Our Forest Health and Wildfire Resiliency Project in Mendocino County is helping protect people, forests, and water in one of the county’s most wildfire-prone rural areas. The Spy Rock community has only one road in and out, and it is surrounded by more than 34,500 acres of dense forest and brush. Much of this land is steep and hard to reach, making wildfire response especially difficult. These conditions put residents, firefighters, and the nearby Eel River watershed at serious risk.
To reduce these dangers, Ethos Environmental worked closely with landowners and the community to build the skills and knowledge needed to lower wildfire risk using science-based solutions. In alignment with CAL FIRE priorities, professional forestry and water assessments were completed on about 800 acres of privately owned land volunteered by local residents. These assessments identified hazardous brush, overgrown trees, and “ladder fuels” that can carry fire into the forest canopy.Using this information, we created a fuels reduction and gully restoration plan to lower fire intensity, improve defensible space, and make roads safer for emergency responders. The plan also helps capture sediment before it can wash into the wild and scenic Eel River, protecting important salmon habitat.
Excess wood and vegetation removed during the project were reused locally instead of wasted. Bioengineering techniques were used to stabilize eroding gullies, improve soil health, and reduce sediment from roads. Road improvements and drainage upgrades increase access reliability, support faster emergency response, and help recharge groundwater, strengthening the watershed for the long term
This project shows how combining forestry and hydrology can create forests that are healthier and more resilient to drought, disease, and wildfire. Improved forest structure and healthier soils allow treated areas to better handle climate stress while continuing to store carbon.
Community involvement was key to the project’s success. Ethos hosted well-attended community meetings to share information about wildfire risk, forest fuels, soil health, and local programs supported by CAL FIRE and the Mendocino County Fire Safe Council, including Firewise and fuels reduction efforts. These gatherings encouraged collaboration, increased understanding of forest stewardship, and inspired more landowners to get involved.
As a result, the Spy Rock community is better prepared for wildfire, emergency responders have safer access, forest and soil health have improved, while a model for large-scale wildfire resilience has been created. This work supports CAL FIRE’s mission to protect lives, natural resources, and communities through proactive forest health and wildfire prevention.
Funding for this project was provided by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Wildfire Resilience Program.For more information on Cal Fire’s Wildfire Resilience Program, check out https://www.fire.ca.gov/what-we-do/natural-resource-management/wildfire-resilience
The California Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force has wider information on the importance of wildfire resilience. Interesting information to dive into! https://wildfiretaskforce.org/