Reading the Landscape for Fire – Saddle Mountain Prescribed Fire Workshop

This workshop will focus on post-wildfire and pre-prescribed-burn considerations in a 50-acre mixed hardwood forest that we hope to burn this year. The forest burned at low severity during the 2020 Glass Fire, offering an opportunity to discuss factors contributing to wildfire behavior and effects; post-fire vegetation and fuel trajectories; and post-wildfire stewardship, as well as burn unit prep; objectives and expected outcomes; and what we’re seeing on the landscape that indicates that it’s an appropriate time to re-burn this unit. We’ll discuss balancing multiple objectives, including rare plant and native understory stewardship; community risk reduction; and current and ongoing scientific research. The workshop is intended for land stewards, fire practitioners, and community members who are interested in the ecology and flora of our region.

The Saddle Mountain Open Space Preserve is home to a rich diversity of vegetation communities, wildlife, fungi, and aquatic habitats. This event will involve a hike of about 3 miles round-trip through moderately steep terrain. It will be led by Monica Delmartini, Stewardship Specialist and fire ecologist with Ag + Open Space, and co-led by Devyn Friedfel, Fire and Stewardship Manager at Pepperwood Preserve. Monica manages the Saddle Mountain Preserve and has 20 years of experience with prescribed fire and fire ecology across a wide variety of California habitats. Her work focuses on supporting multi-benefit habitat restoration and fire management projects countywide, community engagement, fire ecology and fire behavior research, and honoring Tribal sovereignty and Indigenous land stewardship.

To register, email Monica Delmartini at:  Monica.Delmartini@sonomacounty.gov

The Saddle Mountain Open Space Preserve was protected by Ag + Open Space in 2006 for preservation of its open space and natural resources. This event is free and made possible by Sonoma County taxpayers, who fund the work of Ag + Open Space with a quarter-cent sales tax.