Firescape Monterey

FireScape Monterey California 977,000 acres For decades, intense fires in the Monterey District of the Los Padres National Forest and surrounding area have been a source of controversy and loss—and a necessary ecological process. Communities built of redwood are at risk of wildfire, firefighting sends bulldozers into the treasured Ventana Wilderness, yet native plant enthusiasts appreciate the renewal that fire brings to endemic species. In February 2011, the Forest Service reached out to the Fire Learning Network for help in starting a collaborative planning process to bring stakeholders in this complex fire landscape together. Dubbed FireScape Monterey, the initial effort has revolved around the Open Standards for the Practice of Conser- vation as a guide to engage stakeholders in landscape- scale problem solving. As the process unfolds, the col- laboration developed through this planning will provide stakeholder support for landowners and managers navigating the numerous regulatory processes necessary to implement the group’s shared vision. Starting in February 2011, FireScape Monterey part- At the July 2011 workshop, participants engaged in a hands-on exercise ners began holding a series of events in which they— in basic fire behavior prediction for a fire in short grass. Flagging tape was used to represent the flame lengths and participants walked at the speed and other stakeholders—can together learn and plan they predicted for fire spread. The exercise was one of several that helped for a more resilient future. Over the course of the year stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds develop a common under- a total of 83 stakeholders participated in four planning standing of the complex fire issues in the region. © Jeff Kwasny/USFS workshops, three field learning trips, a fire-education field day and a fire symposium. As a result, partners with widely divergent backgrounds—representing 25 organizations from across the landscape—have gained In the coming year, FireScape Monterey participants a better shared understanding of the region’s fire issues will move into the action planning and monitoring phase and share a vision for working together. of the Open Standards process. Using the analyses of threats and opportunities completed in 2011, the group Landscape Vision and Values is mapping locations where actions such as fuels treat- ments, home retrofits or bulldozer line recovery could FireScape Monterey promotes protection of both life benefit all five of the landscape values they have identi- and property affected by wildfire and healthy resilient fied. Proposed actions will be examined using state-of- ecosystems through collaborative stewardship. the-art fire modeling as well as by using the knowledge The group pursues this vision by focusing on five values of local firefighters and equipment operators. Actions articulated during its first collaborative workshop: that seem most promising will then be considered by • Fire-adapted human communities each participating agency. Before actions can be taken, • Watersheds land managers will need to work through their required • Native biodiversity regulatory processes such as NEPA for federal land and • Cultural resources CEQA for state and private land—processes that will • Aesthetic, natural and wilderness qualities of the be made more efficient by the collaborative efforts of northern Santa Lucia Mountains FireScape. Contact: Jeff Kwasny [email protected] (831) 667-1126 Butch Kronlund [email protected] (831) 667-0332 Gordon Johnson [email protected] (530) 347-1627 Landscape Partners Monterey Big Sur Community Carmel-by-the-Sea Big Sur Land Trust Carmel Valley CAL FIRE California California Native Plant Society California State Parks California State University at Ventana FireScape Monterey Bay— Watershed Big Sur Wilderness Monterey Institute Los Padres National Forest California Wilderness Coalition California Wilderness Project Coast Property Owners Association El Sur Ranch Hunter-Liggett Military Lockwood Jamesburg-Cachagua Reservation Neighbors United Los Padres ForestWatch Silver Peak Wilderness Mid-Coast Fire Brigade Monterey Bay National Lake Nacimiento Pacific Ocean Marine Sanctuary Monterey County Water San Simeon Resources Agency map © 2011 Liz Rank/TNC Monterey FireSafe Council Left: At the May 2011 workshop, the Chief of the Monterey San Benito Range Mid-Coast Fire Brigade described what it is like Improvement Association & to fight fire and live surrounded by the fire-prone vegetation near the community of Palo Colorado; Wildland Fire Safe Council her home is perched atop the steep hill located above and to the right of this photo. Santa Lucia Conservancy Below: Later, partners from the US Fish & Wildlife Sierra Club—Ventana Service, Sierra Club and Coast Property Owners Association worked together on a conceptual Chapter model for the target of “redwood-dominated for- The Wilderness Society— ests,” an example of which they had toured at the Pico Blanco Boy Scout camp the previous day. California Region © Mary Huffman/TNC University of California at Davis—Plant Pathology USDA Forest Service—Los Padres National Forest USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Ventana Wilderness Alliance Ventana Wildlife Society More information: http://firescape.ning.com/ v. 26 Mar 12.

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