USDA California Climate Hub
News & Notes
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Forest Management Task Force Recommendations
The California Forest Management Task Force was established by executive order in 2018 in response to the threat and impacts of severe wildfires to forest health. The Task Force guides the implementation of the executive order, which includes increasing the scale of forest treatments (such as forest thinning, prescribed burning, or reforestation) to 500,000 acres. Over the past year, each of the Task Force working groups developed recommendations on how to increase the rate of forest treatments and expand the wood products market. The working groups are divided into: forest management and restoration, regulations, landowner outreach and education, wood utilization, and prescribed fire.
Among others, recommendations from the working groups called for sustained funding for large scale forest health treatments, streamlining the associated permitting processes, establishing new teams to provide rapid responses to all landowners post-fire, training and supporting dedicated crews for applying prescribed fire, and increasing public education on the role of bioenergy in forest heath strategies. A summary of the recommendations, as well as each working group's detailed response, are available on the Task Force website.
In the wake of a wildfire season in which over 4 million acres burned, Task Force leadership will consider these recommendations as they develop a proposed action plan for the state government.
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More Extreme Atmospheric Rivers To Impact California Under Climate Change
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Climate, Drought, and Fire Outlooks
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For more information on the climate, drought, soil moisture, or fire outlooks, click on the images below.
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Warmer than normal January temperatures are expected across inland SoCal.
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Drier than normal conditions are expected for most of the state as a La Niña pattern continues.
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California can expect drought conditions to persist through winter.
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Below average soil moisture is expected for January. Soil moisture deficits are not expected to improve as the state remains dry through winter.
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Events
January 25 CA-NV DEWS Drought & Climate Outlook Webinar
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Opportunities
The USDA Climate Hubs will have a new National Lead based with the Forest Service. This is a GS 14/15 2-year term position based in D.C. See the outreach notice for more.
AFRI Foundational and Applied Science Program grant proposals due July 29
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Have something you'd like us to share with our newsletter recipients? Know of a colleague who should be a part of our Spotlight series? Please let us know! Contact Hub Coordinator Lauren Parker.
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The USDA California Climate Hub within the Agricultural Research Service at the UC Davis John Muir Institute works with partners across federal and state agencies, universities, and industry to help enable climate-informed decision making and advance the adaptive capacity for California's working and managed agricultural, range, and forest lands. Through these newsletters we share news and information of relevance and interest to our stakeholders.
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USDA California Climate Hub | climatehubs.oce.usda.gov
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