CA Wildfire Task Force – Tahoe Recap
The California Mountain Biking Coalition (CAMTB) recently attended the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force meeting in South Lake Tahoe to highlight the growing intersection between recreation and wildfire management. Nearly 500 people gathered in South Lake Tahoe (and over 300 joined online) for the Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force’s Sierra Nevada regional meeting, hosted by the California Tahoe Conservancy and Tahoe Fund. During the meeting the Task Force and CAL FIRE unveiled new tools that revolutionize how California tracks and communicates the state’s significant progress in improving wildfire and landscape resilience. Other topics covered included progress being made in the Tahoe Basin and the benefits of landscape fuels treatments to vibrant ecosystems and economically thriving communities. Meeting highlights and panel recordings are now available.
As a sponsor of this event, CAMTB was acknowledged by Wade Crowfoot, Secretary of Natural Resources, for its efforts to integrate trails and recreation into broader forest resilience strategies. The meeting featured an overdue presentation on recreation’s economic importance to rural communities and the state’s economy. This was the first time that the Joint Strategy for Sustainable Outdoor Recreation and Wildfire Resilience was a featured topic on the agenda since its introduction in the fall of 2022. A key point made by panel moderator Dana Stroud of Go-Biz was the need to develop a practitioner action plan to support the implementation of the Joint Strategy in communities across California.
Fire Hardened Trails: A Wholistic Approach to Fire
In light of recent unprecedented fire seasons, the mountain biking community and trail advocates are increasingly recognizing the importance of integrating fire resilience into trail design and maintenance. The concept of fire-hardened trails, introduced by the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship as part of their Connected Communities initiative, is promising but requires pilot projects to fully understand its potential benefits and challenges.
Beyond their recreational value, fire-hardened trails could serve a critical role in wildfire management by acting as de facto fuel breaks. By reducing vegetation density along these corridors, they can help slow the spread of fires and provide strategic access points for firefighting efforts. Trails facilitate the movement of firefighting equipment and personnel into remote areas, enhancing control over wildfires before they escalate. This dual purpose underscores their potential importance in comprehensive wildfire management strategies.
The recent Task Force meeting highlighted these potential benefits in California. Steve Messer, CAMTB board president, noted that discussions emphasized considering recreation in wildfire management plans, including at the incident command level during wildfires. Despite significant cuts to recreation budgets over the past two decades, fire resilience-related projects continue to receive funding.
Also notable is the increased recognition of indigenous cultural burning practices in forest health and the importance of incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) into forest management practices. The use of trails by traditional cultural burners to facilitate forest-health-promoting burns was another topic of discussion.
Funding Challenges and Opportunities
The U.S. Forest Service’s budget priorities reflect a growing focus on wildfire management, with substantial funding allocated to mitigation and prevention. However, this has often come at the expense of recreation budgets, presenting both a challenge and an opportunity for the trail community. If better aligned with wildfire management efforts, trail advocates could access more funding, support improved forest resilience, and ensure that recreation is considered in broader land management plans.
By engaging with wildfire management initiatives, mountain bikers and trail advocates can tap into resources for fire-related projects. Collaborations with agencies like CAL FIRE can help secure funding for developing fire-hardened trail pilot projects. Effective partnerships between recreation advocates and land management agencies are key to advancing these projects. The task force meeting underscored this importance, with CAMTB making significant connections with stakeholders like CAL FIRE foresters and the National Forest Foundation.
For mountain bikers, trail builders, and advocates, exploring fire-hardened trails is not just about preserving recreational opportunities—it’s about playing an active role in enhancing forest resilience. By aligning with wildfire management efforts, even if initially exploratory, the trail community can secure necessary resources and ensure that trails remain a vibrant part of California’s natural landscape. Continued collaboration and innovation will be essential for navigating challenges posed by wildfires while maintaining access to cherished outdoor spaces.
Meeting Resources
The CA Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force was created by the office of Governor Gavin Newsom to directly confront the near-perfect storm of climatic and human-caused conditions that have brought the threat of devastating wildfire and its far-reaching effects to the doorstep of nearly everyone in our state, and beyond.
The Task Force is a collaborative effort to align the activities of federal, state, local, public, private and tribal organizations to support programs and projects tailored to the priorities and risks of each region, and bring the best available science to forest management and community protection efforts.
It’s a comprehensive and coordinated effort that is already showing progress in protecting people and property while improving the health and resiliency of the forests we love and rely on for a sustainable future. There’s a role for everybody to do their part, so we hope you’ll join us on this journey to transform how we safely and sustainably coexist with fire.
October 2024 Govenrnor’s Update
Joint
Task Force 2025 Meeting Dates
The Task Force has released its 2025 meeting
dates, which include:
- December 13: Sacramento, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- March 27-28: Regional Meeting – Marin County
- June 6: Sacramento, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- September 4-5: Regional Meeting – TBD
- December 12: Sacramento, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
