November 2 Digest: This Week in Wildfire Recovery News
This is a digest of selected news and media that emerged over the last week related to wildfire emergencies, recovery efforts, and resilience building efforts in the American West.
Three California Towns Transformed by Wildfire: One Rebuilding, One in Ruins, One Threatened(opens in new tab)
From SF Chronicle by JD Morris | October 30, 2021
After the Camp and Dixie fires, residents of Greenville, Paradise, and Quincy are left with their properties destroyed, more threats of wildfires, soaring housing costs, the constant presence of smoke and hard choices for what to do next.
The Coming Age of Climate Trauma(opens in new tab)
From The Washington Post, by Andrea Stanley | October 27, 2021
How California communities face a crisis of PTSD after a continuous stream of devastating wildfires.
After Climate-Driven Fires, Finding a Way to Return Home(opens in new tab)
From The New York Times, by Grace Mitchell Tada | October 31, 2021
Climate risks around the world are leading to fewer affordable places to live, especially in California where the Paradise Recreation and Park District plans on building a protective buffer of private lots.
Addressing Housing Needs In Rural California In The Wake Of Natural Disasters(opens in new tab)
From CA FWD, by Amber Bolden | October 28, 2021
CHIP President and CEO Seana O’Shaughnessy continues to work to provide affordable housing options, helping communities build homes themselves, and collaborating with communities to offer helpful information and services to rental residents
FEMA Told Them to Get Out. It Was Pretty Much Impossible(opens in new tab)
From Newser By Kate Seamons | October 30, 2021
California man loses his home, and is unable to find a vacancy after failing to submit mandatory paperwork during a time he focused on caring for his ailing wife.
New Filing in Lawsuit Names PacifiCorp Responsible for Some Labor Day Fires(opens in new tab)
From KQED Forum, Hosted by Madison LaBerge| October 29, 2021
Native American Traditions Inform California Wildfire Prevention | KQED Arts(opens in new tab)
From KQED Arts a film by Cameron Nielsen | September 21, 2021
As wildfires in Sonoma County become increasingly devastating, a growing group of people look towards traditional Native American practices and perspectives for living in harmony with natural elements. Indigenous tribes, lease holders, and fire fighters are coming together to steward the land with fire, setting intentional prescribed burns in order to promote healthy landscapes and reduce the devastation caused by wildfires in California.
The Native American Way of Fighting Wildfires(opens in new tab)
From Bloomberg, by Francis Wilkinson | October 28, 2021
State and federal officials are learning how Native American cultural ways lived with and used fire in the western U.S. before Europeans arrived.
For Tribes, 'Good Fire' a Key to restoring Nature and People(opens in new tab)
From AP News, by John Flesher | October 28, 2021
Scientific research continues to confirm what tribes in the mid-Klamath region have argued: that prescribed burns in designated areas and at proper intensities can consume dead wood and other fire fuels on forest floors and therefore reduce risk of future wildfires
Build Back Better Forests(opens in new tab)
OPINION From NRDC, by Garett Rose | October 28, 2021
Older trees and forests may hold the solution to climate problems, but they are constant threat with lack of protection from Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.
Deal Would Overhaul Private Forest Management in Oregon(opens in new tab)
From The Associated Press, October 30, 2021
Timber and environmental groups in Oregon reach agreement that will increase protections for vulnerable fish and wildlife and also shield timber industry's ability to log trees in forests.
Oregon's Emergency Management Director Testifies to Congress About Wildfire Issues(opens in new tab)
From Oregon Capitol Chronicle, by Allison Winter | October 27, 2021
Timber and environmental groups in Oregon reach agreement that will increase protections for vulnerable fish and wildlife and also shield timber industry's ability to log trees in forests.
San Vicente Redwoods Marks 10 Years As a “Living Laboratory” for Wildfire Resilience, Wildlife Protection and Ecosystem Restoration(opens in new tab)
From CSR Wire, by PENINSULA OPEN SPACE TRUST | October 28, 2021
Four non-profit partners will continue to protect and restore San Vincente Redwood property that is home to old-growth redwoods, numerous creeks, and a 320-acre ranch that houses grasslands, oak woodlands, and more redwoods.
What Is Trauma-Informed Design?(opens in new tab)
From Next City, by Carl Winfield | October 20, 2021
Denver's Arroyo Village offers low-income permanent supportive housing and affordable housing to offer a comfortable place to live for those who have lost their homes, designed to give a safe place to live for those who have suffered trauma.
Cities' Answer to Sprawl? Go Wild.
From Bloomberg by Chris Malloy | October 21, 2021
Rewilding efforts such as urban forests and plant-festooned buildings can help increase biodiversity and climate resilience in densely populated areas.
New $31 Millions Radar System Set to Improve Bay Area Weather Forecasts(opens in new tab)
From San Francisco Chronicle, by Tara Duggan | October 29, 2021
New Advanced Quantitative Precipitation Information (AQPI) forecasting tool will give emergency planners more time to prepare for sewage plant overflow and give more accurate weather forecasts to help water managers better strategize for oncoming droughts.
U.S. housing dept to send disaster funds to states, focus on building climate resilience
From Reuters by Andrea Shalal | November 1, 2021
US HUD has announced more than $2 billion in new disaster resilience funding for states and Puerto Rico hard hit by disaster.
Biden's $27 Billion Bet on Forests(opens in new tab)
From Vox, by Benji Jones | October 29, 2021
Bill that budgets $27 billion for spending related to federal, state, and tribal forests will have most of its spending go towards reducing wildfires through prescribed burns in wildland-urban areas.