Interactive Story Map Details Forest Restoration Work in the North Yuba River Watershed

In November 2019, a diverse group of nine organizations, known as the North Yuba Forest Partnership, announced its commitment to using best available science in planning and implementing forest restoration at an unprecedented pace and scale within the North Yuba River watershed. Today, the group released an online interactive story map highlighting the ecological and human values within the watershed, the risks posed by high-severity wildfire, and the treatments that can be used to restore forest health and resilience and protect communities within this 275,000-acre landscape.

“The purposes of the online interactive story map are community outreach and education,” said Bri Tiffany, California Program Associate for the National Forest Foundation. “The scale and complexity of proposed fire resilience and restoration treatments within this large landscape can seem daunting at first. By utilizing the story map, the complexity is broken down into specific GIS-based maps, photos, and text that describes the issues facing our forests and communities, and the kinds of active management that can help protect both. The interactive story map is designed to facilitate learning about the North Yuba River watershed and the associated restoration effort at your own pace.”

In addition to explaining the unique values of the North Yuba River watershed, the story map walks viewers through the importance of returning low- and medium-intensity fire to this watershed. Historically, low- and medium-intensity natural fires maintained a healthy forest by removing overcrowded brush, overstocked trees and the buildup of hazardous fuels.

“In many cases, ecologically-based thinning treatments are a crucial first step for the return of beneficial fire,” stated Tiffany. “Research shows that ecologically-based thinning combined with prescribed fire is a powerful combination to restore forest health, reestablish natural resilience to large wildfires, and enhance wildlife habitat and biological diversity.”

The story map, available at https://arcg.is/vDzr5, is also designed to be shared. Please help the North Yuba Forest Partnership by sharing the story map through email, social media platforms or other means.

To learn more and sign up for updates from the North Yuba Forest Partnership, visit www.yubaforests.org.

About the NYFP Partners:

Blue Forest Conservation: An innovative nonprofit organization committed to creating sustainable financial solutions to pressing environmental challenges.
Camptonville Community Partnership: A nonprofit organization with a mission of rural people working together for a safe, sustainable, and healthy community.
National Forest Foundation: A nonprofit organization focused on engaging all Americans in promoting the health and enjoyment of our public forests.
The Nature Conservancy: One of the world’s leading conservation organizations, dedicated to scaling up forest restoration across the Sierra Nevada.
Nevada City Rancheria: The local tribal unit of the Nisenan people of Northern California, passionate about forest health and management, as it is central to their well-being.
Sierra County: Positioned at the headwaters of the North Yuba River, Sierra County’s highest priorities include reducing wildfire risk, enhancing forest and watershed health through implementation of fire resilient treatments, and protecting its rural communities.
South Yuba River Citizens League: Uniting the community to protect and restore the Yuba River watershed, SYRCL understands that forest health and resilience are essential to a healthy watershed.
The United States Forest Service – Tahoe National Forest: Sustaining the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and managing over 50 percent of the Yuba River watershed, which lies within the Tahoe National Forest.
Yuba Water Agency: A special district in Yuba County, committed to forest health in the entire Yuba watershed, to ensure a sustainable water supply and reduce the risk of fire for the people of Yuba County.

Visit the Interactive Storymap