2023 Conference

2023 Living with Fire: Sonoma County Forest Conservation Conference

June 23-24, 2023

at the SRJC Shone Farm in Forestville, 7450 Steve Olson Ln, Forestville, CA 95436

VIDEO REEL

The Sonoma County Forest Conservation Working Group, in partnership with the County of Sonoma and the Santa Rosa Junior College, hosted our community’s forestland residents, landowners, land managers and stakeholders, in a two-day conference centered on managing forestland in these new and challenging times. While managing forestland can seem daunting, the first steps are simple. This event was designed to help land managers feel confident about what they can do and feel supported where they need help.

A Powerful Collaboration

This conference was made possible by a powerful collaboration of dozens of organizations and individuals, including Sonoma County Ag + Open Space, the Sonoma County Resource Conservation Districts, University of California Cooperative Extension, WRA Environmental Consultants, CAL FIRE, Circuit Rider, private foresters, private landowners, concerned members of the public, and many others. These contributors are members of the Sonoma County Forest Conservation Working Group.

The Conference in Numbers

Number of Attendees

123

Attendees managing less than 100 acres

59%

Attendees Who Own, Manage or Work on the Land

80%

Attendee Experience Level

Novice: 23%

Intermediate: 62%

Expert: 10%

Undeclared: 5%

Members of Fire Safe Councils

15%

Conference Impacts

91% of those surveyed said their practical knowledge and skills increased due to the conference.

Conference Impacts

88% of those surveyed said their support network increased due to the conference.

Videos

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Testimonials from our attendees

“I learned so much, made a ton of good connections … So I’m going to start working on finding funding for our Neighborhood Project and get some of the neighbors interested.”

“We met potential new clients and employee candidates, collaborators, and had the chance to catch up with people in our network. Thanks again for your work!”

“Never really thought about managing the trees as if a fire had gone through. Made a great deal of sense.”

“Very motivational.”

“Picked up [a lot of] useful information. Will use the Sonoma County Wildlife Resilience Planner. [I] enjoyed speaking with the CalFire people.”

“Talked to so many interesting people and learned more about what is available.”

“Packet information is going to be used and shared with neighbors. THANK-YOU for all that you did and are doing to continue to work with the community and the land.”

“Great event design. Wonderfully usable materials.”

“Great opportunity to build community.”

“Great, informational event. Thank you all for your effort.”

“Thank you for offering this program! It was excellent!”

“Well organized and ran smoothly. The attendees were interesting and brought knowledge and valuable perspectives. I appreciated the youthful enthusiasm and knowledge as well as the experience of the more seasoned participants. Great mix of people. Speakers were all knowledgeable and encouraged participation and interaction. Well done! Food was delicious.”

“This was an extremely organized and well thought-out conference. I am so glad we attended. Thank-you so much”

“Thanks for organizing this event; hope there are more in the future.”

“I loved the way you divided the groups. I felt like I was with the right level of knowledge & experience.”

Next Steps for Attendees

Now that the conference is over, what will you do?

We encourage attendees, and those who missed the conference, to take these next steps:

Study the Conference Resources below and finish filling out your Conference Participant Worksheet.
Reach out to us if you need technical help. We can connect you with a free consultation
If you don’t have one already, start a forest management plan. Need financial assistance? Apply to EQIP for a plan for a property under 20 acres or apply to NBFIP for properties 20-500 acres.
Take consistent steps (small steps are ok!) to improve your forestland. Implement the activities in your forest management plan. If you need financial or technical assistance, reach out for help. There are many resources in Sonoma County to help you.
Work with your neighbors to share information, collaborate on projects, and make your neighborhood more fire safe. Watch the Landowner Panel to hear real success stories from local landowners who collaborated on forest management projects.
Monitor your progress over time. What’s working? What’s not? Ask for help when you need it.
Keep learning with us! We host monthly meetings and our partners host frequent events. Our website is also full of quality educational resources.

Stay In Touch

You can sign up here to receive our quarterly e-newsletter to stay in the know about educational presentations, workshops and field tours on forest stewardship. This is a great way to stay motivated and informed as you continue your stewardship activities. See examples of past newsletters here.

If you would like support with your forest property, please fill out our assistance survey to get started.

Have a question? Contact us.

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Post-Conference Resources

General Conference Info

Workshop: Intro to Sonoma County Forest and Fire Ecology

Learn about the basics of forest management in Sonoma County, from fire history in oak woodlands, to fuel reduction in overstocked conifer forests. By understanding the historical and current conditions of your forest, you can better manage for the future.

Speakers:

Briana Boaz, Professor of Natural Resources, Santa Rosa Junior College
Marshall Turbeville, Battalion Chief, Northern Sonoma County Fire District

Workshop: Forestry Project Planning, Permitting and Funding

Professional foresters will present the basics on setting your goals, working with a forester to plan and permit your forest management activities, and applying for financial assistance.

Speakers:

Jason Wells, Registered Professional Forester, Sonoma Resource Conservation District
Robert Aguero, Registered Professional Forester, Permit Sonoma

Resources:

Project Example:

Diamond Mountain Mark West CAL FIRE Planning Grant

Workshop: Forestry Tools Demonstration

Trained professionals will demonstrate the use of various tools and equipment commonly used in forestry. You’ll see hand tools such as loppers, pruners, pole saws, chainsaws, weed pullers, pulaskis and McLeods, as well as larger equipment like wood chippers and biochar kilns. Techniques for building burn piles may also be demonstrated.

Speakers:

Annie Madden, Wildfire Resilience Program Specialist, Santa Rosa Junior College
Asa Voight, Wildfire Resilience Program Specialist, Santa Rosa Junior College

Resources:

Burn Pile Guide

Workshop: Tactical Solutions to Common Forestry Issues

How do land managers identify problems on the land, like invasive plants, disease or fuel buildup? How do they determine the best solution? How do they evaluate success? This workshop will teach you to watch and learn from the land, take small but strong steps to steward the land, and be proactive about addressing common issues.

Speakers:

Tori Norville, Fire Advisor, University of California Cooperative Extension
Jason Mills, Senior Restoration Contractor, WRA Environmental Consultants
Jill Butler, Retired Forestry Assistance Specialist, CAL FIRE

Resources:

Tabling Organizations

Biswell Forestry
CAL FIRE
Coast Ridge Community Forest
Permit Sonoma (County of Sonoma Permit and Resource Management Department)
Fire Safe Sonoma
Flexilis Forestry LLC
Pacific Watershed Associates, Inc.
Pepperwood Preserve
Regenerative Forest Solutions
Sonoma Ecology Center
Sonoma Resource Conservation District (Sonoma RCD)
Sonoma Water
Wildfire Mitigation Advisors
WRA Environmental Consultants, Inc.

Resources:

Thank You to Our Sponsors

This conference was sponsored by the County of Sonoma. The social reception was sponsored by the Sonoma Land Trust. Thank you to those attendees who donated to a student or to the conference in registration. Our conferences are held every five years. The 2023 conference is the third conference hosted by the Forest Conservation Working Group.