California is no stranger to wildfires. In fact, there are no less than a dozen different agencies that work to tackle the subject in the state, from CAL FIRE, to the Bureau of Land Management, to the U.S. Forest Service. While to some extent, fire is inevitable, and in fact, a part of a healthy functioning ecosystem, addressing the social, economic, and ecological concerns associated with wildfire falls under the purview of the aforementioned agencies. To that end, the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force was created. The Task Force is a collaborative interagency group consisting of federal, state, local, public, private, and tribal organizations aligned to coordinated forest and wildfire management solutions. The benefits of the Task Force’s coordinated efforts are that traditionally discrete sources of forest and wildland data are now in a central location and the information and tools are regionally oriented, allowing for a better view of the diverse landscapes encompassing California.

A key component of this interagency collaboration is providing verified sources of high-quality data called Regional Resource Kits (RRKs). These resource kits provide unique data sources from the various Task Force agencies covering the areas of Northern California, Sierra Nevada, Central California, and Southern California. 

At the core of these datasets are the Ten Pillars of Resilience: (1) Air Quality, (2) Biodiversity Conservation, (3) Carbon Sequestration, (4) Economic Diversity, (5) Fire Adapted Communities, (6) Fire Dynamics, (7) Forest Resilience, (8) Social and Cultural Well-being, (9) Water Security, and (10) Wetlands Integrity. These ten pillars provide the metrics for a bird’s-eye view of the social and ecological benefits of resilient landscapes.

Knowledge Keys

⦿ California Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force is organized by state, federal, local, tribal, and partner organizations.

⦿ Regional resource kits (RRKs) are quantitative and qualitative data sets compiled by trusted sources, containing the relevant metrics by which California aims to measure resilience.

⦿ Planscape is a free, open-source decision support tool for prioritizing landscape treatments.

At the Pacific Southwest Research Station, scientists Dr. Patricia "Pat" Manley and Dr. Nicholas Povak are a part of an interdisciplinary team publishing Planscape, a free decision support tool making use of the RRK data. Planscape is a web-based platform allowing land managers to view and access geospatially specific data, measurements, or indicators of the environment, such as forest structure characteristics in a specific area. The goal of this tool is to allow for better regional prioritization of landscape treatments, in turn improving fire risk mitigation and maximizing ecological benefits, for both the present and the future under California’s changing climate.

To better estimate that future climate, and its associated conditions, the Planscape team is further hoping to integrate the PROMOTe model into the tool. The PROMOTe model includes a future climate stability aspect, allowing for managers to consider where actions will have the largest impact today, where areas may already be well adapted for the future, and where it might make sense to incorporate intensive restoration efforts for future climate scenarios. Together, RRKs, Planscape, and eventually PROMOTe will be a valuable, open-source tool that land managers can utilize to help plan for the landscapes of the future.

More on Planscape

Webinars & Events

Celebrate National Forest Products Week with the Forest Products Laboratory (October 15 – 21, 2023)

During the week of National Forest Products Week, the Forest Product Lab will offer virtual webinars from October 16th-19th focusing on research and collaboration related to forest products. On October 20th they invite participation in an Open House at the Lab with behind the scenes tours and demonstrations. Smokey and Woodsy will also be on hand for hugs and fun!

Learn More Here

Station News

A Passion for Connecting Communities to Urban Forestry

As a social scientist for the Pacific Southwest Research Station, Francisco Escobedo thinks a lot about his audience and how to reach them.

His career has mainly focused on studying and promoting the socioeconomic benefits of trees in and around cities, known as urban forestry. He feels these population centers are where his work can make the most impact. According to the World Bank, roughly 4.4 billion people live in cities.

Read More

Wildlife Biologist Retires from a Distinguished Conservation Career

Linda Long is retiring from an almost 30-year career as a wildlife biologist for the Pacific Southwest Research Station.

Her deep connection to nature and wildlife started as a child, and eventually led to her current career. Growing up in Seattle, Washington, Long has fond memories of visiting her grandparents at their vacation cabin on a lake just outside of the city.

Read More

Forest Service, Hawaiʻi pig hunters partner up against Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death

Forest Service researchers and partners, including Hawaiʻi Island pig hunters, are collaborating to study the spread of Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death. ROD is a devastating tree disease caused by Ceratocystis fungi that attack the ʻōhiʻa, Metrosideros polymorpha, Hawaii's most important native tree. To better understand the role wild pigs may have in spreading ROD, USDA Forest Service researchers work with Keiki of Da ʻĀina, also known as KOA, to coordinate and enable the sampling of wild pigs caught in different places across the island.

Read More

External Media

INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAI'I: Can We Save Our Native Forests?

PSW Researcher(s): Flint Hughes

Read more at: PBS Hawai'i (External Link)

More PSW News

Publication Highlights

More PSW Publications via Treesearch

Pacific Southwest Research Station

The Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW) was founded in 1926 as a part of the Research and Development branch of U.S. Forest Service. Since its inception, PSW has expanded to serve California, Hawai'i, and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands. PSW develops and delivers science-based information, technologies, and applications to help people make informed decisions about natural resource management, conservation, and environmental protection.

Fact and Trivia Corner

In 1913, Hallie M. Daggett was the first woman ever to be hired for a field position by the Forest Service, staffing the Eddy's Gulch Lookout Station on Klamath Peak for 14 years. Read more about her story.