The Sierra Nevada is a fire-dependent ecosystem that, for too long, has not been allowed to care for itself naturally. Forest Service efforts will provide the best opportunity available to bring fire back to the landscape and ensure that our forest can accept it in a sustainable, resilient way when there are natural fire occurrences. […]
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to list the California spotted owl population in the Sierra Nevada as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. “Our goal is to help the California spotted owl recover across its range,” said Michael Fris, field supervisor of the Service’s Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office. “Ongoing collaboration with […]
A recent report from the U.S. Forest Service revealed that more than 36 million California trees died in 2022, marking a significant increase from 2021, when the total was only 9.5 million. The survey found the highest mortality rates at higher elevations, specifically in the central Sierra Nevada range. To read the full article, click here.
A recent study by scientists at UC Berkeley and the U.S. Forest Service looked at how severe wildfire and prolonged drought have resulted in significant loss of conifer forests and mature forest habitat in the Sierra Nevadas between 2011 and 2020. Under current land management practices, most human activities are excluded from regions that are […]
Extreme large wildfires over the last few years have threatened forests and communities throughout California. Fire scientist Dr. Scott Stephens from U.C. Berkeley has been deeply engaged in forest management and fire issues for 30 years. Click here to check out his proposed solutions to better protect our state’s iconic forests from the threat of […]
In recent years, laser images gathered from Lidar instruments on planes flying above a forest landscape have enabled forest managers to gain amazing information about the forests down below. Called lidar for “Light Detection and Ranging” — lidar uses pulses of laser light that get measured by instruments and then results in incredibly accurate 3-D […]
A year and a half ago, I started my job at CSERC as the staff Biologist. I have really enjoyed my time here and have learned so much about our forests and wildlife and how to better protect them as I move through my career. When reflecting on my time here at CSERC, I have […]
The Illilouette Creek Basin is a landscape shaped by fire as much as the Valley was by ice. This forest pocket surrounded by granite outcrops allows fire to be naturally contained without concern of spreading outside of the basin. In the 1800s, fires were viewed as damaging to the environment, so fire management turned to […]
Did you know that National Forests have special research areas called experimental forests? Experimental forests are areas designated for research purposes. The Stanislaus National Forest has a 250-acre experimental forest where researchers study the ecology of forests to better understand how different forest management practices affect forest resilience and health. Before fire suppression, western forests […]
A final environmental impact statement and three draft decisions were released last Friday by the U.S. Forest Service for the Forest’s largest green forest project in its 124-year history! This project will be reducing fire threats North of Highway 108 on Forest Service lands from Columbia to upstream of Beardsley Reservoir. The Social and Ecological […]