2018 Open Space Conference - I’ve Seen Fire & Rain: Implications of the 2017 Northern California Wildfires
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*Please note that animations in this presentations are not visible when viewed through Slideshare. - Dave Koehler, Moderator, Executive Director, Sonoma Land Trust - Jennifer Gray Thompson, Executive Director, Rebuild North Bay Foundation - Karen Gaffney, Conservation Planning Manager, Sonoma County Ag + Open Space - Caitlin Cornwall, Research Program Manager, Sonoma Ecology Center These panelists spoke at the 2018 Open Space Conference - Conservation in a Time of Change - on May 10, 2018 at the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond, CA. More info on the website: http://openspacecouncil.org/community-events/conference/
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2018 Open Space Conference - I’ve Seen Fire & Rain: Implications of the 2017 Northern California Wildfires
- 1. I’ve Seen Fire & Rain: Implications of the 2017 Northern California Wildfires Dave Koehler, Executive Director, Sonoma Land Trust | @Sonoma Land Trust Jennifer Gray Thompson, Executive Director, Rebuild North Bay Foundation | @RebuildNB Karen Gaffney, Conservation Planning Manager, Sonoma County Ag + Open Space | @sonomaopenspace Caitlin Cornwall, Research Program Manager, Sonoma Ecology Center | @Sonoma Ecology
- 2. I’VE SEEN FIRE & RAIN: IMPLICATIONS OF THE 2017 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES 2018 OPEN SPACE CONFERENCE
- 3. framing the conversation Dave Koehler, Executive Director
- 5. Coffey Park Photo: Press Democrat
- 6. Land ownership affected by north bay fires
- 8. Perspective: 1973 vs 2017 1973 2017 1,248,606 160,218 Year CAAcres Burned Year CAAcres Burned
- 11. Fire adapted landscapes “Post-wildfire habitats are not catastrophic wastelands; they are a unique component of the ecosystem that supports a diverse, abundant and valuable wildlife community that should be considered in planning post-fire management. There is a growing need to understand the value of the habitats created by wildfire and the critical elements within burned areas.” - Point Blue Conservation Science
- 12. High Moderate Low Very Low Soil Burn Severity Nuns Fire SANTA ROSA BOYES HOT SPRING S KENWOOD SUGARLOAF RIDGE STATE PARKANNADEL STATE PARK HOOD MTN REGIONAL PARK
- 13. Being better prepared for the future Resilience means more than just bouncing back; it means being better prepared for the future. Community Education and Engagement Rebuilding Sustainably Policy and Land Use Incentives Land Protection & Stewardship
- 14. 2018 Open Space Conference Dave Koehler, Executive Director dave@sonomalandtrust.org
- 15. JENNIFER GRAY THOMPSON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
- 17. “WE ALL HAVE THIS THING CALLED HUMANITY THAT WAS SO IMPORTANT IN THIS PARTICULAR EVENT” LT. BRET SACKETT, SONOMA COUNTY SHERIFF
- 18. “HOW CAN WE LEARN OUR WAY THROUGH AN EVENT? “WHAT WE THINK PEOPLE NEED AND WHAT THEY ACTUALLY NEED ARE NOT ALWAYS THE SAME”
- 19. REBUILD NORTHBAY FOUNDATION SERVES SONOMA, NAPA, LAKE & MENDOCINO COUNTIES
- 20. • To rebuild the Northbay better, safer, greener, and faster. VISION: • Rebuild Northbay Foundation is committed to the long-term rebuilding of our region as a more sustainable and resilient community through Advocacy, Coordination, and Economic & Workforce Development. MISSION: • Advocacy, Coordination, Economic & Workforce Development Organizational Objectives inThree Primary Areas:
- 21. REBUILD NORTHBAY FOUNDATION IS DESIGNED TO BE THE “THIRD RESPONDER”: MOST ACTIVE FROM 6 MONTHS TO 10 YEARS POST DISASTER
- 22. WE CAN BE A MODEL FOR POST- DISASTER GREEN BUILDING: INCENTIVIZE INNOVATE IMPLEMENT
- 24. ADVOCACY
- 25. COORDINATION
- 28. Karen Gaffney | Conservation Planning Program Manager L A N D F O R L I F E The Watershed Collaborative Shared Priorities for Watershed Resiliency
- 29. Sonoma County Watershed Collaborative • Board request – engage watershed groups • convened October 16 • build on County emergency response & Watershed Emergency Response Team (WERT) • inform Office of Recovery & Resiliency
- 31. Watershed Collaborative Working Groups: • Data, Assessment & Planning • Education & Outreach • Land Management • Legislative, Policy & Funding • Working Lands
- 32. Overall Priorities • Support landowners and land managers in assessing and mitigating watershed impacts • Increase community awareness and preparedness for living in fire-‐prone landscapes • Evaluate the response of natural and working lands to the fires to inform recovery, vegetation management, and fire-‐preparedness efforts • Identify and implement practices – including land conservation, fuel-‐load management – that maximize the resiliency of natural and working lands to climate change and future disasters • Ensure long-‐term attention to community and ecosystem resiliency through policy, long-‐term funding, and established working groups • Permanently protect a network of lands that support biological diversity through changing climate conditions and prevent development in high risk areas
- 34. LiDAR Digital Surface Model (DSM) – 2013 LiDAR Digital Terrain Model (DTM) – 2013 LiDAR Pre-‐Fire Digital Elevation Models Post-‐Fire Digital Elevation Models Digital Terrain Model (DTM) – 2013 LiDAR Digital Surface Model (DSM) – 2018 PHODAR NASA Rapid Response Grant
- 35. • Meandering • Topographic diversity • Vegetation succession/diversity • Large wood recruitment • Floodplain wetlands • Groundwater Riparian Corridor Conservation How wide for long term function? Integrating extremes: Floods, Fires, Droughts
- 37. Some Observations • lessons learned: local + elsewhere • focus + amplify • built + natural capital • funding and policy: reactive + proactive
- 38. Fire, Flood, Drought, Climate Change Watershed Resiliency: All Four Horsemen!
- 39. Next Steps • multi-‐benefit resiliency areas • actionable planning: –Office of Recovery & Resiliency –Ag + Open Space Vital Lands Initiative –Sonoma County General Plan • continued policy + funding focus • enhanced collaboration!
- 40. L A N D F O R L I F E kgaffney@sonoma-county.org http://www.sonomaopenspace.org/
- 41. A Community Perspective on the October 2017 Fires Caitlin Cornwall Research Program Manager
- 42. Emergency Watershed Protection Program
- 43. Emergency Watershed Protection Program 1,026 destroyed structures in Sonoma Valley 141 county culverts in burned area Contained 297 burned structures, including 82% of burned structures within 100’ of steelhead stream 178 permission forms 919 volunteer hours Priority Areas Neighborhood Dunbar Kenwood / Adobe Lawndale Trinity / Cavedale Warm Springs Parcels with Burned Structures Sonoma Creek Watershed Creeks 0 1 2 Miles Destroyed Structures Distance to Creeks <100ft 100-200ft 200-300ft >300ft Data Sources: Calfire, Sonoma County GIS, Sonoma Ecology Center, Esri 11-16-2017. A.Young. Nuns Fire
- 45. Vision Our wildlands are managed to: ● Limit damage to life and property ● Absorb water and release it slowly ● Maximize biodiversity ● Support the local economy ● Provide jobs ● Be beautiful ● Provide contact with nature
- 46. Kinds of Impacts From the Fires 1. On people and their buildings—a tragedy 2. On wild lands—a benefit 3. On disturbed places on the land—a call to action
- 47. • Reduce fire risk, property damage, and health impacts • Employ, educate, and engage young people • Increase water supply • Sequester carbon • Increase biodiversity Wildland Program 47
- 48. Monitoring Water Quality SEC with Water Board: metals, PAHs, alkalinity, nitrate, sulfate, ammonia, organic carbon, during storms SEC: continuous turbidity SFEI: untargeted analysis during storms Confluence of Sonoma and Calabazas Creeks, downtown Glen Ellen
- 49. “Roads, roads, roads” -‐-‐CalFire on erosion after fires Culverts, ditches, roadcuts. Erosion, sediment pollution, slides. Sonoma County Public Works Citizen Science Document nature’s recovery using photopointsand iNaturalist
- 50. First Council meeting 2 weeks post-‐fire >20 interest groups Shared post-‐fire priorities from each sector Common issues: housing, communications, jobs, fire-‐ adapted community WATERSHED COLLABORATIVE >30 agencies and nonprofits working on natural resources in Sonoma County Make recommendations to Sonoma County Board of Supervisors (planned burning and thinning, financial and policy incentives, education, preparedness) General plans coming up Relevant for earthquake, flood
- 51. Decisions People are Making Now •Whether to cut down trees and plants •Landscaping: water use, water capture •Fencing •Runoff and drainage •Energy efficiency and GHG emissions Fire Ready, Water Wise, Wildlife Friendly
- 52. Conservation & Restoration Opportunities • Attention on the land • Access to property • Less resistance to prescribed fire • Property turnover • Low to no cost for land-‐friendly practices But… What is the time window for these opportunities?
- 53. Needs Kellogg’s climbing dragon caitlin@sonomaecologycenter.org Whispering bells • Pre-‐plan • Incentives and disincentives • Housing