NRCS California Plans Expanded Conservation Investments
NRCS California Plans Expanded Conservation Investments
NRCS California announced a 2023 investment of over $20 million for climate-smart agriculture practices and forest resiliency in California, including $6.8 million for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program; $5.2 million for the Conservation Stewardship Program; and $7.6 million for the Conservation Technical Assistance Program. These additional investments flow from the Inflation Reduction Act – from which hundreds of millions of dollars more will appropriated over the next five years. This investment is above NRCS California’s annual $125 million investment through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Conservation Stewardship Program, Wetland Reserve Easements program, and other NRCS programs.
The deadline to apply for this NRCS California IRA funding is March 17, 2023. Please visit your local NRCS service center to apply, which can be found by clicking here.
Forest Stewardship and Post-fire Forest Resilience Projects 2022 Annual Report
Forest Stewardship and Post-fire Forest Resilience Projects 2022 Annual Report
Launched in 2019 in response to a recommendation by Governor Brown’s Forest Management Task Force the UC ANR Forest Stewardship Education Initiative established the Forest Stewardship and Post-Fire Resilience Programs. These programs involve forest landowners in managing and protecting their forests through the development of a forest management plan. Since 2020, 368 people have completed one of the 19 workshop series offered across the state. The 2022 Annual Report summarizes the impact of the programs.
Regional Resource Kits and Profiles Are Now Available
Regional Resource Kits and Profiles Are Now Available
The Task Force’s Science Advisory Panel has completed Regional Resource Kits and Regional Profiles for both the Sierra Nevada and Southern California regions. These invaluable tools are now available here on the Task Force website.
Regional Resource Kits offer critical tools and data to guide regional partners and collaboratives in their efforts to reduce wildfire hazard and improve the conditions of forested and shrub landscapes.
Likewise, Regional Profiles bring together the best available scientific information and a wide range of input from stakeholders throughout the region.
The Science Team will now focus on collecting data and tools for the Central Coast in preparation for the May 2023 Task Force meeting.
Survey Detects 36 Million Dead Trees in California
Survey Detects 36 Million Dead Trees in California
On February 7, the U.S. Forest Service published the 2022 Aerial Detection Survey report providing an annual estimate of tree mortality. The survey revealed about 36.3 million trees across 2.6 million acres of federal, state and private land died in California in 2022. The central Sierra Nevada Range and areas further north showed the highest mortality rates with true firs being the most impacted.
These data points mark an increased level of mortality compared to 2021 due to the cumulative impacts of extended drought, overstocked forest conditions, insect outbreaks, and disease.
“Forest health is a top priority for the Forest Service,” said Jennifer Eberlien, Regional Forester for the Pacific Southwest Region. “The agency’s 10-year strategy to address the wildfire crisis includes removal of dead and dying trees in the places where it poses the most immediate threats to communities.”
Tribal Wildfire Resilience Program
Up to $19M Available for Tribal Wildfire Resilience Program
CAL FIRE’s Forest Health Grant program will award competitive grants to Native American tribes located within California. Of the $19 million, up to $15 million is available for wildfire resilience implementation projects with the remainder available for planning projects. These grant funds will assist California Native American tribes in managing ancestral lands, implementing and promoting Traditional Ecological Knowledges in wildfire resilience, and establishing wildfire safety for tribal communities.
The Forest Health grant guidelines address this new opportunity and Forest Health staff hosted a Tribal Wildfire Resilience Roundtable explaining this opportunity. Applications are due February 28, 2023.
California Native American tribes provided guidance during the early consultation on the creation of this new grant program. CAL FIRE and California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) are collaborating on the review of applications and administering of the funds. CNRA is leading program design and consulting with CAL FIRE regarding program administration including processes, project selection, and tribal consultation. CAL FIRE will administer the program, including running a solicitation, issuing grant agreements, and processing progress reports and invoices.
Planscape Update
Planscape Update
At the Task Force’s September meeting, The California Natural Resources Agency and the USDA Forest Service announced plans to build Planscape, with support from Google.org Fellows. Planscape is a new planning tool that brings together the best available science, to maximize landscape resilience and benefits and help regional planners assess, prioritize and plan landscape treatments. Recently, the Planscape Team launched a newsletter and a website to share product development updates and provide a venue for interested parties and future users to contact the team.
UCANR Publishes Report on Small Forest Landowners
UCANR Publishes Report on California’s Small Forest Landowners
Representing 22% of California’s timberland, private owners of forested lands play an important role in landscape resilience and reducing wildfire risk. And yet, they remain one of the most challenging groups to reach with consistent messaging and education on how to manage and protect their forests.
A new report, recently released by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) provides important learning about forest landowners, their goals, the actions they have taken to date, and the obstacles they face in effectively managing their land.
The report is a compilation of information gathered from forest landowners participating in the Forest Stewardship Education Initiative, a landowner educational effort launched by UCANR and funded by CAL FIRE. The initiative helps landowners better understand, manage and protect their forests by developing a management plan, implementing vegetation management projects, engaging with natural resource professionals, and taking advantage of cost-share opportunities that can help them meet their management goals.
This report represents an important step in meeting the needs of forest landowners, and it implements a recommendation by the Small Landowner Assistance Working Group of the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force.
The 2021 Caldor Fire: One Year Later Video Series
The 2021 Caldor Fire: One Year Later Video Series
October 21, 2022, marks exactly one year since the Caldor Fire was completely contained.
Over the last year and with months of research and collaboration, the Eldorado National Forest released a four-part series examining the Caldor Fire. This series reviews the suppression efforts that took place, the fire behavior challenging firefighters, the road to rehabilitation and restoration, and what is being done now to lower the future risk of fire to communities.
RESOURCES
Episode 1: Initial response and experiences of firefighters who not only worked but also lived in the area
Episode 2: How fire behavior and fuel conditions made for a challenging fire fight
Episode 3: What restoration and rehabilitation work has occurred and its importance
Episode 4: What is being done to reduce extreme wildfire behavior
LiDAR Data Collection for Northern California and Sierra Nevada
LiDAR Data Collection for Northern California and Sierra Nevada
The California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), in partnership with the US Geologic Survey’s 3DEP Program and other entities, have now collected nearly 31.5 million acres of LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) covering large swaths of Northern California and the Sierra Nevada. These data fill substantial gaps in LiDAR coverage to improve the state’s ability to manage natural resources and protect public safety, directly enhancing our knowledge of forests and landforms in some of the most rugged and fire prone portions of the state. The $3.9M investment by CNRA is a portion of the funding for LiDAR and other remote sensing data that has been made available from funding allocated by the California Legislature (Budget Bill 21/21) .
30x30 Partnership Kick-Off
30x30 Partnership Kick-Off
On September 28, CNRA kicked off collaboration and community engagement around the 30 x 30 initiative, which commits California to the goal of conserving 30 percent of our lands and coastal waters by 2030. The Task Force is committed to aligning wildlife and forest resilience efforts with the state’s biodiversity and climate goals. Goal 3 of the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan outlines how the Task Force will seek to integrate forest management into state climate and biodiversity strategies.