Unique Coalition Unites to Restore California's Giant Sequoias
Unique Coalition Unites to Restore California's Giant Sequoias
Giant Sequoia Land Coalition Brings Together Government Agencies, Tribes and Environmental Groups To Save Iconic Trees
California has lost nearly a fifth of its population of giant sequoias to wildfires over the past few years, according to a 2021 report.
Over the past year, however, the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition has treated more than 15,000 acres of forest land in and around the groves. By sharing their knowledge and working to better treat forest areas where groves of giant sequoias can be found, the group is working to make these titans more resilient to future massive wildfires.
CAL FIRE Updates Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map
CAL FIRE Updates Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map
Will Host 57 Public Hearings For Comment Throughout California
After years of planning and collaboration with fire scientists, firefighters, stakeholders and local community partners, the new map reflects changes in fire hazard in unincorporated, rural areas, as experienced in California over the past five years.
CAL FIRE’s fire scientists and wildfire mitigation experts developed the map using a science-based and field-tested model that assigns a hazard score based on the factors that influence fire likelihood and fire behavior. Many factors are considered, such as fire history, existing and potential fuel (natural vegetation), predicted flame length, blowing embers, terrain, and typical fire weather for an area. These zones fall into the following classifications – moderate, high, and very high.
Overall the map shows increased fire hazard, reflecting California’s increase in wildfire occurrence and severity because of many factors, including a changing climate.
CAL FIRE is inviting public comment on the map until February 3, 2023.
CARB Releases Final 2022 Scoping Plan
CARB Releases Final 2022 Scoping Plan
On November 16, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) released the 2022 Scoping Plan for Achieving Carbon Neutrality (2022 Scoping Plan), which will be presented to the CARB Board on December 15, 2022. The 2022 Scoping Plan lays out a path to achieve targets for carbon neutrality and reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 85 percent below 1990 levels no later than 2045. Significant reductions in fossil fuel combustion will be achieved by deploying clean technologies and fuels, requiring further reductions in short-lived climate pollutants, supporting sustainable development, employing technology to capture and store carbon, and taking increased action on natural and working lands to reduce emissions and sequester carbon.
NCRP Requests Input on its "Vision for North Coast Resilience"
NCRP Requests Input on its "Vision for North Coast Resilience"
The North Coast Resource Partnership (NCRP) has released a draft plan entitled “A Vision for North Coast Resilience: Priorities for Enhancing Watershed, Forest and Community Resilience in the North Coast Region.” The draft was informed by hundreds of partners and technical experts in the North Coast Region and beyond and aligns with and is guided by the objectives of the Task Force, as well as an array of Tribal, state and federal priorities for community and landscape resilience. NCRP is requesting input and comments through 11/21. The final plan will be considered for approval at NRCP’s Leadership Council meeting on 12/9.
Synthesis Report: Wildfire Crisis Strategy Roundtable
Synthesis Report: Wildfire Crisis Strategy Roundtable
In spring of 2022, the National Forest Foundation (NFF), together with the USFS, hosted a series of virtual ten roundtables for employees and partners of the agency to gather input on the USFS’s Confronting the Wildfire Crisis Strategy and associated Implementation Plan. NFF has published a report synthesizing key themes and opportunities for action that emerged from the roundtables.
The NFF will host a webinar on Monday, November 14, 2-3:30 p.m. EST, to share more information about the report, discuss next steps, and provide an opportunity for Q&A with Forest Service leadership.
RESOURCES
National Forest Foundation Roundtables
CNRA Announces Tool to Improve Wildfire Resilience with Support from Google.org
CNRA announces tool to Improve Wildfire Resilience with Support from Google.org
The CNRA and the USDA FOREST SERVICE, along with support from Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, has developed Planscape – a new wildfire resilience planning tool that uses state and federal resilience data to create user-friendly models that will be easily accessible to land planners. A demonstration of Planscape was released at the California Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force meeting on September 27th, 2022. The new, open-source tool will permit everyone to evaluate fire risks and remedies.
RESOURCES
SNC to Pilot Wildfire Resilience Landscape Investment Strategy
SNC to Pilot Wildfire Resilience Landscape Investment Strategy
Made possible by increased state and federal funding and cooperation, the the Landscape Grant Pilot Program will give land managers a new tool that seeks to meet the wildfire crisis where it is occurring—at the landscape level. The program will seek to align funding from multiple entities to provide one or two large landscape grants that support strategic portfolios of projects across large landscapes over a 5- to 10-year timeframe. The program will help SNC implement its Sierra Nevada Landscape Investment Strategy
RESOURCES
California Air Resources Board Releases California Smoke Spotter 2.0
California Air Resources Board Releases California Smoke Spotter 2.0
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has released a major update to its California Smoke Spotter mobile app to help users protect themselves from smoke during wildfire season. New features of the app include wildfire information and alerts, a 24-hour wildfire smoke forecast, and Air Quality Index (AQI) data from PurpleAir sensors to provide users with real-time smoke conditions (in addition to AQI data from permanent and temporary air monitors).
California Smoke Spotter 2.0 still contains its original features including prescribed fire details, alerts and smoke forecasts, as well as information on how users can protect themselves from smoke. It’s available to download on the App Store and Google Play.
This achievement contributes to the Task Force’s broader goal of strengthening the protection of communities, and more specific aim to reduce the health impacts of smoke.
RESOURCES
OPR Releases Wildfire Technical Advisory and WUI Planning Guide
OPR Releases new resources: Fire Hazard Planning Technical Advisory and WUI Planning Guide
In an important step forward on two key requirements in the Task Force Action plan, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) today published new resources to support local agencies and communities as they plan for wildfire at the community scale.
The first is OPR’s updated Fire Hazard Planning Technical Advisory (TA) which helps cities and counties address and reduce wildfire risk in their general plans. They also released the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Planning Guide. This publication complements the TA by providing specific examples and best practice case studies to communities to reference as they plan and implement wildfire solutions.
OPR is an important Task Force partner, and these valuable publications will contribute to the Task Force’s goal of strengthening the protection of communities across California.
To learn more, read the OPR announcement and sign up for an informational webinar on September 14th, 2022.
RESOURCES
OPR Wildfire Planning Resources
Informational Webinar: OPR’s Wildfire Guidance & Resources
Grant Guidelines Released for the 2022 Regional Forest & Fire Capacity Program
Grant Guidelines released for the 2022 Regional Forest & Fire Capacity Program
RFFC grants support regional leadership to build local capacity and fund projects that create fire-adapted communities and landscapes by providing ecosystem health, community wildfire preparedness, and fire resilience. The grants funded with these Guidelines utilize the $110 million of General Fund monies appropriated to the DOC for the RFFC Program.