Large Scale Broadcast Burning for Fuels Reduction: Lessons learned from CAL FIRE CZU Unit

December 12th, 2024, 10:00am – 12:10pm

Link to webinar recording

Link to presentation abstracts

Trainers:

Richard Sampson, Unit Forester, CAL FIRE CZU

Richard Sampson is the Unit Forester for the CAL FIRE San Mateo – Santa Cruz Unit. Richard is a graduate of Humboldt State University with a BS in Forest Production Management and a Minor in Business Administration. Prior to joining CAL FIRE, Richard has over 18 years of experience in the private timber industry and has been a Registered Professional Forester since 1991. Richard joined CAL FIRE as a Forester I in 2002 assigned to the Forest Practice Program. While in CZU, Richard has served as a Division Chief – Forester II managing the units Forest Practice, Vegetation Management, Pre-fire Engineering and Fire Prevention Programs. In addition, Richard has served as the Manager of the Unit Fire Prevention LE program since 2005 and 2 years as Interim Forest Manager of Soquel Demonstration State Forest.

Richard currently manages the units Resource Management program which includes serving as 2nd Review team Chairman for Forest Practice in both his unit along with the Santa Clara Unit. He manages a staff that oversees CAL FIRE grants, prescribed fire, fuels reduction, Unit Fire Planning, CEQA coordination, Fire Prevention and Timber Operations. Richards staff oversees, prepares and implements the VTP and VMP projects for CAL FIRE in the local unit including prescribed fire.

Sarah A. Collamer, Vegetation Management Forester, CAL FIRE CZU

Forester Collamer is a Registered Professional Forester with a focus on prescribed burning and fuel reduction working at CAL FIRE CZU in San Mateo County, CA.  Her duties include project planning and implementation, permitting, and grant administration for the California Wildfire Prevention Grants Program.  She is also available for all hazard emergency response throughout California as a Heavy Equipment Boss or Division Group Supervisor.

Prior to working for the state of California, she worked in the natural resources field in many roles across including as a natural interpreter for  New York State Department of Conservation,  as an Associate Forester with the Tahoe Donner Association and on a hand crew with the USFS.  She graduated from the New York State College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse University with a BS in Forestry. She is also a CAL FIRE Agency Prescribed Burn Boss. Forester Collamer enjoys solving project implementation problems, burning complex projects with her team of brilliant collaborators and hiking dozer line.

Brett Agler, Vegetation Management Forester, CAL FIRE CZU

Brett Agler graduated from Humboldt State University in 2012 and began his career with CAL FIRE in 2015, initially working with the Demonstration State Forest Program at Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest. Following the 2015 Valley Fire, which burned the entire 3,500-acre property, Brett was involved in salvage logging and replanting efforts. He later moved to CAL FIRE’s Forest Health Program in Sacramento, where he supported project monitoring and grant administration for Forest Health Projects statewide. Since August 2022, Brett has been the Vegetation Management Program Coordinator in Santa Cruz County, where he has been actively involved in planning and coordinating fuels reduction projects, including prescribed burns and fuel break implementation.

Jonathan Perrin, Area Land Manager, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Natural Resources and Lands Management Division

Jonathan Perrin is the Land Manager for the Peninsula Watershed, a critical component of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission in San Mateo County. With a decade of experience overseeing this 23,000-acre area, Perrin manages a range of activities including large-scale fuels reduction projects, prescribed burns, access maintenance, habitat enhancement, and recreational management.

The Peninsula Watershed is recognized for its ecological diversity, hosting six listed species, serving as a State-designated Fish and Game Refuge, and providing high-quality municipal drinking water. Perrin's approach combines a variety of management tools to address the land’s diverse needs and objectives effectively. A notable highlight of his tenure is his collaboration with Cal Fire to develop and implement a prescribed fire program aimed at achieving multifaceted land management goals.

Perrin holds a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and Forestry from the University of California, Berkeley, which underpins his holistic approach to land management and conservation.

Robert Simmons, Battalion Chief, CAL FIRE CZU

Bob started at CAL FIRE as a Fire Apparatus Engineer Paramedic in 2009. In 2009, Bob became a founding member of Returning Veterans and Enlisting Their Skills (RVETS), a CAL FIRE program to assist Veterans with employment into State service, and is still an active representative. He was promoted to Fire Captain (FC) in the Incarcerated Persons program running Hand Crews in 2014, in 2018 he transferred to be a FC on a wildland engine, in 2019 he became a training Captain, in 2020 he transferred to be a FC on a type-1 (city) engine, in 2021 he was promoted to Battalion Chief (BC) as a relief BC for type-1 engines and the primary BC for wildland engines and the operational BC for VMP fires. His current qualifications are:

1. Strike Team leader for out of Unit wildland fires
2. Division/Group Supervisor for wildland fires
3. Safety Officer
4. Fireline Paramedic
5. Crew Technical Specialist

Cecile Juliette, Public Information Officer, CAL FIRE 

Cecile Juliette began her career in Austin, Texas working as a production assistant at KXAN. She moved to Montana where she served as morning show producer and anchor. She then worked in Grand Junction, Colorado as an evening anchor, content manager, and executive producer. Cecile moved to Northern California where she worked as weekend anchor at Action News Now in Chico. 

Cecile has been using social media to provide information to the public since 2009.