This spring is full of opportunities to learn and contribute to the conservation of Sonoma County's forest ecosystems.

In this edition:

• April Meeting: Community Forest Panel Discussion
• Field Tour: Wildfire Resilience Work at Monte Rio Redwoods Regional Park
• Upcoming Partner Events
• Recent Presentation Recordings: Mediterranean Oak Borer & Other Oak Pests, Fuels to Flows: Nature-based Solutions for the Uplandscape
• Financial Assistance Updates: NRCS Cost-share Program, North Bay Forest Improvement Program
• New Report: Assessing the Viability of Wood Recovery and Utilization in Sonoma County

Join us for our monthly meetings. Our meetings are hybrid on Zoom and in-person at the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, 747 Mendocino Ave # 100, Santa Rosa, CA 95401

Panel Discussion: Community Forests in Sonoma County

Our April meeting will feature four inspiring community leaders who will share their unique approaches and experiences with community engagement, organizing and project implementation. 

Thursday, April 17, 11am-1pm

Field Tour: Wildfire Resilience Work at Monte Rio Redwoods Regional Park

During this field tour, we will visit the Monte Rio Redwoods Regional Park & Open Space Preserve. We will be joined by Brook Edwards, Park Program Supervisor of Sonoma County Regional Parks, who will guide us through the park as we learn about the wildfire resilience and watershed health work that has taken place at this site. We will learn about how Regional Parks created their shaded fuel break and how they prepared the 35 acre burn unit for prescribed fire.

We will see:

• Shaded fuel break
• Gully stuffing
• Site of 35 acre prescribed burn that was completed in the fall of 2024

Accessibility: this tour will include a leisurely paced, uphill hike.

Saturday, May 3, 2025, 9:30am - 1pm

Mediterranean Oak Borer & Other Oak Pests

In February, Dr. Mike Jones, Forestry Advisor, UC Cooperative Extension, joined us to discuss Mediterranean Oak Borer and other pests that affect oak trees in Sonoma County.

Fuels to Flows: Nature-based Solutions for the Uplandscape

In March, Brock Dolman, Co-Founder and Program Director, Occidental Arts & Ecology Center, joined us to discuss low-tech, process-based restoration techniques to manage forested uplands for wildfire resilience and watershed health.

Forest and Grassland Resilience - Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)

This program provides technical and financial assistance to reduce fuel loads, improve forest and rangeland health, and recover from wildfire damage.

Approved conservation practices eligible under this program include: Brush Management, Woody Residue Treatment, Prescribed Grazing, Tree/Shrub Establishment, Forest Stand Improvement, and more.

RCPP project funding will be available to eligible forest landowners and agricultural producers. NRCS will provide financial assistance on a competitive basis for approved conservation practices/activities for the purpose of addressing resource concerns.

Next application deadline: Friday, April 18, 2025.

Another round of applications will be accepted in the fall of 2025.

For more information, contact:

• Sloane Goldfader, Forester, USDA-NRCS:

Sloane.goldfader@usda.gov, (707)794-1242 ext. 9039

• Adriana Stagnaro, Forestry Project Manager, Gold Ridge RCD:

Adriana@GoldRidgeRCD.org, (707) 823-5244 ext. 13

North Bay Forest Improvement Program Applications Opening Soon

This program brings critical resources to treat wildfire hazards on private properties throughout the region, with a focus on serving disadvantaged communities. The North Bay Forest Improvement Program (NBFIP) supports the planning and implementation of projects on private forested lands to reduce the risks of wildfire and promote forest health. The program provides financial incentives to landowners to conduct this critical work.

Conservation Works, in partnership with the three Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) of Sonoma, Mendocino and Napa counties and Clear Lake Environmental Center of Lake County, is offering the North Bay Forest Improvement Program to forest landowners across the four-county North Bay region. This program is made possible thanks to $5.9 million in funding awarded through two CALFIRE Wildfire Resilience and Forestry Assistance block grants. 

Click here to join their newsletter to stay up to date on application timelines.

Regenerative Forest Solutions' new co-authored report, “Assessing the Viability of Wood Recovery and Utilization in Sonoma County" is now available online. The 9-page summary and 178-page full report provide recommendations for increasing positive social, ecological, and economic outcomes that are otherwise referred to as the "forest stewardship economy" or "bioeconomy." The report reflects 13-months of research and analysis that engaged Sonoma County organizations, agencies, and forestland practitioners and managers.

In partnership with small-sawmill experts, technical advisors such as the Watershed Research and Training Center, and the RFS Board of Directors and Advisory Committee, RFS is working to implement the recommendations of the study by establishing a Forest Resilience and Wood Products Campus to serve Sonoma County's forest stewardship and climate goals.