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Conservation Issues of the Ventana Chapter | monterey county
The Los Padres National Forest and the Ventana Wilderness Club participates in FireScape wildfire planning for Los Padres National ForestAugust 2011by Mike Splain It's no secret that our corner of the Los Padres National Forest desperately needs a formalized wildfire management plan. Without clearly defined objectives and protocols, every ignition leads to a crisis. Fortunately, District Ranger Sherry Tune has drawn on her vast knowledge (gained from prior wildfire experience on Arizona's Coronado National Forest) to develop a formal management plan.  Joe Rawitzer (CDF- retired) and USFS Battalion Chief Mike Strawhun demonstrate fuel flammability at Big Sur Station. Photo: Mike Splain The planning process is called FireScape (Fire Integration in Restoration Ecology using Science and a Collaborative Approach with a Partnership Emphasis). It began in early March with two workshops in Big Sur Valley. Participants included local homeowners and fire personnel, as well as agency employees, scientific researchers, and conservation advocates from the California Wilderness Project, Ventana Wilderness Alliance, and of course, Sierra Club. These initial workshops focused on developing a geographic scope and identifying targets for the FireScape process. The group agreed on six primary targets: 1) fire-adapted human communities, 2) watersheds, 3) fire-adapted / fire-sensitive biotic communities, 4) riparian areas, 5) cultural resources, and 6) aesthetics and wilderness qualities. Subsequent workshops identified threats to these targets and opportunities to protect them. The emphasis on "fire-adapted human communities" with defensible space around homes has been promising. Pre-suppression fuel treatments, as well as fire line creation and maintenance are likely outcomes of the process. It is heartening that the vast majority of participants have expressed sincere concern for healthy watersheds and wilderness values. In an effort to ensure that fuel treatments on public lands are applied with maximum effectiveness and minimum resource damage, the Ventana Chapter is committed to working with the FireScape process through to implementation. A common theme that has surfaced throughout FireScape workshops is the need for more data. The complex topography of the northern Santa Lucia Range precludes a "one size fits all" approach to fire management. Anyone who has ever hiked in the backcountry knows the limitations of maps as a planning tool. To address this knowledge gap, we have been manually documenting fire breaks and hand lines within public lands. The end result will be a geo-referenced photodocumentary (in publicly-available Google Earth format) that should prove invaluable for future planning, implementation and emergency response. Please stay tuned for updates as FireScape approaches completion. For more information contact Ventana Chapter Wilderness Chair, Mike Splain- .
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 Current Sierra Club Response to US Forest Service Plans to Raise Fees in Los Padres National Forest and Beaches October 2016 Chapter Submits Comments on US Forest Service Fire Clearance Proposals in Wilderness Pinnacles National Park Celebration Congressman Sam Farr’s Bill to Establish Pinnacles National Park August 2011 Supervisors direct staff to consider environment in Wildfire Protection Plan October 2010 Monterey County deserves a professional fire prevention plan August 2010 Letters and calls needed to support Ventana wilderness bill June 2010 Environmentalists advocate wilderness designation for part of Andrew Molera State Park April 2010 Farr introduces new wilderness bill for Big Sur February 2010 Ventana Wilderness recovering after fires June 2009 Wilderness designated within Limekiln State Park December 2008 Chapter donates $1,000 to help injured wildlife August 2008 Big Sur fire update July 2008 VWA to rehabilitate Cone Peak area trails March 2008 
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