes of recent projects on wildfire hazard, watershed health, and wildlife habitat.
Fuel Treatment Effectiveness Dashboard: CAL FIRE will demonstrate its prototype dashboard to document the benefits of fuels treatments in reducing the impacts of recent fires, including the Park Fire in Butte and Tehama County.
CAL FIRE Director Joe Tyler will also provide a report on the current fire season, and three panels of federal, state, tribal, and regional leaders will discuss their efforts to create vibrant forest ecosystems and thriving communities through landscape-scale wildfire resilience projects.
On October 9 and 11, 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 Sierra Nevada region.
The $28 registration fee for the October 10 meeting offsets the cost of breakfast, refreshments, and lunch. If this fee poses a hardship, contact ForestTaskForce@fire.ca.gov.
Registration closes October 3. No registrations will be allowed after this date.
EVENT SCHEDULE
OCTOBER 10 TENTATIVE MEETING SCHEDULE
Resource Fair
8:30 – 10:00 a.m.
Morning Session
10:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Lunch
12:30 – 2 p.m.
Afternoon Session
2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Reception at the Tahoe Blue Event Center
(Meeting registration is required.)
4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
hotel information
field tours
FIELD TOURS WILL BE OFFERED ON OCT 9 & 11
All tours will be accessed by bus. Parking/meet up locations TBD.
Lunch will not be served.
Tahoe Forest Products Mill
See the first new industrial-scale sawmill built in Sierra Nevada in several decades.
Destination: Tahoe Forest Products worked in partnership with the Washoe Development Corporation an affiliate of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada & California to construct the first new industrial-scale sawmill in the Sierra Nevada in several decades. The mill provides employment opportunities for local citizens and tribal members while supporting forest health and wildfire restoration efforts throughout the Central Sierra. Visit the mill and learn about both the innovative partnerships and engineering that made this long-envisioned opportunity a reality.
Three Tours: start times will be 12:30, 1:00 and 1:30 pm.
Tour lasts approximately 2.5 hours.
Caldor Fire Preparation, Response, and Recovery
Learn what happened before, during, and after one of 2021’s largest wildfires.
Destination: This tour will showcase projects and treatments implemented prior to the 2021 Caldor Fire, successes and lessons learned during initial response to the fire, as well as the significant efforts that have helped the impacted ecosystems recover and accelerated access to recreational opportunities in this post-fire landscape. Tour stops will include Echo Summit, Christmas Valley, Pioneer Trail, and Fountain Place.
Start/End Time: 9am – 1pm
West Shore Prescribed Fire and Indigenous Stewardship
See impacts of long-term prescribed burn projects and multi-benefit ecosystem restoration.
Destination: This tour will visit the renowned Sugar Pine Point State Park to view the effects of a decades-long prescribed fire program. The tour will then explore Máyala Wáta at Meeks Meadow to learn how the Washoe Tribe is partnering with diverse groups to restore ecosystems and habitat by addressing the detrimental impacts of historical cattle grazing, logging, and fire suppression.
Start/End Time: 9am – 1pm
East Shore Shared-Use Trail and Recreation Management
Recreate on a scenic shoreline trail and learn about managing forests in high-visitation areas.
Experience by foot one of Tahoe’s most scenic and historic shoreline trails. Participants will have the opportunity to walk all or part of this spectacular 3-mile pave path while gaining insights on the challenges and solutions for managing forests in high-visitation areas.
TIME: 9am – 1pm
Questions? Please contact foresttaskforce@fire.ca.gov
Thank You to our Hosts
Thank You to our Sponsors
Recap of Sacramento 7/12 Task Force Meeting
SACRAMENTO TASK FORCE MEETING RECAP
July 12, 2024
The Task Force held its quarterly meeting at the California Natural Resources Agency in Sacramento and live on Zoom. CAL FIRE Director Joe Tyler provided an update on the current fire season and Task Force Director Patrick Wright reported on state and federal budget allocations. Then several panels of statewide and regional leaders discussed challenges and next steps for aligning and coordinating state, federal, and private funding to better support regional priority needs and increase program sustainability.
Moderated by Forest Schafer, State Coordinator with the Task Force, panels focused on three key areas related to Aligning Regional Investments:
- State & Federal Frameworks
- Expanding Partnerships
- Regional Approaches
Welcome & Executive Remarks
Co-chairs
- Wade Crowfoot, CA Natural Resources Agency
- Jennifer Eberlien, U.S. Forest Service
Task Force Executive Committee
- Patrick Wright, Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force
- Joe Tyler, CAL FIRE
- Valerie Hipkins, USFS Pacific Southwest Research Station
- Sam Assefa, Governor’s Office of Planning and Research
- Ed Valenzuela, California State Association of Counties
- Katy Landau, CalEPA
Director’s Report
- Patrick Wright, Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force
Aligning Regional Investments
State & Federal Frameworks
- Liz Berger, U.S. Forest Service
- Trevor McConchie, Washington State Department of Natural Resources
- Mary McDonnell, California Department of Conservation
- Shannon Johnson, CAL FIRE
Expanding Partnerships
- Chris Morrill, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation
- Michelle Wolfgang, Eldorado National Forest
- Sashi Sabaratnam, PG&E
- Eric Tsai, California Department of Water Resources
Regional Approaches
• Brittany Covich, Sierra Nevada Conservancy
• Karen Gaffney, North Coast Resource Partnership
• Heather Marlow, RCD of Greater San Diego
Closing Remarks
- Task Force Executive Committee
New Web Resources Help Californians Find Relief from Smoke and Prepare for Wildfires
New Web Resources Help Californians Find Relief from Smoke and Prepare for Wildfires
June 24, 2024 – Clean Air Centers Maps Shows Where to Find Relief from Wildfire Smoke: The California Air Resources Board announced the launch of an interactive, statewide map that offers a one-stop-shop for information about the location and services available at Clean Air Centers. Clean Air Centers will offer Californians who don’t have access to adequate air filtration a safe place to go during periods of heavy smoke. Built in collaboration with local air quality control districts, the online map makes it possible to see where Clean Air Centers are located and provides easy-to-access information, including operating hours, contact information and on-site resources like free Wi-Fi.
CAL FIRE Updates Wildfire Preparedness Website: In preparation for the fire year, CAL FIRE has updated the ReadyForWildfire.org site. This one-stop-shop provides advice and guidance on everything from home hardening and defensible space, to what to pack for evacuation, to what California is doing to enhance and protect forest health.
The Next Task Force Meeting is this Friday, July 12th
The Next Task Force Meeting is this Friday, July 12th
Join us in person in Sacramento (no registration needed) or remotely via Zoom. The agenda will include an update on the current fire season from CAL FIRE Director Joe Tyler, a report on state and federal budget allocations from Task Force Director Patrick Wright, and a session on aligning and coordinating state, federal and private funding to better support regional priorities.
Friday, July 12, 2024 – 9:00 AM to 12:15 PM
In person: CA Natural Resources Agency Auditorium, 715 P St., Sacramento, CA
Online: Register for Zoom
Recap of The Southern California Regional Meeting
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL MEETING RECAP
April 4, 2024
A full-capacity audience of over 300 people came together at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido (with over 200 joining online) for the Governor’s Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force’s Southern California regional meeting. Hosted by the Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the agenda and activities focused on landscapes and land management issues unique to Southern California, including cultural burning, utilities & infrastructure, and regional planning and implementation.
If you couldn’t make it in person, or missed the real-time webinar, video recordings are available below.
REGIONAL MEETING AGENDA HIGHLIGHTS
- Director’s Report: Director Wright provided an update on recent accomplishments and investments in Southern California, progress being made on Task Force key actions and products as well as an overview of the process to update the Task Force Action Plan.
- Southern California’s Unique Landscapes & Challenges: University researchers discussed threats to the incredibly biodiverse region and management techniques needed to build ecological resilience in the densely populated, shrubland dominated region. Additionally, an update on Regional Resource Kits and how they can be utilized in the region was provided.
- Regional Leadership Panel: Regional leaders shared local project highlights and showcased their efforts to develop landscape-scale projects and align federal, state, and regional plans, priorities, and investments.
- Cultural Fire & Indigenous Stewardship: A panel of cultural practitioners and resource managers discussed obstacles and barriers facing cultural burners, including difficulties in obtaining burn permits, threats to tribal sovereignty, and the continued struggles of California tribes to overcome structural racism in order to maintain traditions and steward ancestral lands.
- The Role of Utilities & Infrastructure in Wildfire Resilience: A panel of energy, water, and transportation agency representatives discussed new and emerging strategies to address wildfire impacts to infrastructure as well as the role utilities play in reducing ignitions.
Welcome & Opening Remarks
• Lisa Peterson, San Diego Zoo Safari Park
• Stephen W. Cope, San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians
• Jennifer Eberlien, USDA Forest Service
• Task Force Executive Committee
• Joel Anderson, San Diego County Supervisor
Director's Report
• Patrick Wright, Task Force
Southern CA's Unique Landscapes & Challenges
Southern CA's Unique Landscapes & Challenges
• Megan Jennings, San Diego State University
• John Battles, University of California, Berkeley
Regional Leadership Panel
Regional Leadership Panel
• Moderator: Kathy Peterson
• Susie Kirschner, Inland Empire Resource Conservation District
• Scott Tangenberg, Cleveland National Forest
• Heather Marlow, Greater SD County Resource Conservation District
• Sal Reyes, San Bernardino National Forest
• Eric Just, CAL FIRE
Trailer Screening: MAATHAAW: The Fire Within Us
Trailer Screening: MAATHAAW: The Fire Within Us
•Learn more and donate at: qrco.de/maathaaw
Cultural Fire & Indigenous Stewardship
Cultural Fire & Indigenous Stewardship
• Moderator: Will Madrigal Jr., Climate Science Alliance
• Wesley Ruise Jr., La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians
• Marlene’ Dusek, Climate Science Alliance
• Kevin Soland, KRS Environmental Consulting
• Emily Burgueno, Kumeyaay Diegueno Land Conservency
• Travis Armstrong, CAL FIRE
• Joel Arellano, Climate Science Alliance
The Role of Utilities & Infrastructure in Wildfire Resilience
• Moderator: Phil Saksa, Blue Forest
• Caroline Thomas Jacobs, Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety
• Thom Porter, San Diego Gas and Electric
• David Guzman, Southern California Edison
• Greg Woodside, San Bernardino Municipal Water District
• Lisa Worthington, Caltrans
Closing Remarks
• Task Force Co-Chairs
Southern California Regional Meeting
Southern California Regional Meeting
REGISTER early to reserve your seat at the next meeting of the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force, April 4 at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, CA.
Hosted by the RCD of Greater San Diego County and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the agenda and activities on April 4 will focus on landscapes and land management issues unique to Southern California. Agenda topics will include cultural burning, utilities & infrastructure, and regional planning & optimization.
On April 5, Task Force Partners will host a variety of field tours offering immersive opportunities to better understand the critical landscape health and wildfire resilience work being done in the Greater San Diego region.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Last day to register is March 27.
April 4 & 5, 2024
San Diego Zoo
Safari Park
Escondido, CA
EVENT SCHEDULE
APRIL 4: MEETING SCHEDULE
Resource Fair
8:30 – 10:00 a.m.
Morning Session
10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Lunch
12:45 – 2 p.m.
Afternoon Session
2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Free time to enjoy the Safari Park
4:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.
field tours
FIELD TOURS WILL BE OFFERED ON April 5th
Saving San Diego’s Last Mixed Conifer Forest
Destination: Join the Palomar Collaborative, a group of five federal, state, tribal, and private property owners and managers to learn how the Collaborative is utilizing CAL FIRE Forest Health funds to save San Diego’s last mixed conifer forest through a combination of mechanical thinning, pile burning, and mastication.
Tour Host: RCD of Greater San Diego County
Location: Palomar Observatory
Start/End Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Accessibility: Some walking on dirt roads, uneven surfaces
Notes: Carpool encouraged, bring snacks/lunch, layered clothing
Applying Traditional Ecological Knowledge to Forest Health
Destination: This dyanamic tour will feature field presentations on site history, a cultural burn site and a Lumbercycle demonstration. There will also be a discussion on Traditional Ecological Knowledge, funding and collaboration, burning on trust land, and the impact of goldspotted oak borer tree mortality in the area.
Tour Host: La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians
Location: VIEW
Start/End Time: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Accessibility: Driving on dirt road (prius accessible), minimal seating available, tour will be given on mostly flat, dirt terrain
Notes: Field clothing, hat, sunscreen, bug spray, recommended. If available bring mask, eye protection, preferred hearing protection, PPE will be provided as needed for lumbercycle demo. Carpool recommended. Bring snacks.
Fire History and Frequent Fires in the Cedar Creek Falls Trail Region
Destination: Join CAL FIRE and USFS in the San Diego Country Estates / Cedar Creek Falls Trail to learn what they are doing to defend a WUI community and surrounding ecosystem from frequent fire.
Tour Host: CAL FIRE/USFS
Location: Inaja Trailhead
Start/End Time: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Accessibility: 1 mile roundtrip hike on uneven terrain
Notes: Carpools encouraged. Please bring lunch, water, hat, and sunscreen. No bathrooms along trail. Limited shade / cover. Please wear appropriate footwear for hiking.
Powerlines, Roadsides, and Flashy Fuels
Destination: First, learn about the fire hardening and undergrounding work that has already been completed by San Diego Gas & Electric, along with their future risk reduction plans. Then, visit an ignition reduction demonstration site on a fuelbreak on the Cleveland National Forest (NF) designed by UC Santa Barbara and funded by the San Diego River Conservancy. You’ll see the results of herbicide use to control invasive flashy fuels followed by seeding of less ignitable native plants. Finish with a firsthand look at a BurnBot in action, the first use in Southern California and a critical test of its capability to eliminate the invasive seedbank in addition to the above-ground fuels. This collaboration was funded by the National Forest Foundation as part of the Southern California Ignition Reduction Program (SCIRP) conservation finance effort. It will also lay black line for broadcast burning of a unit on the Cleveland NF. Along the way, learn how SCIRP involves collaboration among many partners, especially CalTrans, from the Mexican border to Monterey.
Tour Host: USFS
Location: VIEW
Start/End Time: 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Accessibility: short walks on uneven terrain
Notes: Carpools encouraged. Closed toed shoes required. Option to bring your own lunch and eat onsite.
Postfire Restoration at Cuyamaca State Park and Prescribed Fire on Mt. Laguna
Destination: Join the California State Parks and the US Forest Service to examine first hand what CA State Parks are doing to reforest Cuyamaca Rancho SP following wildfire, and join a discussion on management approaches and the Montane Strategy at Mt Laguna. This field trip visits the location where the 2003 Cedar Fire converted 10,000 acres of montane forest to shrubland. We will highlight State Parks’ major postfire reforestation effort and the Cleveland National Forest’s forest health program for reintroducing maintenance fire into the Laguna Mountains. Stops will include locations on both Cuyamaca State Park (Hwy 79) and the Cleveland National Forest (Sunrise Hwy).
Tour Host: CA State Parks/USFS
Location: Cuyamaca State Park, Paso Picacho
Start/End Time: 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Accessibility: Sites will be on or adjacent to roadways, and hiking will be very limited.
Notes: Carpools encouraged. Lunch is not provided and the tour will not end before 1:30; please bring a lunch, snacks, and water. Sturdy shoes, hat and a warm layer are recommended.
Wildfire Grazing: Rancho Jamul Reserve
Description: Join conservation experts in the Rancho Jamul Ecological Reserve to learn how local ranchers, land managers, and the environmental community are utilizing a prescribed grazing plan managing livestock on a commercial cattle ranch with a goal of improving wildfire resilience, and promoting soil health and carbon storage, while achieving many other aligned environmental co-benefits.
Tour Host: CDFW
Location: VIEW
Start/End Time: 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Accessibility: Walking approx 1 mile on relatively flat terrain.
Notes: Carpools encouraged. Closed toed shoes required. Option to bring your own lunch and eat onsite. Binoculars encouraged.
Impacts from the Witch Creek Fire to the Bernardo Fire to Now
Destination: Join this out-and-back hike along the “River of Fire” and learn how San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy is managing invasive species and fire risk in a Southern California riparian ecosystem that has been impacted by previous wildfires.
Tour Host: San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy
Location: VIEW
Start/End Time: 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Accessibility: Recommended for experienced hikers – 2.8 miles out and back (5.6 miles total).
Notes: Carpools encouraged. Please bring lunch, water, hat and sunscreen. No bathrooms along trail. Limited shade / cover. Please wear appropriate footwear for hiking.
Unique Approaches to Resource Management and Emergency Response on the International Border
Destination: Spend the day exploring the Otay Mountain Wilderness Area which sits directly on the busy International Border, with stops that include the International Fuel Break. There will be discussions about partnerships with Mexico, unique species to the area, and border response challenges. The tour will offer views of the border wall, Tijuana, downtown San Diego, and the Pacific Ocean. Participants will learn about unique approaches being applied for resource management and emergency response in a border area.
Tour Host: CAL FIRE
Location: VIEW
Start/End Time: 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM
Accessibility: Optional short hike to viewpoint. Short walks on flat terrain.
Notes: We will meet at County Fire Station 38 (850 Alta Road, San Diego, CA 92154). We will be utilizing 2 CAL FIRE vans for attendee transportation. While there is no security threat, participants will see migrants on the roadway up to the tour stops. No lunch provided. Restaurant options available.
Guided Tour of Resource Management and Wildfire Mitigation Programs at the Safari Park
Destination: Venture into the Safari Park’s expansive wildlife habitats on the back of a covered, open-air safari truck, with an expert guide to get an up-close view of a variety of wildlife with a special opportunity to learn about the BioReserve. Visit San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s new Heli-Hydrant Dip Tank, and gain an understanding of SDZWA’s multi-faceted wildfire mitigation program that supports wildlife on grounds, including in our large, multi-species habitats.
Location: San Diego Zoo Safari Park Parking Lot. Meet at the Log Ring.
Start/End Time: 10 AM – 12 PM
Accessibility: Ability to climb steps into truck
Notes: Closed toe shoes required. Casual attire (layers recommended).
CAL FIRE’s Urban and Community Forestry Program in Action
Destination: A unique opportunity to go behind the scenes and see an example of the partnership between CAL FIRE and private industry. Participate in a tour of the Taylor Guitars Factory led by founder Bob Taylor. The tour will focus on the process of building Taylor Guitars and Taylor’s Urban Wood Initiative. Tour will end with a Q & A session, an opportunity to play a selection of guitars, and a visit to the gift shop.
Location: VIEW
Start/End Time: 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Accessibility: Parking available at factory. Tour will consist of indoor walking. Government issued ID (e.g. driver’s license) is required to participate in tour.
Notes: Lunch will not be provided. Wear comfortable walking shoes.
hotel information
Questions? Please contact foresttaskforce@fire.ca.gov
Thank You to our Hosts
Thank You to our Sponsors
The Climate Science Alliance is offering a limited number of travel stipends for Tribal partners. Contact Althea Walker, Director of Community Resilience, at awalker@climatesciencealliance.org.
Recap of Sacramento 12/15 Task Force Meeting
SACRAMENTO TASK FORCE MEETING RECAP
December 15, 2023
The Task Force held its quarterly meeting at the California Natural Resources Agency in Sacramento and live on Zoom. The primary focus of the meeting was on Fire Adapted Communities and the work being doing throughout the state to achieve more resilient communities. Some of the highlights include:
- California’s Progress on Empowering Community Adaptation: Daniel Berlant from CAL FIRE and CA Fire Safe Council’s Jacy Hyde shared updates on how both statewide programs and local communities are building adaptive capacity and improving wildfire outcomes.
- California’s Roadmap for Creating Fire Adapted Communities: Two members of the Task Force’s Fire Adapted Communities Work Group — Steve Hawks from CAL FIRE and Erik de Kok, representing Ascent Environmental — shared updates on the Work Group’s recently completed Baseline Assessment and next steps in developing a statewide roadmap for community fire adaptation.
- Regional Leaders’ Perspective on Community Resilience to Fire: In a panel moderated by Molly Mowery of Community Wildfire Planning Center, regional leaders from across the state discussed pressing issues communities are facing to better adapt to fire, and the best ways state and federal institutions can support progress at the community level.
Welcome & Executive Remarks
Co-chairs
- Wade Crowfoot, CNRA
- Jennifer Eberlien, USFS
Task Force Executive Committee
- Joe Tyler, CAL FIRE
- Ed Valenzuela, CSAC
- Katy Landau, CalEPA
- Juliann Aukema, PSW Research Station
- Don Hankins, Indigenous Stewardship Network
- Sam Assefa, OPR
- Doug Teeter, RCRC
Director’s Report
Director’s Report
Patrick Wright, Director, Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force
California's Progress on Empowering Community Fire Adaptation
California's Progress on Empowering Community Fire Adaptation
Daniel Berlant, CAL FIRE
Jacy Hyde, CA Fire Safe Council
California's Roadmap for Creating Fire Adapted Communities
California's Roadmap for Creating Fire Adapted Communities
Steve Hawks, CAL FIRE
Eric de Kok, Ascent Environmental
Regional Leaders Perspective on Community Resilience to Fire
Moderator: Molly Mowery, CWPC
• Scott Tangenberg, USFS
• Rhiana Jones, Washoe Tribe of NV & CA
• Frank Frievalt, WUI Fire Institute
• Calli-Jane West, Butte County Fire Safe Council
• Will Harling, W. Klamath Restoration Partnership
Closing Remarks
Task Force Executive Committee
Recap of The Northern California Regional Meeting
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL MEETING RECAP
October 5, 2023
Over 300 people came together in Redding (with over 200 joining online) for the Governor’s Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force’s Northern California regional meeting. Highlights for the meeting included the release of the Northern California’s Regional Resource Kit and Regional profile, completing the set for all four regions. Additionally, panelists presented on Northern California’s unique physical and socio-economic landscapes, including how regional leaders are scaling up landscape restoration and community protection as well as adapting to meet forest sector workforce needs.
If you couldn’t make it in person, or missed the real-time webinar, video recordings are available below.
REGIONAL MEETING AGENDA HIGHLIGHTS
- Director’s Report: Director Wright provided an overview of projects and investments achieved by Task Force partners in the region and shared how new Task Force products such as the Interagency Treatment Dashboard and Regional Resource Kits can be utilized to assess landscape health and fire risk, plan and prioritize projects, and track progress toward wildfire resilience in every region of the state.
- Northern California Landscapes: A panel of experts discussed Northern California’s unique physical and socio-economic landscapes and the role Indigenous stewardship, water security, and community resilience and recovery play in the region. The Task Force Interagency Science Team then introduced the new data tools for practitioners available in the Task Force’s Regional Resource Kits.
- Scaling Up Landscape Restoration and Community Protection: Northern California regional leaders discussed how they are aligning funding and adapting their programs to restore landscapes and protect communities at a meaningful scale. This included a case study of Trinity County, California’s highest fire risk county.
- Forest Sector Workforce Needs & Opportunities: A panel of forest sector workforce and training representatives discussed current forestry-related workforce impediments to increasing the pace and scale of landscape restoration.
Welcome
• Dr. Joe Wise, Shasta-Tehama-Trinity Joint Community College District
• Chairman Jack Potter Jr., Redding Rancheria
Opening Remarks
• Wade Crowfoot, CNRA
• Jennifer Eberlien, USFS
• Brian Ferebee, Executive Lead, Wildfire Crisis Strategy, USFS
• Task Force Executive Committee
Director’s Report
Director’s Report
• Patrick Wright
Northern California's Landscapes
Northern California's Landscapes
• Moderator: Steven Ostoja, USDA California Climate Hub
• Ramona Butz, USFS Northern Province Ecology
• Frank Lake, USFS-Pacific SW Research Station
• Safeeq Khan, UC Merced
• Yana Valochovic, UCANR
Regional Resource Kits: John Battles, UC Berkeley
Scaling Up Landscape Restoration & Community Protection
Scaling Up Landscape Restoration & Community Protection
• Moderator: Nick Goulette, The Watershed Center
• Kelly Sheen, Trinity County RCD
• Rachel Birkey, Shasta-Trinity National Forest
• Leaf Hillman, North Coast Resource Partnership
• Gabe Shultz, CAL FIRE Northern Region
Forest Sector Workforce Needs & Opportunities
Forest Sector Workforce Needs & Opportunities
• Moderator: Becky Roe, Shasta College
• Todd Jones, Shasta Economic Development Corporation
• Lindsay Dailey, Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance
• Justin Britton, CAL FIRE
• Mark Luster, Sierra Pacific Industries
• Tim Aldinger, Foundation for CA Community Colleges
Closing Remarks
• Task Force Co-Chairs