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Chico State

University’s Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve Scheduled For Prescribed Fire

Several people in a grassy area set small prescribed fires with fire canisters.
Jason Halley / University Photographer

Biology graduate student Mitch Bamford (center) uses a driptorch to intentionally ignite fires as Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve staff are partnering with Terra Fuego, Firestorm and Cal Fire to conduct a prescribed burn at the University Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve on Thursday, December 13, 2018 in Chico, Calif. This project will reduce fuels, which will mitigate fire risk on the property while providing a training opportunity for CSU, Chico students and current and future fire professionals. This project will allow participants to gain experience in using prescribed fire as a tool for wildfire mitigation and ecological restoration. The BCCER has been using prescribed burns as away of reducing fire danger and teaching students about resilient ecosystems for more than a decade. (Jason Halley/University Photographer/CSU Chico)

California State University, Chico’s Ecological Reserves are partnering with Terra Fuego and Cal Fire to conduct a prescribed burn on Tuesday, November 26, 2019. This project will reduce fuels on approximately 25 acres, and smoke will be visible to residents of Forest Ranch and Chico.

In addition to multiple ecological benefits and fire risk mitigation on the property, the project provides a training opportunity for CSU, Chico students and current and future fire professionals to gain experience in using prescribed fire as a tool for wildfire mitigation and ecological restoration.

The BCCER has been using prescribed burns as a way of reducing fire danger and teaching students about resilient ecosystems for more than a decade, but its importance as both an educational and wildfire mitigation tool is increasingly in the spotlight, burn organizers say. The reserve is home to 15 different vegetation communities, ranging from oak woodlands and mixed conifer forests to grasslands and chaparral, making it a prime spot for training on different wildfire environments.

“We are at a tipping point with wildfire in California, so it is essential that our agencies and organizations collaborate to implement treatments across boundaries to meet this challenge at a scale that matters,” said Terra Fuego executive director Stephen Graydon (Communication Studies, ’14; MA, Communication Studies, ’16).

This project is funded through the California Climate Investments program, which funds projects including affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture and recycling. At least 35 percent of these investments are made in disadvantaged communities and low-income communities and households.

“Prescribed fire projects are excellent learning opportunities for our students and fire professionals, while promoting forest health and mitigating future catastrophic fires,” said BCCER Director Eli Goodsell (Criminal Justice, ’07; Environmental Policy and Planning, ‘11). “It is important that we conduct these projects now to protect our local communities, enhance our ecosystems and continue the conversation around the important role prescribed fire plays on our landscapes.”

Media interested in being on site during burn operations must comply with standard operating procedures to ensure safety. Please contact Goodsell at 530-228-1525 or Graydon at 530-899-8399 to reserve a spot.

Owned and operated by the CSU, Chico Research Foundation, the BCCER contains 3,950 acres of land, 4 1/2 miles of Big Chico Creek, and exceptionally diverse ecosystems. Since its creation in 1999, the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve has provided students and visitors with opportunities for hands-on experiences with nature and continues to be a hub for innovative research and land management best practices.