After the Fire Preparedness Forum in Sierra City June 1, a friend asked what I had got out of it. I said nothing, wanting to think about it. Now I can say: a great deal.
The local organizing committee, led by Sylvia Lopez, deserves congratulations and thanks for an event whose values extend far beyond the North Yuba canyon. Sig Ostrom and Loren Brown deciphered and collated audience questions and otherwise kept the proceedings moving. Loren launched the meeting with the story of his family's share in the terrifying loss of Paradise, which was followed by a screening of the documentary film Wilder Than Wild.
The Forum's Fire Forum Information Sheet, includes a list of panelists, key experts for the healthy forests communities programs. There was a high density of useful expertise and competence at the Forum, some not listed. There are many Friends for Healthy Forests Communities; it was great to have so many at one time in Sierra City's beloved Community Hall. This was even better than the dances we used to hold there back in the Olden Days.
Corrected: The very strong delegation from CalFire was particularly valuable, particularly in our region which has in the past felt neglected by California's lead agency in the fire/forestry. Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit Chief Brian Estes (Auburn) led the delegation, gave a high level presentation and contributed other insights from a career in service to the forests communities. Chief Estes has overall responsibilities for the SRA and all CAL FIRE jurisdictions in Placer,Nevada, Yuba, and Sierra Counties. He was joined by Division Chief Jim Mathias (Nevada City) and Forester Steve Garcia (Auburn). Chief Mathias has oversight for Nevada, Yuba, and the western side of Sierra Counties. Steve is a Registered Professional Forester, responsible for all pre-fire activities within the Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit, who adds a livelong love for the forests and valleys of Sierra County to his fire ecologist training. Here is a presentation on CalFire's Vegetation Management Program that Steve gave to a Workshop on Prescribed Fire at Colfax in 2018.
The U.S. Forest Service also sent three experts and leaders, our old friend and neighbor Quentin Youngblood (Sierraville District Ranger) and new (to some of us) friends Lon Henderson (District Ranger) and Grahm Rice (Acting District Fire Management Officer) from the Yuba River Ranger Station in Camptonville. Lon gave an overview of the pioneering Upper North Yuba Forest Health and Resilience Project, addressing the fuels overload north of Highway 49 between Bassetts and Yuba Pass. Quentin identified another piece of innovation, the new Forest Stewardship arrangements to encourange non-USFS funding for forest health investments in the National Forests . Both of these programs bear the fingerprints of Supervisor Paul Roen, who attended the Forum, and Sierra County Planning Director Tim Beals who did not, continuing Sierra County's leadership in our program.
There was naturally strong representation from the local community organizations. I was particularly glad to learn from Bill Copren (Sattley FD) that a logger is now known as a "Carbon Sequestration Specialist." In Plumas County an alternative term, "Artisanal Forest Health Restoration Technician" in in vogue. Both are accurate. Jim Turner represented the Sierra County Fire Safe Council; in his main job as Vice President-Operations of American Renewable Power, Jim runs the facility that really should still be known accurately as Loyalton Cogen. Yes In My Back Yard. The local team is strong.
Most of the questions, and discussion, was devoted to the preparation of the local community for the arrival of fire. We cannot be too ready; Sierra County's long experience with life in the forests serves us all (including the neighbors in Nevada and Plumas Counties and beyond) well. An example of the value of information sharing came after the meeting, when Jim Turner invited Joy Punchard, formerly of Loyalton, now Portola, to share with the next meeting of the Fire Safe Council her experiences with both neighborhood preparation and organization in South Lake Tahoe and the terrifying firestorm of the 2007 Angora Fire, which produced huge property damage but no loss of life.
I am personally grateful to the organizers for including my policy question, about whether we were prepared to estimate full scope of the fuel treatments and other forest health interventions that are needed for long term forest resilience (phrased less artfully at the time). Quentin, who has heard the question many times in different forms, continues to perfect his answers, as we move forward in our long program for the forests, for the many plant and animal species, including humans, whose health and happiness is found here among the trees.
Thank you, Friends.
The local organizing committee, led by Sylvia Lopez, deserves congratulations and thanks for an event whose values extend far beyond the North Yuba canyon. Sig Ostrom and Loren Brown deciphered and collated audience questions and otherwise kept the proceedings moving. Loren launched the meeting with the story of his family's share in the terrifying loss of Paradise, which was followed by a screening of the documentary film Wilder Than Wild.
The Forum's Fire Forum Information Sheet, includes a list of panelists, key experts for the healthy forests communities programs. There was a high density of useful expertise and competence at the Forum, some not listed. There are many Friends for Healthy Forests Communities; it was great to have so many at one time in Sierra City's beloved Community Hall. This was even better than the dances we used to hold there back in the Olden Days.
Corrected: The very strong delegation from CalFire was particularly valuable, particularly in our region which has in the past felt neglected by California's lead agency in the fire/forestry. Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit Chief Brian Estes (Auburn) led the delegation, gave a high level presentation and contributed other insights from a career in service to the forests communities. Chief Estes has overall responsibilities for the SRA and all CAL FIRE jurisdictions in Placer,Nevada, Yuba, and Sierra Counties. He was joined by Division Chief Jim Mathias (Nevada City) and Forester Steve Garcia (Auburn). Chief Mathias has oversight for Nevada, Yuba, and the western side of Sierra Counties. Steve is a Registered Professional Forester, responsible for all pre-fire activities within the Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit, who adds a livelong love for the forests and valleys of Sierra County to his fire ecologist training. Here is a presentation on CalFire's Vegetation Management Program that Steve gave to a Workshop on Prescribed Fire at Colfax in 2018.
The U.S. Forest Service also sent three experts and leaders, our old friend and neighbor Quentin Youngblood (Sierraville District Ranger) and new (to some of us) friends Lon Henderson (District Ranger) and Grahm Rice (Acting District Fire Management Officer) from the Yuba River Ranger Station in Camptonville. Lon gave an overview of the pioneering Upper North Yuba Forest Health and Resilience Project, addressing the fuels overload north of Highway 49 between Bassetts and Yuba Pass. Quentin identified another piece of innovation, the new Forest Stewardship arrangements to encourange non-USFS funding for forest health investments in the National Forests . Both of these programs bear the fingerprints of Supervisor Paul Roen, who attended the Forum, and Sierra County Planning Director Tim Beals who did not, continuing Sierra County's leadership in our program.
There was naturally strong representation from the local community organizations. I was particularly glad to learn from Bill Copren (Sattley FD) that a logger is now known as a "Carbon Sequestration Specialist." In Plumas County an alternative term, "Artisanal Forest Health Restoration Technician" in in vogue. Both are accurate. Jim Turner represented the Sierra County Fire Safe Council; in his main job as Vice President-Operations of American Renewable Power, Jim runs the facility that really should still be known accurately as Loyalton Cogen. Yes In My Back Yard. The local team is strong.
Most of the questions, and discussion, was devoted to the preparation of the local community for the arrival of fire. We cannot be too ready; Sierra County's long experience with life in the forests serves us all (including the neighbors in Nevada and Plumas Counties and beyond) well. An example of the value of information sharing came after the meeting, when Jim Turner invited Joy Punchard, formerly of Loyalton, now Portola, to share with the next meeting of the Fire Safe Council her experiences with both neighborhood preparation and organization in South Lake Tahoe and the terrifying firestorm of the 2007 Angora Fire, which produced huge property damage but no loss of life.
I am personally grateful to the organizers for including my policy question, about whether we were prepared to estimate full scope of the fuel treatments and other forest health interventions that are needed for long term forest resilience (phrased less artfully at the time). Quentin, who has heard the question many times in different forms, continues to perfect his answers, as we move forward in our long program for the forests, for the many plant and animal species, including humans, whose health and happiness is found here among the trees.
Thank you, Friends.
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