To register, go to: https://spranch.calpoly.edu/planning-fire-resilience-coastal-marin-county

This webinar is an opportunity to learn about wildfire resilience in coastal Marin County. Participants will increase their understanding of related topics including wildfire risk, natural resource management, project planning, and regulatory processes. Presenters from the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA), Sonoma Technology, the County of Marin, Panorama Environmental, and Sequoia Ecological Consulting will cover the processes of planning and implementing fuels reduction projects and activities in coastal Marin County.

Mark Brown and Anne Crealock from the MWPA will discuss their actions aimed at protecting both residents and the unique natural communities of Marin County from wildfire. They will also address the evolving wildfire landscape, highlighting the need for collaborative action to combat climate change and its effects. Tami Lavezzo, Vice President/Senior Scientist, and Samantha Kramer, Air Quality Data Scientist, from Sonoma Technology will discuss their collaboration with the MWPA to address wildfire mitigation in Marin County and give background about fire history in the area. They will discuss risk modeling around wildfire and evacuation, some of which applies more broadly to all natural disasters. They will also discuss the heightened susceptibility of regions to hazards and current climate change uncertainties in the coastal regions. Jeremy Tejirian, the Deputy Director of Planning Services for Marin County, will cover implementing vegetation management projects in alignment with Coastal Commission Local Coastal Program mandates. Tania Treis, the President of Panorama Environmental, will give insight to the regulatory intricacies of public agency-led fuels management projects. She will share the MWPA’s approach to compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and additional considerations within the Coastal Zone. Contracted with Panorama, Julie Woodruff, Senior Biologist for Sequoia Ecological Consulting, will discuss addressing the county’s endemic and rare plant species and special-status wildlife for fuel abatement activities, including collaboration with the MWPA to address project-specific biological concerns.