Who We Are

Lenya Quinn-Davidson, Director

University of California Cooperative Extension

Eureka, CA

nwcapfc@gmail.com

(707) 272-0637

Nick Goulette, Steering Committee Chair

Watershed Research and Training Center

California Klamath-Siskiyou Fire Learning Network

Hayfork, CA

Jeff Kane, Steering Committee Vice Chair
Humboldt State University

Arcata, CA

Steering Committee:

Norb Szczurek, North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District

Will Harling, Mid Klamath Watershed Council

Bill Tripp, Karuk Tribe

Jamie Tripp, US Forest Service

Dennis Martinez, Indigenous Peoples' Restoration Network

John Sprague, CAL FIRE

Yana Valachovic, UC Cooperative Extension

Jeremy Bailey, The Nature Conservancy

Tim Bradley, Bureau of Land Management

Brian Wilson, North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District

Debra Harris, North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District

Jim Wills, Firestorm

Eamon Engber, National Park Service

Tom Garcia, National Park Service

Mathew Cocking, Natural Resources Conservation Service

Ed Smith, The Nature Conservancy - California

Our Mission

The mission of the Northern California Prescribed Fire Council is to serve as a venue for practitioners, state and federal agencies, academic institutions, tribes, coalitions and interested individuals to work collaboratively to promote, protect, and expand the responsible use of prescribed fire in Northern California's fire adapted landscapes.

Our Purpose

To provide a focus for issues and concerns regarding prescribed burning in Northern California.
To facilitate communication and the exchange of information regarding the benefits and shortcomings of prescribed burning.
To provide a forum where all interested parties may participate in meetings and share in the benefits from the information generated by this Council.
To promote public understanding of the benefits of prescribed burning and the role of fire in ecosystems.
To promote safety, training, and research in the art and science of prescribed fire.
To provide a forum for discussions on prescribed fire practices, regulations, and policies and a means to ensure the use of prescribed burning.
To promote and facilitate an increase in the responsible use of prescribed fire as a management tool in Northern California.

The Northern California Prescribed Fire Council is made possible through the time and energy of its Steering Committee members and their organizations; the support and contributions of Council participants; and funding from the Fire Learning Network.

The Fire Learning Network (FLN) is a cooperative program of the Forest Service, Department of the Interior agencies—Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service—and The Nature Conservancy. The partnership has a ten-year proven track record of helping to restore our nation’s forests and grasslands and to make (human) communities safer from fire.

Council Committees
In spring 2013, the Northern California Prescribed Fire Council formed three sub-committees to work on critical issues surrounding prescribed fire in the region: training, communications, and policy. These committees are led by Council Steering Committee members, and they are open to participation by anyone with an interest in those topics. See below for information on committee leadership and activities. To join one or more committees, submit a form through our Contact Us page, or email Lenya, Council Director, at nwcapfc@gmail.com.

Training Committee
Key efforts: Northern California Prescribed Fire Training Exchange (Nor Cal TREX), a 2-week intensive Rx fire training event in northern CA. Includes 40 participants from across the country burning throughout the region on federal and private lands. We have hosted 4 Nor Cal TREX events since 2013, and plan to continue hosting these events every fall.
Communications Committee
Key efforts: Organized communications and outreach materials for TREX; resulted in newspaper and TV coverage. Working on post-TREX communications materials, including a TREX yearbook and videos. Drafting a list of prescribed fire FAQs, which can be used on the Council website and in other outreach and communications efforts. Working on a Council Communications Plan, which will guide committee efforts for the upcoming years.
Policy Committee
Key efforts: Consulting on Rx fire-related legislation (spring/summer 2014). Recruited UC Davis law student to write a white paper on prescribed fire policy in CA. Participated in legislative hearing on fuels treatments on forest lands (Dec. 3, 2013). Working on white papers associated with fire policy/Rx fire.

About us