Council Holds Its Fourth Annual Meeting with RCRC in Fish Camp

By Michael T. Chapel
Regional Forester's Representative, USDA Forest Service

This past October, the Biodiversity Council met with the Regional Council of Rural Counties (RCRC) in Fish Camp, just outside the south gate of Yosemite National Park. This was the fourth consecutive meeting of the two councils during RCRC’s Annual Conference. Robert Meacher, RCRC President, and Mike Pool, CBC co–chair and BLM State Director, moderated this informative joint meeting.

Rohnert Park Follow-up
The day began with a brief summary of the last joint meeting of the councils in 2000. There, the CBC learned that rural counties want to be closely involved in public land–use planning in regions where public lands are the dominate ownership. Additionally, due to limited resources, rural counties find it difficult to become fully engaged in public land–use planning without sacrificing other local services. At the conclusion that discussion, the CBC and RCRC staffs were charged with developing recommendations to improve the situation.

Accordingly, this year in Fish Camp, Linda Arcularius (Inyo County Supervisor) and Mike Chapel (USDA Forest Service) reported on several options that are being evaluated:

  • Developing a privately–funded, non–profit organization to provide technical and procedural advice to counties
  • Sharing agency technical staff
  • Providing liaisons to counties for large state and federal planning projects
  • Providing counties with formal cooperating agency status
  • Seeking supplemental funds to enhance counties’ capacity to participate in public land–use planning
Fire Protection and Fuels Management Intitiatives
The majority of the joint CBC and RCRC meeting focused on fire protection and fuels management initiatives in California. To address the current fire season from the State’s perspective, Louis Blumberg (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection or CDF) indicated that the 2001 fire season was similar to the average conditions in previous years. Mr. Blumberg made three important points: suppression costs continue to rise significantly while budgets do not; fires are increasingly complex due to wildland–urban interface issues; and the number of experienced firefighters is declining.

For the Federal perspective, Brad Powell (USDA Forest Service) reported this has been one of the driest years on record with several very large fires in the Sierra Nevada national forests.

Dr. Jan Van Wagtendonk (USGS, Yosemite Field Station) advised that current fuels conditions greatly exceed historical trends in many California forests. He explained that reducing fuels with prescribed fire requires a clear set of goals based on a detailed understanding of the role of fire in local forest environments. Additionally, managers need extensive information regarding fuel loads, weather, and topography. Dr. Van Wagtendonk stressed that California will face many challenges to allow for both natural roles for fire while providing a fire–safe environment for people, permitting the extraction of renewable resources, and protecting other natural resources.

Biomass as a fuels reduction tool
Assemblyman Dick Dickerson moderated the next discussion and emphasized the importance of biomass utilization for maintaining forest health and power generation.

Dr. Gary Nakamura (UC Cooperative Extension) explained that forest health is threatened by the presence of too many trees and other fuels—the result of decades of successful fire–suppression activities. These fire hazards can be reduced by thinning the smaller trees from the forest. Dr. Bill Laudenslayer (USDA Forest Service) spoke next and explained that dead wood plays significant ecological roles by providing habitats for wildlife, nutrient reserves for soils, and erosion control. However, current scientific information does not provide precise relationships between fuel conditions and protection of other resource values.

Loyd Forrest (TSS Consultants) reported that private interests need a clear opportunity for profit before they will invest further in forest biomass utilization. He stressed that we must question the balance of public benefits versus subsidizing production costs. New technologies for energy production may soon improve the economics of harvesting biomass.

Dean Cromwell (CDF) closed the session with the reminder that none of the biomass interests can develop adequate programs and policies without working together. For biomass to become a viable tool, California must spread the risks and costs, support the exploration of new technologies, and foster close working relationships among agencies, the biomass industry, and the interested public.

Panelists at the Fish Camp meeting State and Federal Fire Plan Initiatives
Brad Powell (USDA Forest Service) began this discussion with an overview of the National Fire Plan (NFP). The NFP is a major federal initiative to reduce the risks of wildfires to communities in the urban–wildland interface as well as assuring sufficient future firefighting capabilities. The Plan dramatically increases federal spending for firefighting, safety and prevention, rehabilitation, hazardous fuels reduction, wildfire restoration, collaboration, monitoring and research.

Mike Pool (BLM) then described the California Fire Alliance: a partnership among local, state, and federal agencies with fire protection responsibilities. The Alliance aims to bring greater cooperation among participating agencies and assists in local solutions for community fire protection. Louis Blumberg described the California Fire Plan (CFP), a state initiative intended to support locally developed fire protection strategies. Together, the NFP and CFP aid communities throughout California. Wayne Mitchell (CDF) closed the discussion by demonstrating some of the geographic information systems (GIS) support tools now available to help identify communities at risk and develop fire protection plans.

Local Initiatives for Community Fire Protection
Three panelists provided examples of community fire–protection projects consistent with the state and national fire plans. Candace Gregory (CDF) spoke first and described a cooperative fire protection program near Oakhurst. The multi–year project has resulted in coordinated fuel breaks and fuel reduction work across public and private lands.

Next, Nevada County Supervisor Peter Van Zant explained the Fire Safe Council of Nevada County. This Council has over 50 active volunteers operating programs like free chipping/shredding, road and infrastructure mapping, senior assistance, website (http://firesafe.nccn.net), educational materials, and the issuance of burn permits.

Tuolumne County Supervisor Mark Thornton described the Southwest Interface Project, which strives to protect life, property, and resources across lcoal, state, and federal jurisdictions in Tuolumne and Mariposa Counties.





California Biodiversity News: Volume 9, Number 1
Spring/Summer 2002
For more information on the California Biodiversity Council, please contact:
Erin Klaesius, Communications Coordinator
CA Biodiversity Council
1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1311
Sacramento, CA 95814

Email: erin_klaesius@fire.ca.gov