blog post Video: The Path to Healthy Headwater Forests By Lori Pottinger Feb 16, 2021 The worst wildfire year in California history prompted new efforts to manage Sierra forests to improve their resilience to fire and drought. A panel of experts discussed ways to increase the pace and scale of management to restore forest health.
blog post Accounting for a Decade of Headwater Forest Management By Henry McCann, Mingfei Xiong Feb 8, 2021 As California accelerates management of headwater forests to reduce wildfire risk, understanding past efforts is useful. Yet data on such work is lacking. PPIC did a basic accounting of the past decade of forest management, which has lessons for going forward.
blog post Paying for Forest Health Projects By Henry McCann Sep 29, 2020 State and federal leaders have agreed to vastly expand vegetation management in California’s forests to reduce wildfire risk. Is it enough to keep pace?
blog post How California’s Wildfires Are Changing By Henry McCann Sep 21, 2020 This year’s fire season has already set records in number of acres burned, with months left to go. We asked fire scientist Crystal Kolden of UC Merced how California’s “firescape” is changing, and what can be done about it.
blog post Using Fire for Good on Tribal Land By Henry McCann Sep 1, 2020 Indigenous peoples have used fire to maintain the land for millennia. We talked to Margo Robbins, a member of the Yurok tribe and director of the Cultural Fire Management Council, about using fire on their lands.
blog post Video: The Benefits of Headwater Forest Management By Lori Pottinger May 4, 2020 California’s headwater forests are increasingly vulnerable to major wildfires and droughts that threaten the many benefits they provide. An expert panel discussed how improved management can reduce risks of major wildfires and bring other benefits.
Report The Benefits of Headwater Forest Management By Henry McCann, Van Butsic, Yufang Jin, Scott Stephens ... Apr 24, 2020 California’s headwater forests have become more vulnerable to drought and wildfire—risks that are increasing with climate change. Increased forest management on a large scale can improve the region’s resilience to these risks, and bring widely shared benefits in air quality, water quality and supply, rural economies, and carbon sequestration. This report assesses the benefits and beneficiaries of improved forest management. This information is key to crafting the financial tools, policies, and other governance solutions needed for long-term stewardship of the state’s headwater forests.
blog post The State of Wildfire Risk Reduction in California By Lori Pottinger Jul 22, 2019 The state is trying to reduce future wildfire risks with new programs, policies, and increased funding. We talked to Van Butsic of UC Berkeley about these efforts.
blog post Governor’s Budget Targets Safe Drinking Water, Wildfires, Healthy Soils By Gokce Sencan, Henry McCann Jan 23, 2019 Governor Newsom’s first proposed state budget addresses several critical water and natural resource management challenges.
Report California’s Water: Protecting Headwaters By Ellen Hanak, Jeffrey Mount, Van Butsic, Joshua Viers ... Nov 12, 2018 Mountainous regions provide most of the state’s water supply. But major problems loom— from a growing risk of wildfires to a shrinking snowpack. This brief outlines ways California and the federal government—the largest landowner in headwater areas—could address critical problems in these areas.