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Innovative Pre- and Post-Fire Fuels Management at Private Calistoga Forest
July 17, 2021 @ 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Hosted by:
Sonoma County Forest Conservation Working Group
Registration:
Location:
160 Petrified Forest Rd, Calistoga, CA (detailed directions are provided upon registration)
Description:
Join Ivan Rios, Master Permaculture Designer for Permaculture Artisans, on a tour of a 40-acre private forestland in Calistoga to see creative pre- and post-fire fuels management solutions. This event was organized by Working Group member Matthew Banchero, owner of Matthew Banchero’s Tree Service.
About the site: The property is approximately 40 acres of inland mixed conifer/ hardwood/ redwood forest, leading to untreated Knobcone pine forest at the highest elevations that burned with high severity. The landowner did extensive fuels reduction work before the 2017 fire burned through and demonstrates a significant difference in fire intensity from the neighbors that hadn’t done fuels treatments. Work to cleanup dead and dying trees has continued since 2017.
About the project: The property owner utilized chipping to address some portion of the fire killed trees but found it to be unattractive and financially unfeasible across the whole site. Ivan Rios is the crew leader for Permaculture Artisans who designed and implemented the solution: contour brush berms and integrated water harvesting systems. We’ll be exploring these features on the tour. The goal was to find a cost-effective and attractive use /onsite disposal of the burned trees.
What will we be seeing and doing: We will take a tour of several installed brush berms in large redwoods, patches of oak woodland and on steeper terrain with larger volumes of burned material in the Knobcone pine section of the property. There should be plenty of time for Q/A and many attractive orchards and natural spots to pause for a break or lunch.
Why it matters: Utilization and disposal of negative-value woody waste biomass is a difficult logistical challenge. This project demonstrates onsite utilization that is relatively low cost, attractive and dovetails elegantly with water conservation, while accelerating natural decomposition and soil creation as well as reducing erosion.
What to bring: Dress for seasonal heat. Bring food and water for several hours. Wear appropriate footwear for mostly developed trails and dirt roads.
Location: 160 Petrified Forest Road, Calistoga, CA
Driving directions: From Santa Rosa you can come up Calistoga Rd or Mark West Springs Rd. Continue onto Petrified Forest Road. You’ll know to look for the left turn approx. half a mile past the Sonoma/Napa county line. Detailed information including gate code will be provided to attendees via email upon registering.
Want to learn more about projects like these? Contact Ivan Rios, 707-312-0067.
Cost: Free
Maximum Capacity: 18 persons