Wildfire Resilience for Russian River Forested Communities in Sonoma County
October 19, 2024, 10:00am – 4:45pm
This in-person field workshop was an opportunity to learn about fuels management and wildfire resilience through the work of local communities within the lower Russian River in Sonoma County. Presenters showcased efforts to improve evacuation routes, reduce near-home fuel loads, and create shaded fuel breaks. Participants observed forest thinning, brush removal, pile burning, and prescribed grazing, and heard from community leaders on wildfire resilience initiatives.
Kim Batchelder, Vegetation Management Coordinator at Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, highlighted the challenges and potential for communities to work together to reduce wildfire threats using the resources available to landowners within Sonoma County and beyond. Kim’s presentation focused on working at scale to implement fuels management efforts across multiple landowner holdings. Kelli Mathia, Co-owner of Environmental Resource Solutions, discussed managing forested property along the Russian River. Harlan Tranmer, Senior Forester at Environmental Resource Solutions, covered project management of mechanical and manual vegetation treatment, including coordinating with landowners, costs, prescriptions, resource protection, and maintenance. Devyn Friedfel, Assistant Preserve Manager of Pepperwood Preserve, reviewed how to safely, legally, and successfully implement pile and broadcast burns, including details on logistics, required permits, and available resources. Marshall Turbeville, a CAL FIRE Battalion Chief, covered the importance of stopping fires early to protect resources and prevent permanent losses. He also discussed proactive measures like prescribed burns and other strategies for fighting fires away from homes. Roberta MacIntyre, President of Fire Safe Sonoma, discussed preparing communities and properties for wildfire, including hardening homes through altering or replacing construction components. This presentation included several recommendations for how to economically retrofit existing components of a home to lower the risk from wildfire.
| Time | Item |
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| 10:00am | Field workshop begins |
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Site 1: Pile Burning Treatment Area Project Overview Pile Burning Logistics, Permits, and Resources |
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Site 2: Shaded Fuel Break Treatment Area Project Overview Costs, Vegetation Management, and Maintenance Strategic Fire Break Community Organizing and Large-Scale Planning |
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Site 3: Home Hardening Area Site Overview Treatments Home Hardening and Permanent Loss Fire Fighting Perspective and Ingress/Egress Considerations |
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| 1:45pm |
Lunch |
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Site 4: Grazing Treatment Area Site Overview Background and Treatments Working with a Grazer Grazer Perspecive |
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| 4:45pm |
Field workshop ends |
Trainers:
Kim Batchelder, Vegetation Management Coordinator at Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District
Kim began his career managing Wilderness Areas in Colorado, then reforestation projects in rural Costa Rica, followed by forest management certification from Mexico to Chile, before working in sustainable forest management for The Nature Conservancy – Mexico. He finally landed in Sonoma County in 2005 to help protect and manage fee lands and create trails like the North Sonoma Mountain and Healdsburg Ridge Open Space Preserves for Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District. Now, Kim is the Vegetation Management Coordinator to assist Sonoma County to develop tools and treatments to improve the health and resiliency of the county’s landscapes while protecting communities from large-scale wildfire events. He manages the Vegetation Management Grant Program and collaborating with County agencies, local non-profits and fire services agencies to determine the best way to use $25 Million dedicated to vegetation management from a PG&E Settlement with the County after the 2017 wildfires. Kim received his Bachelors degree in Biology and Environmental Conservation from University of Colorado at Boulder and a Masters in Forestry from Duke University.
Marshall Turbeville, Battalion Chief, Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, CAL FIRE
Marshall Turbeville is a CAL FIRE Battalion Chief in the Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, overseeing three CAL FIRE stations in Sonoma County. He began working for CAL FIRE in 1995 as a seasonal fire fighter while attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Marshall graduated from Cal Poly in 1998 and 2000 with Bachelor of Science degrees in Civil Engineering and Forestry and Natural Resources. Marshall accepted a full time position with CAL FIRE in 2000. He worked in Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit's Pre-Fire Division from 2004 to 2009 where he combined his forestry education and firefighting experience, learned GIS, and gained experience completing environmental reviews for prescribed burning. He also maintained the Unit's Fire Plan, helped Firesafe Councils, and served as a fire investigator. Marshall promoted to his current position in 2009. He is a fire behavior analyst and has implemented prescribing burning in varying vegetation, topography, and weather conditions. He has been leading prescribed burns at The Jenner Headlands since 2016. Marshall has responded to wildfire incidents throughout the State and was a member of CAL FIRE's Incident Management Teams for 10 years. He instructs at the Santa Rosa Junior College in the Natural Resources Management and Fire Technology departments and participates on several CAL FIRE instructional cadres.
Roberta MacIntyre, President/CEO of Fire Safe Sonoma
Roberta MacIntyre has served over 35 years in the fire service, has a degree in Fire Science, and is a California Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Certified Fire Marshal.
Roberta started out as a volunteer firefighter in 1980, became a career firefighter for a metropolitan fire department a couple years later, and after working in fire suppression for several years she eventually discovered how much more she could do in fire prevention and transitioned from a line firefighter to fire inspector. After several years working in fire prevention as a fire inspector, Roberta set her sights on the job of Fire Marshal and eventually became the Assistant Chief/Fire Marshal for the County of Sonoma.
Now in “retirement” Roberta takes pride in bringing her well-honed fire service experience, executive management skills, and oral, and interpersonal communication skills volunteering as President and CEO of Sonoma County’s premiere fire safe council, Fire Safe Sonoma. Roberta is currently living in the Northern San Francisco Bay Area where you can often find her a few miles from home hiking with her dog “Buddy” in beautiful Northern California
Kelli Mathia, Co-owner/CFO of Environmental Resource Solutions, Inc., Co-Chair at Odd Fellows Recreation Club (OFRC)
Kelli is the Vegetation Management Co-Chair at Odd Fellows Recreation Club (OFRC). Her focus is on guiding OFRC members towards “actively managing” their 336-acre forested property along the Russian River that consists of redwood and Doug-fir. OFRC has a written Forest Management Plan outlining their forestry goals and objectives. This Plan allows OFRC to apply for grant funding and other cost share programs.
Kelli is also the co-owner of Environmental Resource Solutions, Inc (ERS) and CFO. She is responsible for managing the business, financials, contracts, human resources, and projects. Kelli believes in forest health through active management and continues to support local community goals of fuel reduction and forest resiliency. Her knowledge in developing standard operating procedures, project development, business and financial planning, employee health and safety programs, has helped ERS continue its’ mission to provide excellent forestry consulting.
Harlan Tranmer, Senior Forester, RPF # 2850, Environmental Resource Solutions
Harlan Tranmer is a Registered Professional Forester, RPF #2850, and Senior Forester for Environmental Resource Solutions. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry and Natural Resources Management from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Harlan worked as a Forester for Big Creek Lumber Company in Santa Cruz from 2012 to 2022. He was responsible for preparing and coordinating timber harvests and represented the company to professional associations and policy makers. Harlan was a consultant at Kent & Associates in Sonoma County from 2005-2012. That work included harvest plans, inventory, fuel breaks, CFIP and EQIP plans, and carbon assessments.
Devyn Friedfel, Fire and Stewardship Manager, Pepperwood Preserve
Devyn Friedfel was born and raised in the Russian River area where he grew up learning to love the beauty and diversity of Sonoma County. While attending the Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC), Devyn organized volunteer restoration work days at Shone Farm to help control invasive plants and promote native species. Through the SRJC he had an opportunity to visit Pepperwood and dreamt of someday working there. Devyn moved to Santa Cruz County to finish his Bachelor’s Degree, then worked up and down the central coast with the UC Natural Reserve System, while simultaneously working as a Field Biologist for two environmental consulting companies. Devyn is now Pepperwood’s Fire and Stewardship Manager, and has been with Pepperwood for the last seven years. As the Fire and Stewardship Manager, Devyn oversees all aspects of facility maintenance and land management, including but not limited to invasive plant management, wildfire recovery, forest fuel reduction, ecological monitoring, rotational grazing and prescribed fire. Devyn is active in his local Prescribed Burn Association and became a California State Certified Burn Boss in 2022. Devyn also sits on the Good Fire Alliance steering committee, Sonoma County's Prescribed Burn Association and he is Currently working on Finishing his M.S. in Wildland Management at Chico State under Dr. Hankins.
