Oak woodland with blue sky

Before the Fire: Resilience Projects

BUILDING RESILIENCE BEFORE DISASTER STRIKES

Our BEFORE THE FIRE programs are grounded in the belief that RESILIENCE against fire is the best way to MITIGATE fire risk & RECOVER better.

There is much work to be done to build strong models and innovative tools for ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL and COMMUNITY resilience. 

Current Projects

healthy forest scene with blue sky behind

Reducing risks and promoting forest health on private forested land

North Bay Forest Improvement Program

Central Oregon landscape view of grasslands

Promoting vegetation management for resilience

Building Fire Resilience in California's Coast Range Forests and Grasslands

assemble a go bag

National Preparedness Month: Assemble Your Go Bag

After an emergency, you may need to survive on your own for several days. Being prepared means having your own food, water and other supplies to last for several days. A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency. Make sure your emergency kit is stocked with the…

photo of two men, one brown skin and on black, standing in an orchard with the title: USDA: Racial Justice and Equity in Conservation

USDA to Invest $50 Million in New Cooperative Agreements for Racial Justice and Equity

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing up to $50 million in cooperative agreements to support historically underserved farmers and ranchers with climate-smart agriculture and forestry. The Racial Justice and Equity Conservation Cooperative Agreements are available to entities and individuals for two-year projects that expand the delivery of conservation assistance to beginning, limited resource, socially…

National Preparedness Moth

Prepare for Disaster: Make an Emergency Plan for your Family

Make a plan today. Your household may not be together if a disaster strikes, so it is important to know which types of disasters could affect your area. Know how you’ll contact one another and reconnect if separated. Establish a family meeting place that’s familiar and easy to find. Step 1: Put a plan together by discussing the questions below with…

infrastructure resilience funding graphic

Budgets are a Statement of Values: How does the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Value Wildfire Mitigation and Resilience? 

On August 10th, the Senate passed, by a vote of 69-30, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).  The infrastructure package was the product of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework and led by a bipartisan group of 22 Senators (National Governors Association).   The total cost of the bill is $1.2 trillion with $548 billion in new spending. The bill reauthorizes the…

Heat Preparedness image of a person giving a dog some water with hot sun shining behind them

Tips and Tools for Combating Extreme Heat

A Heat Emergency California is enduring one of the hottest summers on record, and climate change will make heat more extreme and frequent in coming years. Heat is deadly and responsible for the highest number of annual deaths among all natural hazards. Heat can also cause other disastrous conditions including power outages and poor air…

NBFIP Introductory slide for application clinic slide deck

North Bay Forest Improvement Program Application Clinic August 4, 2021

Looking for assistance in applying to the North Bay Forest Improvement Program? Join us for a virtual application clinic to answer your questions about the program and application process. Applications for this round are due September 30, 2021. About the Forest Improvement Program: Rebuild NorthBay Foundation (RNBF), in partnership with the five Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) of Sonoma,…

Testimonials

Man in Fire Dept jacket and tie

Mike Wink

Battalion Chief, South Lake County Fire Protection District

The South Lake County Fire Protection District has worked on projects in our local community that so far have included: Operation Seconds Count, that provides fire extinguishers and smoke/CO2 alarms to those in need, Operation Force Multiplier, that provides wildland fire hand tools and water fire extinguishers to help community members extinguish smaller fires and Operation Help Us Find You, that provided street signs and address signs to a rural community. Without the support, collaboration, leadership and networking from theTeam at After The Fire these local projects would not have gotten the boost to get going. All of these Projects are ongoing. Thank you team After The Fire!

man with red hair and beard outdoors smiles for the camera

Will Evans

Executive Director, Clear Lake Environmental Research Center

ATF has played a critical role in the establishment of multiple regional wildfire resilience partnerships. These regional collaborations have enabled our organization to engage with other practitioners across the region, which has been important for gaining access to technical expertise and funding for projects. ATF's small grants have provided funding that has allowed us to collaborate with new partners on a professional level, which otherwise would have been handled by community volunteers.

bearded man with broad brimmed hat smiling

Richard Kavinoky

Monan’s Rill Commu nity

After the Glass Fire burned through our property, it left a lot of dead standing manzanita and trees. The North Bay Forest Improvement Program grant gave us the funds we needed to hire the labor to cut, pile and burn all that vegetation. Now, seven months and 200 burn piles later, the work is done, and we are much better protected from a future wildfire coming from the east.

jason wells standing outside near trees

Jason Wells

Registered Professional Forester, Sonoma Resource Conservation District

Working with After the Fire has been a great partnership, without their help there would be no North BayForest Improvement Program. Their fiscal sponsorship provides a means to soften the delay between payments from our funders and invoices provided by partners and landowners, their staff provides expertise in contract and meeting management as well as development of promotional and online resources, and they are able to provide a nexus by which multiple agencies and partners can work to expand the influence of the program.

Before the Fire Staff

Rosa Brandt
Program Manager