MENDOCINO CO., 3/25/25 – Controlled burns can aid forest health and recovery as well as reduce the risk of dangerous wildfires. To address the ongoing challenge of preparing land for wildfire prevention, the Eel River Recovery Project is hosting a forest health resource fair on Saturday, followed by a hands-on workshop on Sunday, both in Laytonville.
Anyone interested in how humans can better live with and manage forests for the sake of wildfire mitigation is invited to attend.
The Forest Health Extravaganza on Saturday will offer resources and information to share the importance for forest health thinning and prescribed fires.
It will be followed by a prescribed burn workshop at Vassar Ranch on Sunday.
The burn is organized by the project in collaboration with landowners and Cal Fire. Scot Steinbring of Torchbearr, a Yreka-based company that teaches how to implement and manage prescribed burns, will lead the workshop.
The workshop will treat approximately 13 acres of slash piles on Vassar Ranch.
According to the project, the fire is part of a multi-year watershed project along Tenmile Creek. The goal is “to return good fire to the ecosystem, thinning areas of dense trees and reducing the buildup of woody fuels on the forest floor, the consequence of over a century of fire suppression.”
This is the third prescribed burn this year associated with the Tenmile Creek project.
Both events are free. The Forest Health Extravaganza takes place Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at Harwood Hall, 44400 Willits Ave., Laytonville. Registration for the workshop on Sunday is required via this link.
For more information, including volunteer opportunities, contact Alicia Littletree Bales at (916) 595-8724.
Plan to attend both events and learn about how you can help forests thrive into the future.