Experts in the fields of fire ecology, fuels management, and structural/landscape resiliency are being featured in a three-part Living With Fire lecture series via Zoom, presented by Friends of the Lost Coast in partnership with the BLM King Range. Three 60-minute lectures – with a Q&A at the end of each presentation, are scheduled for January 11, 18, and 26. The first lecture, Restoring Human Relationships With Fire In Northwestern California, with Will Harling, Director of the Mid Klamath Watershed Council is Tuesday, January 11 from 6 to 7p.m. Next up, HSU Assistant Professor of Fire Ecology & Fuels Management, Jeffrey Kane, will present Fuels Management Strategies To Foster Fire Resilience In CA’s Lost Coast on Tuesday, January 18 from 6 to 7p.m. Yana Valachovic, Forest Advisor with UC Cooperative Extension, will close out the series with Fire Hardening Your Home & Homestead on Wednesday, January 26 from 6 to 7p.m. All told, the Living With Fire series showcases a broad range of topics on fire ecology and resiliency, from traditional use of fire by Native peoples to modern western perspectives on fire science, plus helpful tips and strategies for making your own home, community, and local wild-lands fire safe.  Zoom links for each lecture will be posted here when available.

Jeffrey Kane’s Lecture:  Fuel Management Strategies to Foster Fire Resilience in California’s Lost Coast

Fuel treatments, such as prescribed fire, mastication, and thinning, are commonly implemented by land managers to modify wildfire behavior and effects. These treatments reduce stand density, increase crown-based height, reduce crown bulk density, and remove surface fuels to promote desired fire behavior. The application of these treatments will depend on existing fuel conditions, vegetation types, and other factors. In each area, the specific approach taken will require an evaluation of the efficacy of these treatments that consider the management objectives for the site and ecological and cultural impacts of treatments. In some instances (e.g. wildland urban interface) trade-offs among objectives and impacts may be warranted. While we have a sound understanding of how to treat vegetation in fire-prone ecosystems, implementing these treatments at a pace and scale sufficient to affect change at the landscape level remains a challenge. Thus, we will need to prioritize areas for treatment such as high value resources (communities, rare species, etc.) and areas at greater fire risk. Ideally, we would also implement treatments in a way that allows greater use of managed wildfire to promote landscape effectiveness. This effort will surely require a unified front among stakeholders to facilitate the coexistence of humans and wildfire in California’s Lost Coast.

Click THIS LINK to view the video recording of Jeffrey’s lecture.