Before the Fire
North Bay Forest Improvement Program 2021 – 2022 Summary
The North Bay Forest Improvement Program (NBFIP) is now two years into a multi-year process. As an organization we are very proud of this program, which started as an idea, became a pilot, and is now a model for resiliency. Over the past two years we have disbursed over $350,000 in incentive payments…
Read MoreWhen I Hike, I’d Like To See Evidence of Prescribed Burning
by Rosa Brandt, Program Associate, After the Fire USA Back in June I spent a Saturday hiking up Hood Mountain, a 2,733-foot peak along the Sonoma Valley. The trail winds up through forests, past a small creek flowing down a canyon, and up along the ridgeline to the summit. It is a stunning hike…
Read MoreThe Necessity of the North Bay Forest Improvement Program
As the weather gets warmer and drier and we head quickly into the midst of wildfire season, it is a fitting time to highlight the importance of vegetation management. It is easy to understand how the actions you take in your own yard and around your house can help protect your belongings from wildfire damage,…
Read MoreMay is Wildfire Preparedness Month
Prepare Your Home May is National Wildfire Preparedness month, and there are so many things to do now to reduce risk and ensure safety when the next red flag day approaches. This time of year is especially good to take action since the ground has more moisture and temperatures are mild. Acknowledging that ‘fire season’…
Read MoreAfter the Fire Provides Backbone Leadership and Support for North Bay Forest Improvement Program’s Success
In the Fall, After the Fire had the chance to present at the 2021 Colorado Wildland Fire Conference on the North Bay Forest Improvement Program. It was as successful discussion as fire professionals from all over the state learned how this public-private partnership among four counties could be implemented in Colorado. While there was much…
Read MoreAfter the Fire USA’s North Bay Forest Improvement Program receives $3.5M CAL FIRE Wildfire & Forest Resilience Block Grant
Sonoma, CA – After the Fire USA is pleased to announce that the North Bay Forest Improvement Program has been awarded a $3.5M grant from the CAL FIRE Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force’s Small Private Landowner Working Group through Senate Bill 170-Budget Act of 2021. The new funding will expand the North Bay Forest Improvement…
Read MoreRanchland, Cattle and Wildfire: A Report from the Rancher’s Wildfire Field Day
Early on a Friday morning the drive up the winding road to the UC Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center (SFREC) took me past lush pastures and tangled oak trees. I parked my car between two pickup trucks and made my way into the building to register for the workshop, a collaboration between the California…
Read MoreAfter the Fire Delegation Zooms to DC to Meet with Electeds Regarding Wildfire
During the fall of 2021, After the Fire hosted an ongoing virtual advocacy delegation of local elected officials, non-profit leaders, and community members to meet with our country’s senators and representatives regarding wildfire. Advocacy in the era of COVID-19 has shifted these kinds of meetings from in person in Washington DC, to a new virtual…
Read MoreNorth Bay Area’s Two New Firefighter Workforce Training Programs May Create More Promising Career Pathways for Future Firefighters
by Emily Irving After a downward surge of projected careers in the firefighting industry, there is a dire need to bring in a new generation of future firefighters. But with the global pandemic bringing most in person training and schooling to a halt and the retirement of many seasoned fire chiefs, there is an alarming…
Read MoreThe wildfire firefighting workforce: Is there a scarcity of trained firefighters to meet current needs?
by Emily Irving It is a worry some may not want to think about. The 2021 fire season has already led to three of the largest California wildfires on record. But staff shortages in local, state, and federal fire departments pose a serious concern as fire sizes increase across the state. Aside from supply shortages,…
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