August 26, 2021
The Resource Conservation District (RCD) of Santa Cruz County got a jump start on a key piece of its forest health programs just a year after the worst fire on record in the county.

The RCD reached out to landowners in the wildland urban interface (WUI) to get involved in its No-Cost Chipping program this spring, a two-fold approach that reduces fuels and also promotes establishing defensible space around the home.

The RCD typically has performed the program in the fall when vegetation is drier, but after the C.Z.U. Lightning Complex Fire, staff worked to offer the program in the summer and get more people participating.

“Wildfire season is coming earlier and earlier and becoming longer and longer,” RCD Communications and Programs Specialist Angie Gruys said. “We have a pretty dense population in the wildland urban interface, so we’re reducing fuels in larger scales to create safe ingress and egress and prevent the forests from burning in such a destructive way.”
Worcester County Conservation District (WCCD) is providing forestry and conservation information and assistance to hundreds of people across Massachusetts through a Neighborhood Outreach Project. The online webinars grew as a method of providing education to county landowners at a time when in-person workshops were scaled back due to COVID. On average, between 30 and 80 people logged into the workshops, depending on the topic. Afterward, WCCD uploaded the webinars to their YouTube channel, where they have garnered hundreds of views since.

“It’s a great way to do outreach and get more visits for conservation practices,” WCCD Conservation Planner Joel Betts said. “It doesn’t replace the things you learn hands-on – there are things you just have to do in person – but I think that people recognize the value of webinars more than they have before.”

While much of Worcester County is forested, the Massachusetts Forest Action Plan identifies many areas as high risk for development. Invasive species and pest threats, especially if the land is not managed, increase that risk.

The Neighborhood Outreach Project provided WCCD with funding to produce the series of webinars covering lawn alternatives, native plants and birds and soil health, including planting for various types of soils. Funding also allowed for follow-up site visits with landowners seeking additional assistance with forest management.

WCCD also partnered with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and North County Land Trust (NCLT) for the project.
Tree canopy cover within urban environments can provide several benefits for communities, not limited to buffering high temperatures, reducing air pollution, and increasing biodiversity while providing wildlife habitat and increasing property values. 
 
In this NACD Urban and Community Resource Policy Group (RPG) webinar, learn from three organizations who are working to enhance urban tree canopies at the county, state and national level. 


  • Cori Dolan at the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management will present on the role of state urban forestry coordinators and how State Forest Action Plans help prioritize urban forestry efforts, such as canopy initiatives.

  • Ian Leahy from American Forests will offer a broader perspective on tree canopy efforts across the country, as well as discuss Tree Equity Score and the Tree Equity program.

California
RCD advancing work on fuel break
The Calaveras County Resource Conservation District (CCRCD) recently completed the first section of a 732-acre shaded fuel break on private land stretching between the town of Murphys and Forest Meadows on the south side of Highway 4.

CCRCD estimates that the project will protect about 7,000 homes on the Ebbetts Pass Corridor. The project units are connected by a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal FIRE) fuel break directly southeast of Forest Meadows.

Funding was provided through a $2.1 million grant from Cal Fire’s 2019 Fire Prevention Grant Program.
Ohio
District sends residents in search of largest black cherry tree
Residents have been encouraged to help the Geauga Soil and Water Conservation District (GSWCD) find and document Geauga County’s biggest black cherry tree. The winner will be recognized Sept. 30 at the district’s annual meeting.

A score for each tree nominated will be determined based on its trunk circumference, branch-to-branch crown spread and total height to determine the finalists. The district then will consider each tree’s ability to capture stormwater and other ecological benefits using a special tree benefits calculator.

GSWCD is honoring the beauty and ecological benefits of various native tree species in helping to clean streams and groundwater and contribute to healthy soil. The annual contest is a fun way for families and individuals to explore and find the biggest and oldest trees.
Illinois
District organizes prescribed burn
The Macon County Conservation District organized a prescribed burn at Rock Springs Conservation Area. Officials said the goal of this burn is to control an invasive plant species, Sericea lespedeza.

“This fast-spreading plant can quickly cover an area, and replace native plants that wildlife depend on,” said officials. “The fire will kill the plant before it flowers and seeds.”
CALENDAR

Sept. 7-10 – NASF Annual Meeting l Pittsburgh, Pa.

Nov. 17-18 – Partners in Community Forestry Conference l Louisville, Kent.

Feb. 12-16, 2022 – NACD Annual Meeting l Orlando, Fla.
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