Meeting Recordings

June 2023 Monthly Meeting

In the first part of this monthly meeting, we discussed member updates. In the second part of the meeting, we heard the 2023 Fire Season Outlook from Battalion Chief Marshall Turbeville. Chief Turbeville provides an in-depth forecast for the north Bay Area 2023 fire season, including rainfall predictions, fuel moisture, fuel loading, and climatic factors that affect fire behavior. This workshop was followed by a Q&A session from working group members. In the last part of this meeting, we discussed updates for the 2023 Living with Fire: Forest Conservation Conference with the conference planning committee. The two-day conference is scheduled for Friday, June 23 and Saturday, June 24 at SRJC’s Shone Farm in Forestville. Watch the full meeting here or jump to the 2023 Fire Season Outlook here.

May 2023 Monthly Meeting

In the first half of this monthly meeting, we discussed member updates and identified opportunities for Forest Conservation Working Group support. In the second half of the meeting, we discussed updates for the 2023 Living with Fire: Forest Conservation Conference. The two-day conference is scheduled for Friday, June 23 and Saturday, June 24 at SRJC’s Shone Farm in Forestville. We went over program updates, our outreach plan, and day-of logistics. Watch the full meeting here or jump to the conference planning updates here.

April 2023 Monthly Meeting

In the first half of this monthly meeting, we discussed member updates as well as updates for the 2023 Living with Fire: Forest Conservation Conference. In the second half of this meeting, Caerleon Safford of Permit Sonoma hosted the workshop: How and Why to use the CWPP Project Entry Tool. We are happy to announce that the updated Community Wildfire Prevention Plan Project Entry Portal is officially launched! The Project Entry Portal (PEP) is where organizations, agencies or landowners can enter Wildfire Risk Reduction Projects to be considered for inclusion on the Sonoma County CWPP Project list. The list will provide a central place where wildfire risk reduction projects can be seen county-wide so that trends and gaps, and opportunities for collaboration, can be identified. Watch the full meeting here or jump to the How and Why to use the CWPP Project Entry Tool Workshop here.

March 2023 Monthly Meeting

In the first half of this monthly meeting, we discussed member updates, reviewed our discussion on Wildfire Misinformation, and discussed updates for the 2023 Sonoma County Forest Conservation Conference occurring June 23rd-25th. In the second half of the meeting, Historical ecologist Arthur Dawson presents the findings of a three-year CALFIRE-funded study conducted in partnership with Pepperwood, Mark Tukman, and Dr. Jim Thorne: Vegetation Trends and Cycles in Fire-Prone Landscapes of Lake, Napa and Sonoma Counties. Watch the full meeting here or jump to Vegetation Trends and Cycles in Fire-Prone Landscapes of Lake, Napa and Sonoma Counties here. 

February 2023 Monthly Meeting

In the first half of this monthly meeting, we discussed member updates and held a discussion on Counteracting Wildfire Misinformation. In the second half of the meeting, Robert Aguero, RPF, and Doug Bush, MCRP, of Permit Sonoma host the Sonoma County Comprehensive Tree Ordinance Update Workshop. Watch the full meeting here or jump to the Sonoma County Comprehensive Tree Ordinance Update Workshop here.

January 2023 Monthly Meeting

In the first half of this monthly meeting, we discuss member updates and the 2023 Forest Conservation Conference Planning Updates. In the second half of the meeting, Jason Wells, Registered Professional Forester for Sonoma and Gold Ridge RCDs, presented a basic overview of wildland fire behavior. Watch the full meeting here or jump to the Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior Presentation here.

December 2022 Monthly Meeting

In the first half of this monthly meeting, we discussed general member updates and hot topics. In the last part of the meeting, we discussed planning updates for the Spring/Summer 2023 Forest Conservation Conference. Watch the full meeting here or jump to the conference updates here.

November 2022 Monthly Meeting

In the first part of this monthly meeting, we shared brief member updates. In the second part of the meeting, Susan Haydon, Project Specialist for Sonoma Water, and Deanne DiPietro, Senior Science Coordinator for Conservation Biology Institute present on Sonoma County Wildfire Resilience Planner Tool: Shared Decision Support for Planning and Prioritizing. Watch the full meeting here or jump to the Sonoma County Wildfire Resilience Planner Tool Presentation here.

October 2022 Monthly Meeting

In the first part of this monthly meeting, we shared member updates and discuss hot topics. In the second part of the meeting, we reviewed potential future presentation topics and field trip sites as well as updates from the 2023 Sonoma Forest Conservation Conference Planning Committee. Watch the full meeting here or jump to the conference planning discussion here.

September 2022 Monthly Meeting

In the first part of this monthly meeting, we discussed member updates and hot topics. We also discussed our CalVTP support group, 2023 Forest Conservation Conference updates, and our Shaded Fuel Break Workshop in the Jenner Headlands. In the second half of the meeting, Adriana Stagnaro, Outreach & Project Manager for the Gold Ridge RCD, presented an introduction to the North Bay Forest Improvement Program. The North Bay Forest Improvement Program (NBFIP) is a cost-share incentives program established in 2020 and funded through CAL FIRE’s Proposition 68 Wildfire Resilience and Forestry Assistance Grant. Watch the full meeting here or jump to the NBFIP Program Introduction here.

August 2022 Monthly Meeting

First half of monthly meeting we discussed general member updates. In the second part of the meeting, the 2023 Forest Conservation Conference subcommittee presented on their progress so far in planning the Forest Conservation Conference for Spring/Summer 2023. Watch the full meeting here or jump to the conference planning session here.

July 2022 Monthly Meeting

First half of monthly meeting we discussed Working Group business. In the second half, a diverse panel shared their experience in advising, designing and implementing shaded fuel breaks in a variety of settings. Watch the full meeting here, or jump to the panel presentation here.

June 2022 Monthly Meeting

In the first half of the monthly meeting, we discussed Working Group business, shared member updates, discussed Cal Fire grant awards for the Fire Prevention grant program. In the second half, we heard Battalion Chief Marshall Turbeville’s annual presentation on the outlook for this year’s fire season. Watch the full meeting here and the presentation here.

May 2022 Monthly Meeting

At this monthly monthly meeting, members debriefed on the Governor’s May 5th CA Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force Meeting in Sonoma County; discussed upcoming events. We heard a panel on efforts to increase local workforce capacity for fire and vegetation management work. Speakers included Che Casul from Circuit Riders, Jason Mills from WRA, Inc., Brook Edwards from Sonoma County Regional Parks, and Kim Batchelder from Sonoma County Ag + Open Space. Watch the full meeting here and the panel discussion here.

April 2022 Monthly Meeting

Monthly meeting for the membership to discuss all Working Group business. At this meeting, UCCE Wildfire Vegetation Mitigation Program Manager Sashi Sabaratnam joined us to discuss a collaborative conference between UCCE and the Forest Working Group, tentatively set for October-November 2022. Watch here. We also had a special Good Fire Alliance update from Garrett Gradillas, Prescribed Fire Project Coordinator for Fire Forward. If you are interested, please click here.

March 2022 Monthly Meeting

Monthly meeting for the membership to discuss all Working Group business. At this meeting, we discussed outreach activities including upcoming field tours and the agriculture-forest stewardship mixer event to be scheduled in Summer 2022. Watch here. Special presentation this month was “Wildfire Vegetation Management Division: Sonoma County Fire Management Tools in Development” presented by Sashi Sabaratnam, UC Cooperative Extension Wildfire Vegetation Mitigation Program Manager for the County of Sonoma. 

February 2022 Monthly Meeting

Monthly meeting for the membership to discuss all Working Group business. We heard project updates from all attending members. Watch here. Special presentation from Adriana Stagnaro, Outreach & Project Manager for Gold Ridge RCD, “Tannery Creek Instream Large Wood Recruitment & Forest Management Project”.

January 2022 Monthly Meeting

Monthly meeting for the membership to discuss all Working Group business. We heard program updates from all attending members. Watch here.

December 2021 Monthly Meeting

Monthly meeting for the membership to discuss all Working Group business. We heard program updates from all attending members. Watch here. Special presentation from Permit Sonoma, Robert Aguero, “Introduction to CEQA for Vegetation Management.”

November 2021 Monthly Meeting

Monthly meeting for the membership to discuss all Working Group business. We heard program updates from all attending members. We also had a presentation from Devyn Friedfel on “Stewarding Forests for Wildlife and Fire Resilience at Pepperwood Preserve”. Watch here. Short presentation from Ellie Insley on the biochar workshop begins at minute 42:45. Devyn Friedfel’s presentation begins at minute 58:00.

October 2021 Members Meeting

Monthly meeting for the membership to discuss all Working Group business. We heard program updates from all attending members and discussed public outreach activities, including a social event with members of the agricultural community, workshop on riparian fuels management, biochar demonstration, field tour at Pepperwood Preserve to show fuels management and monitoring in the burn zone, field tour at coastal forest to examine challenges to forest health, and more. Watch here.

September 2021 Members Meeting

Monthly meeting for the membership to discuss all Working Group business. We heard program updates from all attending members. Discussed outcome of 20-21 Cal Fire Fire Prevention Grant awards and to continue planning pre-fire forest stewardship field trips. Watch here.

August 2021 Members Meeting

Monthly meeting for the membership to discuss all Working Group business. We heard program updates from all attending members and discussed public outreach activities, including a social event with members of the agricultural community, workshop on riparian fuels management, biochar demonstration, field tour at Pepperwood Preserve to show fuels management and monitoring in the burn zone, field tour at coastal forest to examine challenges to forest health, and more. Watch here.

July 2021 Members Meeting

Monthly meeting for the membership to discuss all Working Group business. Special speaker at this meeting was Fire Chief Marshall Turbeville, chief of the Geyserville-based Northern Sonoma County Fire District and also a Cal Fire battalion chief, who presented on the outlook for the 2021 Fire Season. Presentation begins at 1:44:00. Watch the full meeting here.

June 2021 Members Meeting

View the recorded June meeting, in which members discuss Working Group business and we hear from Sonoma Ag + Open Space staff on the Vital Lands Initiative (presentation begins at hour 1:21:00). Watch the full meeting here.

May 2021 Members Meeting

View the recorded May meeting, in which members discuss Working Group business and we hear from special speaker Tosha Comendant, from Pepperwood Preserve, presenting on the new Wildfire Fuel Mapper tool. Presentation begins at 1:25:00. Watch the full meeting here.

April 2021 Members Meeting

Monthly meeting for the membership to discuss all Working Group business. Special guests at this meeting were Chief Ben Nicholls, Sonoma County Operations Chief and Chief Tom Knecht, Pre-Fire Division Chief of the Vegetation Management Program, for the CAL FIRE Sonoma Lake Napa Unit. They took questions about the Spring 2021 CAL FIRE grant programs. Presentation from CAL FIRE Chief Tom Knecht on 2021 CAL FIRE grant program begins at 24:00. Watch the full meeting here.

March 2021 Members Meeting

Monthly meeting for the membership to discuss all Working Group business. In this meeting we heard member updates and public comments. We discussed outreach activities, the 2021-2022 Two Year Work Plan, and funding opportunities. Watch the full meeting here.

February 2021 Members Meeting

Monthly meeting for the membership to discuss all Working Group business. Special speaker at this meeting was Peter Lecourt, Forest Manager for Pacific Union College and Board Member of the Napa Communities Firewise Foundation. His presentation, “Pacific Union College Demonstration and Experimental Forest at Angwin, an Overview” discussed the management approach and variety of projects and treatments used on the PUC forest, including timber harvest, shaded fuel breaks, prescribed fire and thinning. Jump to 1:34:00 for the Special presentation. Watch the full meeting here.

January 2021 Members Meeting

Monthly meeting for the membership to discuss all Working Group business. This month, we drafted our 2021-2022 Two Year Work Plan. Watch the full meeting here.