Working Groups
The Task Force includes several interagency and stakeholder-driven workgroups to accomplish key deliverables, align agency activities and identify and resolve issues.
Chaired by CAL FIRE and the US Forest Service the Forest Management Working Group will work together to find cross jurisdictional solutions to improve the health our California’s forests and other natural and working lands through the increased use of prescribed fire and restoration projects, strengthened partnerships with and support for private land owners and in a manner that creates a strong workforce especially in rural communities.
The Work Group provides an oversight role for the work groups focused on: private land management, prescribed fire, reforestation, and workforce development.
Work Group leads:
Angela Lottes, CAL FIRE
Diana Craig, USFS
Key Actions assigned: 1.1 – 1.40
Chaired by CAL FIRE and the U.S. Forest Service, the Prescribed Fire Work Group is taking a collaborative approach to develop and increase the use of prescribed fire in the areas of strategic fire planning, burn permit applications, insurance/liability, cultural burning, training/workforce development, and reporting.
Work Group leads:
Len Nielson, CAL FIRE
Lance Noxon, USFS
Work Group facilitator:
Gretchen Woessner, CAL FIRE
Key Actions assigned: 1.18 – 1.27
Final Plan, 3/2022:
California's Strategic Plan for Expanding the Use of Beneficial Fire
Workshop on Draft Plan, 10/25/2021
- Develop a Robust Prescribed Fire Workforce
- Empower the Private Sector
- Expand Cultural Burning
- Improve Regulatory Efficiency
- Protect Public Health
- Build Public Support
- Facilitate Larger and Strategically Located Burns
- Use Managed Fire Where and When Appropriate
- Improve Data Collection and Utilization
The Small Private Landowner Assistance Work Group is addressing a common framework and shared goals to expand forest management across non-industrial private forest lands. The primary goal is to increase access to technical and financial assistance to forestland owners for forest management planning, fuels reduction, prescribed fire, and forest recovery following wildfires.
Work Group leads:
Stewart McMorrow, CAL FIRE
Christopher Zimny, NRCS
Key Actions assigned: 1.9 – 1.15
February 24, 2022: The Private Forest Landowner Assistance Work Group previewed the California Implementation Strategy to Improve Assistance to Small Private Landowners. View the webinar recording.
Comments from the webinar will be implemented into the plan and posted later on this site.
The Reforestation Work Group is working to create a holistic, comprehensive and coordinated reforestation strategy that reflects Shared Stewardship principles and can meet the needs of both state and federal lands in one document.
Work Group leads:
Stewart McMorrow, CAL FIRE
Joe Sherlock, U.S. Forest Service
Work Group facilitator:
Britta Dyer, American Forests
Key Actions assigned: 1.33 – 1.34
5/3/2022: Workshop on Draft Plan
The Workforce Development Work Group is completing a statewide forest and wood products workforce assessment to quantify current and projected unmet needs for forestry-related workers in an effort to inform investments in training and vocational programs.
Work Group leads:
Tim Robards, CAL FIRE
Becky Roe, California Community Colleges
Key Actions assigned: 1.26 and 3.11
The Fire-Adapted Communities Work Group is a multi-agency and organizational effort aimed at significantly increasing fire prevention, preparedness and mitigation efforts; reducing community wildfire risk; and creating fire-adapted and resilient communities throughout the State. The Work Group provides an oversight role for the Fire-safe Roadways Work Group.
Work Group leads:
Steve Hawks, CAL FIRE
Erik de Kok, OPR
Work Group facilitator:
Michelle Medley-Daniel, Watershed Research and Training Center
Key Actions assigned: 2.1 – 2.32
Caltrans is working with other agencies and stakeholders to focus on creating a fire-safe state highway system that will help minimize wildfire ignitions and ensure emergency evacuation routes are identified at the County-level and prioritized in vegetation management and fuel reduction work.
Work Group leads:
Lisa Worthington, Caltrans
Tyrone Kelley, U.S. Forest Service
Key Actions assigned: 2.24 – 2.29
Chaired by the Department of Conservation and the U.S. Forest Service, the Regional Frameworks Work Group is focused on building and maintaining regional approaches to improve the health and resilience of forested landscapes.
Work Group leads:
Keali’i Bright, Department of Conservation
Michelle Barry, U.S. Forest Service
Work Group facilitator:
Allison Jolley, Watershed Research and Training Center
Work Group science advisors:
Steve Ostoja and Jennifer Barton Smith, USDA Climate Hub
Key Actions assigned: 1.28 – 1.30
This group is working to expand and improve monitoring, reporting, and decision-support tools included a unified treatment tracking system and a Forest Data Hub that will serve as a multi-institutional information clearinghouse.
Work Group leads:
Chris Keithley, CAL FIRE
Alan Talhelm, CARB
Key Actions assigned: 4.3 – 4.10
Tracking System Framework (Version 1.0)
Version 1.0 of the framework for the Forest & Wildland Stewardship Interagency Tracking System has been completed. The Monitoring, Reporting, and Assessment Work Group will be contacting state and federal land agencies to begin data collection.
The Science Advisory Panel provides support to Task force leadership and working groups for action plan priorities, science-based decision making, including translating scientific findings related to agency programs, and identifying research gaps to inform future forest health projects.
Co-Chairs:
John Battles, UC Berkeley
Steve Ostoja, USDA Climate Hub
Work Group facilitator: Jennifer Smith
The Communications Work Group is providing expertise and advisement to the Task Force leadership, contractors, and work groups on communications, reporting, and outreach. The Work Group is acting as an inter-agency/organizational hub to promote, share, and coordinate messaging and opportunities between Task Force partners.
Work Group members:
Christine McMorrow, CAL FIRE
Jonathan Groveman, USFS
Amy MacPherson, CARB
The Task Force relies upon other existing interagency and/or stakeholder-driven workgroups to oversee implementation of the Action Plan.
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Joint Institute Advisory Council
- CALREC Vision
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AB 1492 Leadership Team
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Utility Wildfire Mitigation Steering Committee
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California Wildfire Home Hardening Program
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California FORESITE (AB 2551)
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Natural Working Lands Work Group
The Task Force has and will continue to establish ad hoc or interim workgroups as necessary to focus on key issues.