California chaparral is considered one of the most fire-dependent and flammable fuel types in the world.  The 2003 Southern California wildfires demonstrated just how volatile this vegetation type can be, burning over 700,000 chaparral acres and tragically consuming 4,759 homes and structures.  For decades, land managers have used prescribed fire and mechanical brush removal to reduce wildfire risk and severity near housing communities.  However, as homes expand into undeveloped natural areas, the challenge of chaparral fire management becomes increasingly complex.  Land managers are forced to accommodate social, political, economic and logistical interests in their fuel reduction planning.  As a result, prescribed burns are often conducted outside of the historical fire season or replaced entirely by mechanical fuel removal.  The ecological consequences of these   management practices are largely unknown, but some experts fear that chaparral plant and wildlife composition may be permanently altered.  The challenge for future chaparral management will be to balance human safety and ecological integrity in this unique ecosystem.

This interagency research project has joined the University of California with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Joint Fire Science Program, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF), California Fish and Game Commission, local FIRESAFE councils and environmental advocacy groups.  On May 15, 2003, over 60 representatives from these agencies convened at the DANR Hopland Research and Extension Center site to observe preliminary results and provide valuable feedback.  Future workshops will continue to expand the audience and disseminate updated project information.  Self-guided tours are currently available to the public, with permanent interpretive displays (including maps, photos and project descriptions) that guide visitors through a representative suite of research plots.  

This project has enormous potential to change chaparral fuel management practices.  When completed, it will synthesize five years of replicated plant and bird recovery data at a level of detail that has never before been studied.  This information will help us to better define chaparral management goals, improve the efficacy of fuel reduction programs and balance ecological objectives with social, political, and economic demands.