Land Acknowledgement

SYRCL works throughout the Yuba River watershed on the Ancestral and Traditional homelands of the Nisenan Tribe, and includes shared boundaries with the Mountain Maidu, Konkow, and Washoe peoples. These tribes have lived here for millennia and live here still. We acknowledge and mourn the painful history of genocide and the devastation of lands and waters irreversibly altered.  We are grateful for opportunities to partner with the tribes to create a shared vision and rebalance our relationship to this place. 

YFN Updates and News

The next Yuba Forest Network quarterly meeting will be on Friday, November 7th from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. This meeting will be hybrid, with an in-person option at the SYRCL office and Nevada City and a Teams option as well. If you are interested in presenting at a future quarterly meeting, please email Kat Perlman at kat@yubariver.org to discuss opportunities. The recaps of previous quarterly meetings and discussions held are in the meeting notes saved in the YFN Google Drive.  Please email Kat Perlman at kat@yubariver.org for more information.

We are hosting a YFN Fall Field Tour on September 23rd with a trip to the English Meadow Floodplain Restoration and Enhancement Project on the Middle Yuba with Nevada Irrigation District.

NID staff will be sharing the exciting restoration work completed in 2023-2024 at this special site on the headwaters of the Middle Yuba. This will be an all-day field tour from 9:00 am – 4:30 pm.

Click here for additional information and to register for this excellent field tour opportunity! And please reach out to Kat with any additional questions about the tour- kat@yubariver.org.

**If you would like to sign up for the YFN bimonthly newsletter on forest health/resiliency related topics you can register here for the listserv.

**If you have any shapefiles to add to the Stakeholder Mapping Tool please zip them up and send them on over to Anne Marie at annemarie@yubariver.org.

News and Upcoming Events

SYRCL’s 28th Annual Yuba River Cleanup

Join SYRCL on Saturday, September 20th for our 28th annual Yuba River Cleanup event! Each fall, hundreds of volunteers — from toddlers to retirees, families to fishing clubs — unite for one purpose: to care for the river that runs through the heart of our community. Since 1997, the Yuba River Cleanup has brought people together not just to remove trash, but to build a healthier watershed and a stronger community. Click here to learn more and register for this event!

Following the Cleanup, all volunteers are invited to celebrate their hard work at the Volunteer Appreciation Party, starting at noon on Saturday, September 20 at a new location: the BBQ pavilion in Condon Park.

This festive gathering will feature a delicious BBQ lunch from Bill’s Chuckwagon, a lively beer garden, family-friendly games, and a welcoming, community-focused atmosphere. It’s a chance to relax, connect with fellow river stewards, and celebrate the collective impact made across the watershed. Lunch is free for all Cleanup participants. Volunteers of all ages are encouraged to join the fun because giving back to the river deserves a celebration!

Click here to learn more and register for this event!

Fire Safe Nevada County: Fall Workshops

Join Fire Safe Nevada County for their upcoming quarterly meeting – September 9th from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at the Gene Albaugh Room of the Madelyn Helling Library in Nevada City. They will cover what you should be doing and being ready for this time of year. Kristen Cook, You Bet FWC leader, will tell us about the recent Lowell Fire that threatened her FWC and how their smoke detection and radio networks helped firefighters find the fire faster. You’ll get information on help you can get to update your Action Plan and Assessments (if needed) and easier ways to enter your annual volunteer hours and money spent into the portal to keep your FWC recognition.

Join Fire Safe Nevada County for their upcoming fall workshops, FREE to attend at the Gene Albaugh Meeting Room, Madelyn Helling Library (980 Helling Way, Nevada City). Register for any of the following workshops here, or visit the FSNCC website here.

1. How to Write a FWC (Firewise Community) Action Plan: Saturday, September 13 @ 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
   • Through this FREE course you will learn how to write or update your Firewise Community Action Plan. We will use the latest CAL FIRE template, from March 2025. Bring your laptop and questions! Please visit our website to sign-up.
2. How to Write a Firewise Assessment: Saturday, October 11 @ 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
   • In this FREE workshop, learn how to write or update a Firewise USA Fire Risk Assessment. This is one of four steps you need to start a FWC or stay recognized. We’ll go through the process step by step and help you with group and one on one coaching by experienced FWC leaders. Bring your laptop and questions!
3. (ZOOM) Entering Required Annual FWC Investments in Portal: Tuesday, October 14 @ 5:30 – 7:30 pm on Zoom
   • FREE, on-line (zoom) hands-on workshop on how to meet the annual FWC requirement to enter your “investments” of volunteer time and $$ (contracted or purchased) into the Firewise USA portal. This is a required step for both new and existing Firewise Communities.
   • Led by experienced FWC leaders. We’ll walk through the process step by step. We’ll share best practices for large or small  communities. We’ll pass on feedback from CAL FIRE that different FWCs have gotten.
   • Sign up on our website to attend the course and they will send the zoom link

Subscribe to the FSNCC newsletter.

Bear Yuba Land Trust

Join Nevada County Poet Laureate Karen Terrey and poets Ingrid Keriotis and Rooja Mohassessy for a poetry reading and writing workshop at Bear Yuba Land Trust’s c’oom pe Preserve, home to scenic Mountain Bounty Farm. Under the cover of the mother oak, the poets will read poems inspired by the harvest, with prompts for participants to write and share their own poetry. 

This is a free event open to all. Please bring a writing utensil, notebook, and camping chair. We will provide refreshments.

• WHAT: Poetry on Preserves: Harvest
• WHEN: Saturday, September 13, 10am to 12pm
• WHERE: Mountain Bounty Farm -11438 Birchville Rd, Nevada City, CA 95959
  • Please look for the signs directing you where to park.
• HOW: This is a free event open to all though we do ask that you register in advance so that we know who to expect. Thank you! Register Here!

Music in the Meadow

What better way to mark the closing of summer than a live outdoor concert!? To celebrate the fall equinox and the changing of seasons, BYLT is partnering with our Forever Farm, Mountain Bounty, to bring you an evening of music, dancing, and amazing community and friends. With the energetic stylings of the Auburn-based band Boot Juice and local favorite Dellow & Friends, we’ll be jamming the evening away.

WHAT: Music in Meadows featuring Boot Juice with special guests Dellow & Friends

WHEN: Sunday, September 21, 4-8pm (Door at 3pm)

WHERE: Mountain Bounty Farm
11438 Birchville Rd, Nevada City, CA 95959
Use the above address when mapping the location – DO NOT just search Mountain Bounty Farm as some browsers take you to the wrong location. Look for signs to the parking area.

HOW: This is a free concert open to all. Space and parking are limited, so reserve your spot early. Parking is limited, so please carpool. No seating provided- please bring blankets and chairs! Bring your own picnic items- limited food and beverage will be available for purchase.

Register here! and find more information here!

Sierra Streams Institute

Join SSI for their LAST SciPub of the year on Tuesday, September 23rd from 6-7pm at Gold Vibe Kombuchary. They will be joined by special guests Nolan Smith and Bill Drake, talking about rock art of the Sierra Nevada. This will be a great final SciPub of the year, we hope to see you there!

We need your feedback! Take the Sci-Pub Survey and help us decide the future of Sci Pub.

Yuba Watershed and Fire Safe Council

Stay tuned here for more updates and information: https://yubafiresafe.org/meeting-info/

2025 California Economic Summit

October 21-23, Stockton, CA (In-person only). The California Economic Summit is a dynamic, solutions-driven gathering where leaders from across the state come together to support economic advancement strategies that are regions-up and focused on the growth and stewardship of California’s valuable communities, land, and resources. More information and registration here.

State and Local Resources

Remember: Ready Nevada County Dashboard is an excellent fire season resource!

This local resource provides the most current information on evacuation and fire incidents, live webcams, current wind, weather, and air quality, evacuation planning resources, and more.

Governor’s Monthly Update: California Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force

Upcoming Regional Meeting: Inland Empire, September 4th and 5th- Learn more and register here.

Next full Task Force meeting: December 12th, 2025 at the CNRA Auditorium in Sacramento. Click here for more information.

Read the monthly update from the Governor, including information on upcoming regional meetings, forest health grant awards, federal updates, legislation watch, and the state Press Box- read the monthly update here.

Latest news on the ground from the Task Force – click here!

Visit the Ready Nevada County Dashboard at this link for latest emergency and informational alerts countywide.

California Annual Progress Report: Pathways to 30x 30

In August, Governor Newsom announced the release of the Pathways to 30×30 Annual Progress Report, a major leap forward toward California’s historic 30×30 target. An incredible 26.1% of lands and 21.9% of coastal waters now meet the state’s definition of durably conserved and managed for biodiversity. Check out the full report here.

Fire Adapted Communities Network

These graphics were developed in the spring of 2025 in collaboration with the Washington Fire Adapted Communities Network, Liz Walker, PhD, and a number of partners in the public health, air quality, and wildfire fields. They were developed over a series of listening sessions and verbal and written feedback. Visit the website for more information.

Sierra Business Council

Northern Rural Energy Network is live! The Sierra Business Council has launched the Northern Rural Energy Network’s residential programming, and we’re now offering our services to homeowners and renters alike! You can learn more about this regional program designed to help families in Northern California save money, boost energy efficiency, and build energy independence through free Energy Efficiency Kits, Home Energy Assessments, and accessible Rebates at NorthernREN.org. Also, check out the Promotional Toolkit for the new network.

Wildfire Solutions Coalition

Alongside partners at The Nature Conservancy and the Northern Sierra Partnership, Sierra Business Council is working behind the scenes on the Wildfire Solutions Coalition, which was created in response to the growing urgency of California’s wildfire crisis. The cross-sector Coalition is unified in the critical need to move the state from wildfire response to wildfire risk reduction.

The collective goal of the Coalition is to secure the funding necessary to achieve California’s wildfire resilience goals and dramatically reduce the impacts of catastrophic wildfire across the state. Coalition members include the Bay Area Council, the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, the Association of California Water Agencies, the California Farm Bureau, the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, the Sierra Nevada Alliance, the California Council of Land Trusts, and the Tahoe City Public Utility District. The Coalition is actively recruiting members, and you can find out more about joining the Coalition here. 

Society for Ecological Restoration’s World Conference

The Society for Ecological Restoration’s World Conference is an exciting and inspiring biennial gathering of global experts in ecological restoration, making the 11th World Conference on Ecological Restoration (SER2025) in Denver, CO, the premier venue for those interested in being active members of the global restoration community. Early bird registration is now available here. Conference dates are scheduled for September 30th – October 4th.

Action Alerts

Are you trying to understand how all of the new executive orders are effecting your organization? The National Council of Nonprofits has created a resource that tracks whether and how Executive Orders issued by the Trump Administration affect nonprofits directly or indirectly.

Recurring Meetings and Events

Sierra Nevada 30×30 Regional Meeting: Contact Lis Olearts at liesbet@sierranevadaalliance.org for more information. Meetings occur monthly on the second Wednesday from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm, with the next meeting on September 10th on Zoom. 

Sierra County Fire Safe Council: The Fire Safe Sierra County Board of Directors meets on the 4th Thursday of the month at 10:00 am at either the Sierraville Ranger Station, Sierraville School, or the Sierra City Community Hall. Meetings are open to the public. Check the website for information about upcoming meetings.

Forest Business Alliance: The FBA provides technical assistance, workshops, and a peer-learning network to increase local and regional capacity for applicants to CAL FIRE’s Business and Workforce Development Program.

CA Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force 2025:  Regional Meeting: Inland Empire, location TBD September 4-5. Sacramento Meeting December 12, CNRA Auditorium, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm.

Yuba Forest Network Quarterly Meeting: Email Kat Perlman at kat@yubariver.org for more details. The next Quarterly Meeting will be Friday, November 7th from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm hybrid. Teams: Click here to join the meeting.

Fire Safe Nevada County Coalition: Contact the group here for more information. This is the new website of the previously-titled Nevada County Coalition of Firewise Communities. More information on FSNCC meetings coming soon.

Yuba Watershed Protection and Fire Safe Council Meeting: The YWPFSC is changing their meeting structure! Check the linked website for more information. Contact Sandie Huckins for more information at programs@yubafiresafe.org. 

California Biodiversity Network Roundtable Discussions: Sentinel Site Network Roundtable Meeting- visit website for upcoming meeting information. Stewardship Roundtable Meeting October 15th, 10 :00 – 11:30 am. Click here to sign up.

California Landscape Stewardship Network: Peer Learning Exchange every first Monday of the month. The next Peer Learning Exchanges are on September 8th and October 6th from 1:00 – 2:00 pm. Email Devin Landry at coordinator@clsn.org for more information.

Sci Pub: Sierra Streams Institute hosts SciPub at the Gold Vibe Kombuchary in Grass Valley every 4th Tuesday of the month. This is a science education lecture series on a variety of topics. The next Sci Pub will be on September 23rd from 6 to 7 pm, discussing Rock Art of Nevada County. This will be the last SciPub of the year!

Webinars

Climate Transformation Alliance (CTA): meets quarterly and public is invited to join. Meetings held on the second Friday of the quarter (January, April, July, October) from 9-11am at the Truckee Tahoe Airport. Next meeting is October 10th from 9-11 am. More information here. Check out the meeting recordings and notes on the CTA website here.

California Climate and Energy Collaborative: September 9, 11 am – 12 pm. Part of the Sierra Business Council, the California Climate and Energy Collaborative (CCEC) hosts monthly Local Energy Resources Network (LERN) meetings every second Tuesday from 11am – 12pm to exchange knowledge, resources, input, and opportunities to help California local governments pursue their energy and climate goals.

Healing the World: Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Role in Ecosystem Restoration. September 17, 8:00 am. This webinar will explore the critical role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in ecosystem restoration as a solution to the climate, conservation, and land degradation crisis. It will discuss how Indigenous Peoples and traditional communities have been stewarding and restoring fragile ecosystems, and the importance of recognizing their agency, capacities, and knowledge to meet the global goals of ecosystem restoration. More information here.

PRE-RECORDED WEBINARS

Prescribed Fire and Wilderness: Barriers and Opportunities in a Time of Change. Rocky Mountain Research Station, Spring 2024

Wildfire and Resilient Landscapes: New Tools for Detailed Analyses. Rocky Mountain Research Station, Spring 2024.

Reading the Tea Leaves: A WestWide Rangeland Fuel Assessment. Rocky Mountain Research Station, February 2025.

Grants

WCB APPLICATIONS FOR PROPOSITION 4 GRANTS ARE OPEN!

Please visit the WCB’s Grant Opportunities page to find out more.

Sierra Nevada Conservancy Wildfire and Forest Resilience Directed Grant Program: funds projects within the Sierra Cascade region that reduce wildfire risk to people and communities that result in a combination of multiple watershed, ecosystem, and community benefits.

Rolling applications

Indian Land Tenure Foundation Cultural Awareness Grants: fund projects that maintain strong cultural and spiritual ties to the land in order to preserve traditional practices and Native American religious beliefs for future generations.

Rolling applications

Urban Streams Restoration Program (USRP): established by Water Code section 7048 which declared that urban creek protection, restoration, and enhancement are best undertaken by local agencies and organizations with assistance from the State. The USRP funds projects and provides technical assistance to restore streams impacted by urban development to a more natural state.

Rolling applications

The Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous People: Land, Water, and Climate Grant Program: supports the traditional land and water stewardship and life systems practices of federally recognized tribal nations and Indigenous-led nonprofit organizations.

Rolling applications

Vadon Foundation Grants support innovative community-based initiatives that sustain healthy, thriving, Indigenous nations in perpetuity, including language revitalization, food insecurity, community leadership, etc.

Rolling applications 

Trek Bicycle Corporation: The Trek Foundation Public Trail Development and Land Protection Initiative protects land, develops trail systems for public use, and provides more riders access to great places to ride.

Rolling applications

US FWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program: provides free technical and financial assistance to plan, design, supervise, and monitor customized habitat-restoration projects

Rolling applications 

The Headwaters Economics Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW) Program is a technical-assistance program that provides support for communities to reduce wildfire risks through improved land-use planning, compelling communication, and applied research.

Rolling applications

The William G. Pomeroy Foundation: National Register Signage Grant Program: provides funds to government entities and nonprofit organizations to defray the costs of plaques or signs for public properties and historic districts that are placed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

Rolling applications

The CA WCB 30×30 Grant Program: Land Acquisition supports high-priority land acquisition projects associated with the implementation of a natural community conservation plan (NCCP) and/or habitat conservation plan (HCP).

Rolling applications

The CA Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) Climate Adaptation and Resilience Program  funds projects that provide climate adaptation and resilience on California’s natural and working lands.

Rolling applications

The CA Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) Forest Conservation Program for protection, restoration, and improvement of upper watershed lands in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountains, including forest lands, meadows, wetlands, chaparral, and riparian habitat, in order to protect and improve water supply and water quality, improve forest health, reduce wildfire danger, mitigate the effects of wildfires on water quality and supply, increase flood protection, or to protect or restore riparian or aquatic resources.

Rolling applications

The CDFW Beaver Conflict Resolution Grant Opportunities: Nature Based Solutions: Beaver Restoration Program: supports the implementation and promotion of human-beaver coexistence strategies through funding for technical assistance and implementation of non-lethal beaver damage deterrence.

Rolling applications

The CDFW Restoration Grant Opportunities: Nature-Based Solutions (Part A): Wetlands and Mountain Meadows Restoration: expands nature-based solutions across California that will advance an approach to restoration that works with and enhances nature to help address societal challenges. Up to $2 million of this will be available for non-lethal beaver damage management. More information can be found in the Beaver Conflict Resolution Grant Opportunities Call for Projects.

Rolling applications

The Headwater Economics Community Planning and Assistance for Wildfires (CPAW) Program provides interdisciplinary teams that collaborate with communities to develop site-specific planning recommendations regarding wildfire risks.

Rolling applications

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Sacramento District California In-Lieu Fee Program provides funding for on-the-ground implementation of aquatic-resource restoration, establishment, enhancement, and/or preservation projects in specific Sierra Nevada watersheds. Contact Chris Gurney for the most recent Notice of Funding Availability.

Rolling applications

The USDA Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations Program provides technical and financial assistance to plan and implement authorized watershed project plans for the purposes of flood prevention, watershed protection, public recreation, etc.

Rolling applications

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Landowner Support: Supporting Underserved and Small-Acreage Forest Landowner Participation in Emerging Private Markets Grant Program – Track B: supports the participation of underserved and/or small-acreage landowners in emerging private markets for climate mitigation or forest resilience. Track B is for projects with budgets up to $2 million.

Rolling applications

The Hind Foundation Standard Grants Program: supports community-based projects proposed by nonprofit organizations in several areas, including plant and wildlife protection, historic landmark restoration, and ecosystem conservation.

Rolling applications

Joint Fire Science Program- BLM National Interagency Fire Cent (NIFC) Funding Program. The JFSP focuses on providing wildland fire science research to support effective land management decisions, complementing and extending the capabilities of other federal fire research programs. The program engages with the management/practitioner community to develop focused research priorities and solicits proposals through a rigorous peer-review process. Click link about to find out more.

Application Deadline: September 18, 2025.

Sustainable Recreation, Tourism, and Equitable Outdoor Access: Sierra Nevada Conservancy is accepting concept proposals for its Sustainable Recreation, Tourism, and Equitable Outdoor Access Grant Program. This program will distribute approximately $4.1 million of remaining Proposition 68 funds to projects that enhance, promote, and develop sustainable recreation and tourism within SNC’s Sierra-Cascade service area.

Concept Proposals due by December 1, 2025. Review of final proposals in March 2026.

 30×30 Funding Resources: link to an excel Google Document for 30×30 related funding opportunities.

Research and Planning Tools

A new online streamlining request process from the California Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force now makes it easier to get State approval to implement critical wildfire risk reduction projects. Information on project eligibility, the Statewide Fuels Reduction Environmental Protection Plan, FAQs, and the request form are available on the Task Force website.

PROJECT STREAMLINING REQUESTS WEBPAGE

California Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force: Wildfire Project Technical Assistance Contact Page. Find your local contacts from State Departments and Regional Agencies.

Prescribed Fire Smoke Planning Tool

The SmokePath Explorer has been developed by Sonoma Technology in partnership with CAL FIRE as a new planning tool for prescribed fire. The tool analyzes 20 years’ worth of meteorological variables to generate the probability of smoke impacts from a prescribed fire. It also identifies the population, educational facilities, and healthcare facilities that have the potential to be affected by smoke. Essentially, it was built to help practitioners plan in advance the time window that would be best to burn and whom to contact to warn of potential smoke impacts.

UC ANR: Forest Stewardship Mapping Forest Features

New in Fire Science: Stanford Study on Controlled Burn

A new Standford-led study finds that controlled, low-intensity fires (prescribed burns) can slash wildfire intensity and dangerous smoke pollution across the western United States. Read more here!

Collaborative Conservation Tools & Resources

Western Collaborative Conservation Network (WCCN) and the Center for Collaborative Conservation (CCC) have put together a collaborative, live document: “Collaborative Conservation Tools and Resources”.

Free and Open-Source Geospatial Tools

A self-published book by Vance Russell (owner of VR Conservation Collective) provides resources and examples of open-source geospatial software and solutions. The book is intended for beginners with some knowledge of desktop tools such as ArcGIS Pro or QGIS and a limited understanding of coding using Javascript or Python.

The Behave Fire Modeling System is one of the most widely used tools to model both wildfire and prescribed fire behavior. It is used by fire analysts, burn bosses, students in fire behavior courses, fire personnel, and other professionals involved in fire management. The system uses mathematical models to predict elements of fire behavior and the fire environment. 

The Incident Strategic Alignment Process (ISAP) (US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station) is a structured yet flexible approach to collaboratively develop, discuss, and communicate risk and strategy during wildfire and all-hazard incident response. It incorporates best practices, science-backed risk analytics, and clear guidance to support Incident Management Teams and Agency Administrators to lead as safely, effectively, and efficiently as possible.

Stewardship Workforce Training Database

There is now an online database of stewardship workforce development programs across California, designed to support individuals and organizations interested in obtaining training, hiring stewards, and funding environmental workforce education. Share and explore opportunities to take stewardship action!

Find trail skills training (or add your own) and connect with well-trained, effective volunteers, contractors, and trails professionals.