Oak Woodland Forest Health and Fire Management
October 9, 2024, 9:00am – 12:00pm
Link to Webinar Recording
This webinar was an opportunity for participants to increase their understanding of how forest health surveys can help improve fuels and vegetation management strategies in California’s oak woodland communities.
Thomas Scott, Natural Resources and Wildlife Specialist at University of California Berekley and University of California Riverside, covered the importance of oak woodlands in Southern California and what effects various management practices have on their health. Kim Corella, Forest Pathologist with the Forest Entomology and Pathology Program at CAL FIRE , discussed historical fire regimes and the effects of fire suppression on oak ecosystems, including the detrimental impact of invasive species like the Goldspotted Oak Borer. Adrian Poloni, Forester with the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD) and Natural Resources Conservation Services (NCRS), presented case studies on oak woodland forest health management, including monitoring programs and forestry practices. Finally, Natural Resource Director at Trihydro, Jeremy Zagarella, shared insights from a case study on evaluating oak woodland health using permanent forest inventory plots and monitoring for Goldspotted Oak Borer, detailing the impacts on treatment options and fuels mitigation.
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9:00am |
Webinar begins |
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Tom Scott: Beautiful Weeds: The natural history and management of Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) and California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii) in the 21st century |
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Kim Corella: Relationships and Impacts Between Oaks, Fire and Invasive Insects |
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10:30am |
Break |
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Adrian Poloni: Case Studies of Oak Woodland Forest Health Management in Southern California |
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Jeremy Zagarella: Utilizing Forest Inventory Plots for Oak Woodlands: a Case Study |
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Q&A |
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12:00pm |
Webinar ends |
Link to presentation abstracts
Trainers:
Jeremy Zagarella, Natural Resources Director at Trihydro, Registered Professional Forester
Jeremy Zagarella grew up in Fallbrook, California in San Diego County. He holds degrees from CSU San Marcos, UCLA, and University of Idaho. In addition to being a Registered Professional Forester, he is a NWCG qualified Fire Effects Monitor, Firefighter, Resource Advisor; a SFM California Burn Boss Trainee, and a Certified Fuels Manager though AFE. He is one of two current chairs for the California Fire Science Consortium statewide advisory board.
Before joining Trihydro in 2024, Jeremy spent 20 years working for San Diego County Tribes. He planned, funded, and implemented a wide variety of traditional forestry and resource management projects including some of the following: WUI fuels reduction, riparian forest restoration, forest thinning, wildland fuels reduction, reforestation, post-fire surveys, utility fire reduction, flora and fauna surveys, and GIS planning. Jeremy has primarily worked in Southern California Montane Forest, Chapparal, and Oak Woodland systems throughout his career.
He has worked with diverse groups of stakeholders, and he has been fortunate to collaborate on many of his projects with critical partners whom he would like to thank which include, but are not limited to: USFS, CALFIRE, NRCS, local RCDs, CARCD, Fire Safe Councils, SDGE, Univ. of California, SANDAG, BIA, UCANR, SDMMP, private consultants, and others.
Kim Corella, Forester, Forest Entomology and Pathology Program, South Coast and Southern California Regions, SLO Unit, CAL FIRE
Kim is from upstate New York, where she received her Bachelors of Science degree in Natural Resources Management and Environmental Forest Biology from SUNY ESF at Syracuse. She then received her Masters of Science degree from Texas A&M in plant pathology. Her previous work experience includes being Oak Wilt Coordinator for the Texas Forest Service and Forest Pathologist for University of Nevada, Reno. She is currently the Forest Pathologist with the Forest Entomology and Pathology Program with CAL FIRE and has been in that role for the past 16 years. She responds to and manages insects and disease matters on state and private lands in Southern California from Monterey County to San Diego. A few of her duties include providing technical assistance, biological evaluations on forest health issues, conducting applied research, and plans and conducts pest surveys and trainings. Kim is also registered professional forester and a pesticide control advisor.
Adrian Poloni, Forester, Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD)/Natural Resources Conservation Services (NCRS)
Adrian Poloni is a native of southern California, earned his BS in Environmental Science from the University of Redlands, and from 2014-2018 held several positions (University of California Davis, University of California Cooperative Extension) supporting forest health programs (Goldspotted oak borer, Invasive Shothole Borer, Early Detection Rapid Response, forest health monitoring) across southern California. He earned his MS in Forestry Sciences from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (biological and chemical control of heterobasidion root disease) and since 2021 has worked at the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD) providing forestry services (forest management planning, technical assistance, outreach) in southern California. Parallel to his work in forestry, Adrian balances his family and futbol with a pensive admiration of California oak woodlands.
Thomas Scott, Department of Environmental Science Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley and Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California Riverside
Dr. Tom Scott was born in San Diego in 1954 and has spent his life studying the impact of urbanization on the unique ecosystems of southern California. He received his BS and MS from San Diego State University, and PhD from University of California Berkeley. He joined the UC Integrated Hardwood Range Management Program in 1986, working on oak conservation issues during the peak of suburban expansion into wildlands. He retired from his position in the Department of Environmental Science Policy and Management at UC Berkeley in 2022, but continues to conduct research on the Goldspotted oak borer (Agrilus auroguttatus).
