The Northern California Prescribed Fire Council held its eighth biannual meeting on April 25-26, 2013 at UC’s Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC). Over 110 people attended the meeting, which featured a wide range of research and management presentations on prescribed fire-related topics. Meeting attendees included federal, state, and local agency personnel; ecologists and researchers; fire safe council representatives; private landowners and ranchers; tribal representatives; high school, undergraduate, and graduate students; and more! As usual, the Council meeting highlighted the diversity and passion of northern California’s prescribed fire community. As one meeting attendee commented on their evaluation form, “I frequently reference examples and discussions from these meetings—they are a great place for applied integration of research, policy, and management, as well as meeting people with converging interests.”
The meeting brought in a number of exciting presenters, including featured speakers Ken Pimlott, Director of CAL FIRE, and Sarah McCaffrey, Researcher with the US Forest Service Northern Research Station in Chicago. Other presenters included Dennis Martinez of the Indigenous Peoples’ Restoration Network, Bob Keiffer of the Hopland Research and Extension Center, Malcolm North of the USFS Pacific Southwest Research Station, Scott Stephens of UC Berkeley, Dave McLean of CAL FIRE, and several other pioneers in the art and science of prescribed fire. The group spent one day in the HREC’s new Rod Shippey conference building, and they spent the second day visiting burn units and research sites throughout the 5,000+ acre property.
The Northern California Prescribed Fire Council formed in fall of 2009 with the mission of providing a venue for dialogue and collaboration around prescribed fire. The Council holds public meetings twice a year in different parts of the north state. Previous meetings have taken place in Arcata, Chico, Tahoe, Redding, and Berkeley, among other locations. Council meetings always feature presentations by fire scientists and managers, with an emphasis on the challenges and opportunities relevant to each meeting location. The Council also has sub-committees that work on training, communications, policy, and other prescribed fire-related issues throughout the region.
For more information or to get involved, please email Lenya Quinn-Davidson, Council Director, at nwcapfc@gmail.com, or visit the Council website at www.norcalrxfirecouncil.org.
