CalVTP Field Training: Sierra Foothills, Vista Del Rio Project
Wednesday, November 1st, 2023, 1:00pm - 5:00pm
This was an opportunity to learn about a fuel reduction project at Vista Del Rio in Oakhurst, California. Participants increased their understanding of how CALFIRE used the CalVTP at Vista Del Rio to facilitate vegetation management and fuels reduction.
Participants completed a field treatment tour of the project area, learning about the different treatment methods used and why they were chosen. Sebastien Cordier, Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit Environmental Scientist at CAL FIRE, and Brian Mattos, Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit Forester at CAL FIRE, discussed the need for this project, how the treatment zones were selected, and the successes as well as the shortcomings that happened while implementing this project.
| Time | Item |
|---|---|
| 1:00pm | Field workshop begins |
| Project Overview | |
| Treatment Zone 1 and Archeology | |
| Tree Removal and Project Boundary | |
| Treatment Zone 2 and Grassland | |
| Treatment Zone 3, Steep Slopes, and Fire History | |
| Property Encroachment | |
|
Q & A |
|
| 5:00pm | Field workshop ends |
Trainers:
Brian Mattos, Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit Forester, CAL FIRE
Brian Mattos is a Registered Professional Forester, a Licensed Timber Operator, a timberland owner, and a graduate of Humboldt State University and the National Park Service Natural Resources Management Training Program. He retired from a 35-year federal career managing vegetation at National Parks in California, Alaska and Colorado, including 22 years as the Park Forester at Yosemite, and was lead author of: Interface between fire and forests—tree management in the National Park Service. Brian is the Unit Forester for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in Madera, Mariposa, and Merced Counties, responsible for Forest Practice Enforcement on non-federal timberlands. He directs Fire Suppression Repair on major incidents, co-leads Watershed Emergency Response Team deployments, and teaches fire behavior in S-190, S-290, and S-390 courses.
Sebastien Cordier, Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit Environmental Scientist, CAL FIRE
Sebastien Cordier is an Environmental Scientist with six years of work experience. Currently working for CAL FIRE (Madera-Mariposa-Merced), completing CEQA paperwork and surveys for fuel break and prescribed fire projects. Completed undergraduate at UC Santa Cruz with a B.S. in Ecology and Evolution. Completed postgrad at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland with a M.S. in Biodiversity and Conservation. Volunteered in Seychelles to assist sea turtle monitoring, bird surveys, and night surveys. Worked in Texas, India, and Kazakhstan on pest species and the diseases they carry, mainly sand flies while in India. Field crew lead and acting project manager for a targeted grazing study. Leading three crews in different states to perform vegetation surveys, recording the impacts of cattle grazing near roadsides and if they can be an effective management tool to reduce fire risk.
