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. 

About us

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.
Who We Are

Lenya Quinn-Davidson, Director
University of California Cooperative Extension
Eureka, CA
nwcapfc@gmail.com
(707) 272-0637


Jeff Kane, Steering Committee Chair
​Humboldt State University

Arcata, CA


Steering Committee:​
Nick Goulette, Watershed Research and Training Center

Hugh Scanlon, retired CAL FIRE Unit Chief

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
Alex Miyagishima, Bureau of Land Management
Brian Wilson, North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District
Debra Harris, North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District
Eamon Engber, National Park Service
Tom Garcia, National Park Service ​
Mathew Cocking, Natural Resources Conservation Service 
Ed Smith, The Nature Conservancy - California