NCRP Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Planning

Regional Assessment Data

Regional data to be analyzed, as available, may include bio‐physical features; vegetation types and quality; stand density, tree size, tree mortality, and carbon stocks; sensitive habitats and species; wildfire history, fire regime, fuel loading, and condition class; cultural and ecological values; drinking water supply, water quality; public health and safety information; historic and projected climate and weather patterns; forest product infrastructure such as mills, equipment, processing facilities, and transportation options; as well as human capital, including existing and needed workforce capacity.

NCRP RFFC Project Technical Assistance Solicitation

The NCRP has a long history of providing technical assistance to North Coast Tribal and disadvantaged communities to support and develop local and regional projects that promote integrated and multi-benefit outcomes in the North Coast region.

Direct technical assistance will be provided by a team of regional experts and may include site assessment, mapping and GIS analysis, greenhouse gas calculations, cost estimates, permitting support, project benefits quantification and preliminary project design. The purpose of the technical assistance support is to help build projects that are permit ready and competitive for funding and implementation. The NCRP expects to provide between $5,000-$15,000 in technical assistance support for priority projects over multiple rounds of funding.

NCRP RFFC Project Technical Assistance Solicitation Materials:

• NCRP RFFC Technical Assistance Request for Concept Proposal
• Proposal Cover Page PDF Form

Written questions may be submitted to kgledhill@westcoastwatershed.com no later than September 25.  Responses to all written questions will be posted to the NCRP website on September 29.

The deadline for submission of proposals is 5:00 p.m. on October 15, 2020. 

NCRP RFFC Demonstration Projects and Processes

The Policy Review Panel reviewed and approved the following 13 Priority Demonstration Projects at the April 3 NCRP Quarterly Meeting and  June 19 NCRP Quarterly Meeting.

NCRP RFFC Concept Proposals for Demonstration Projects and Processes

Round 1

On March 13, the NCRP received 18 project proposals in response to the NCRP RFFC Request for Concept Proposals for Demonstration Projects and Processes for a total request of approximately $3 million. On March 30, the NCRP TPRC conducted a technical review meeting to discuss the project concept proposals and select a draft suite of Priority Projects. For more information, please see the TPRC PROJECT PROPOSAL REVIEW SUMMARY.

California Land Stewardship Institute, Developing a tool to test and demonstrate the feasibility of livestock grazing for fuel reduction and ecosystem enhancement

Forestscapes, Roadside Biochar production for one acre of roadside fuels reduction

Healdsburg Fire Department, Fitch Mountain Fire Resiliency and Russian River Watershed Protection Plan

Hoopa Valley Tribe, Mill 1 Post-Fire Forest Restoration and Firewood Sales Project

Humboldt Economic Development Division, USFS Bio-Mass – Converting Waste to Cash Flow

Humboldt Redwood Company, Dual Exemption Fire Security and Oak Woodland Restoration

Humbots Data & Analysis, IGNIS Fire Starting Drone

Humbots Data & Analysis, Post Fire Emergency Response

Humbots Data & Analysis, UAV – Structure from Motion – Carbon Inventory

Karuk Tribe, Burning Across Boundaries: An Inter-Tribal Collaborative Planning Project for Increased Wildfire Resiliency in the North Coast Region

Mattole Restoration Council, Prosper Ridge Prairie Restoration Project

Mid Klamath Watershed Council, NCRP Strategic Fire Planning and WKRP State-and-Transition Modeling

Northwest California Resource Conservation & Development Council, California Resource & Habitat Zone Development

Shasta Valley Resource Conservation District, Siskiyou County Collaborative Prescribed Burn Association and Demonstration Projects

Sonoma Ecology Center, Falk Forestry Carbonator 500 Test Project

Sonoma Ecology Center, Use of Portable Field Kilns to Process Biomass and Make Biochar

Sonoma Resource Conservation District, North Coast Forestry Education Program – Inspiring the Next Generation

Watershed Research and Training Center, North Coast All Hands All Lands Prescribed Fire Team

Round 2

On May 22, the NCRP received 15 project proposals in response to the NCRP RFFC Request for Concept Proposals for Demonstration Projects and Processes for a total request of nearly $2.7 million. On June 15, the NCRP TPRC convened a Technical Project Review meeting to discuss the project concept proposals and select a draft suite of Priority Projects. For more information, please see the TPRC Round 2 Project Proposal Review Summary.

California Land Stewardship Institute, Developing a tool to test and demonstrate the feasibility of livestock grazing for fuel reduction and ecosystem enhancement

Center for Social & Environmental Stewardship, Fire School Pilot Program at Lake Sonoma & Dry Creek

Healdsburg Fire Department, Fitch Mountain Fire Resiliency and Russian River Watershed Protection Plan

Conservation Biology Institute, A Multi-Agency Strategy for Implementing Wildfire Hazard Reduction Projects in the Lake Sonoma Watershed

Dry Creek Rancheria, Vegetation Management and Demonstration Project Using Native Vegetation and TEK

Eel River Recovery Project, Tenmile Creek Watershed Forest Health Pilot Project

Forest Reciprocity Group, Forest and Mill Restoration for Fire Safe Housing Outcomes

Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District, Forest Stewardship Project Tracking

County of Humboldt Economic Development Division, USFS Bio-Mass – Converting Waste to Cash Flow

Humboldt Redwood Company, LLC, Forest Fuel Hazard Reduction and Utilization/Oak Woodland Restoration

Mendocino County Resource Conservation District, Redwood Region Greenhouse Gas Calculator Toolkit

Round Valley Indian Tribes, Learning to Burn

Scott River Watershed Council, Siskiyou County Fuel Reduction, Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Soil Health Amendment Demonstration Using Innovative Carbon Sequestering Biochar Technology

Scott River Watershed Council, Klamath Meadow Restoration Planning Demonstration Project

Sonoma Ecology Center, Use of Portable Field Kilns to Process Biomass and Make Biochar

Tribal and County Forest Advisors

The NCRP seeks letters of interest from qualified representatives from groups and Tribes in the region, to provide technical review and input on regional and sub-regional priority project planning. In addition, Forestry Advisors will inform and review the development of a process for the allocation of technical support for project development and permitting. The NCRP is seeking Forestry Advisors with knowledge and experience in one or more of the following areas:

• In depth knowledge of forest health and forest ecosystems in the North Coast region, including their role in carbon sequestration, climate adaptation, maintaining biological diversity and culturally-significant natural and historic values, human health and safety, sustaining local economies, and water quality and supply. Demonstration of experience in this field.
• In depth knowledge of wildfire risks, hazards, and ignition sources as well as an understanding of fuel loading, fire behavior characteristics, and fire management and wildfire response.
• Experience working with California Tribes, a deep understanding of Tribal practices, and the ability to work with a variety of North Coast Tribes
• Understanding and experience with Traditional management of wild lands and cultural burns, includes the practical application of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in relationship to restoring and protecting fire resilient landscapes and cultural use areas.
• Knowledge and demonstrated experience in identifying shared values and priorities among diverse partnerships using processes that balance wildfire risks and hazards with community, economic, cultural, and natural values and assets.
• Knowledge and demonstrated experience in the identification, prioritization, and design of forest management techniques to establish healthy and resilient forests and achieve other benefits; using methods such as prescribed fire, cultural burning, forest thinning and sustainable timber harvest, grazing, and habitat restoration.
• Knowledge of and work experience in the landscape and human communities of the North Coast region.
• Knowledge of and work experience in forest economics, policy, permitting, code enforcement and regulation
• Knowledge of biomass utilization techniques and emerging industry trends
• Knowledge of and demonstrated experience with forest thinning, prescribed fire, and biomass processing workforce development and crew training, including the associated maintenance of existing and acquisition of new equipment and infrastructure.