Monday September 19 - Solano Fire Safe Council Meeting

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

View the Zoom recording at this link: https://youtu.be/bb-djFNBPro?t=81

What & Why: Hear updates on what the Coordinating Committee has been doing to build the structure, bylaws, and priorities of this organization. Share who our members are, why we're involved in regional fire resiliency, and what our next steps are as a Fire Safe Council.

Agenda:

• 6:00 PM Chris Rose, Solano Resource Conservation District: Welcome, Opening remarks
• 6:05 PM Karin Young, Solano Resource Conservation District: Attendee introductions, what brings you here
• 6:10 PM Don Ryan, Solano County Office of Emergency Services: Purpose & Mission Statements - Breakout Rooms
• 6:35 PM Nancy Nelson, Solano County Administrator’s Office: Update on Efforts
• 7:05 PM Tracy Katelman, ForEverGreen Forestry: Q&A
• 7:25 PM Chris Rose, Solano Resource Conservation District: Closing remarks, Reminders

A PDF of the slides presented at this meeting can be found at this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QYt9eFJsCeTwJqiNTsjF1YRjwaTDEkcQ/view?usp=sharing

Want to stay in touch? Fill out this form to be added to the Solano Fire Safe Council email list.

July 27 - Solano County Fire Safe Council Kick Off Meeting

The Solano Resource Conservation District is working to catalogue habitat concerns remaining in the 2020 LNU burn footprint. This survey effort will inform upcoming work funded under a fire resilience grant from the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts (CARCD), and help build future projects and proposals. 

As the size and intensity of California wildfires grow, the challenges of post-fire restoration grow as well. From 2019-2021, over 7 million acres of California burned, many of which include high severity landscape-altering burn acres. Post-fire recovery is not only a time of healing for the community but also presents a narrow opportunity to address impacts to the landscape. One of the many important parts of post-fire community healing is managing the landscape to restore ecosystem function, support habitat resilience, and prevent a semi-permanent to permanent deforestation event. 

In May 2022, the USDA United States Forest Service (USFS) awarded CARCD a Post-Fire Disaster Recovery Grant to provide sub-grants to RCDs through a competitive process. In July 2022, Solano RCD’s project was one of six funded across the eligible state area, bringing $175,000 to local economies to complete fuel reduction and fire readiness projects. Beginning in Summer 2023, Solano RCD will use the grant to implement fire resilience projects – including fuels removal and habitat restoration – in burned creek areas within the 2020 LNU footprint.

“RCDs like Solano RCD are well integrated and trusted in their communities, so they are perfectly situated to work with private landowners and tribes to complete critical post-fire forest recovery work,” said Karen Buhr, former executive director of CARCD.  

Solano RCD staff will be conducting a survey of burned areas to assess remaining habitat damage. Participation in this survey is voluntary, and data collection will be focusing on impacts to landscapes – such as forest health, fuel loads, creek impacts, flooding and erosion concerns – rather than infrastructure.  

While work on riparian properties (those with creeks running through them or along their borders) can be funded through the CARCD grant, the goal is to use the survey findings to apply for future grants that could address broader habitat impacts throughout the burned areas in Solano County.  

“With the increasing size of landscape-altering wildfires, timely and effective restoration is needed to reduce hazards, restore forest resilience, and prevent permanent impacts to Solano County’s natural areas,” said Chris Rose, Solano RCD’s Executive Director. “Solano RCD is working to play our part in the community’s recovery, and collaborating with our partners through forums like the Solano Fire Safe Council to plan additional fire resilience projects.” 

Sign up for the 2020 Solano County Fire Impacts Survey

For additional information, please visit our Wildfire Resources page or contact Karin Young, Conservation Project Manager: karin.young (at) solanorcd.org

Press Release (July 6, 2020)
Category: Education Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact:  Marianne Butler, Watershed Education Director
Email:  

 
BENICIA WATER EDUCATION PROGRAM LAUNCHES SPRING 2020 
Solano Resource Conservation District and City of Benicia Public Works partner in engaging local students on water resources   

Benicia, California (July 6, 2020): The City of Benicia Public Works Department and the Solano Resource Conservation District (Solano RCD) partnered earlier this year to initiate new educational opportunities for Benicia’s fourth and fifth grade students. These new opportunities are a part of the city’s rejuvenated Benicia Water Education Program, where local students learn about Benicia’s water resources. As a result of this partnership, additional Benicia students now have the opportunity to participate in several free water education based field trips every year visiting the water treatment plant, wastewater treatment plant and Lake Herman.

In an early phase of the program, fourth graders from Mary Farmar, Matthew Turner, and Joe Henderson elementary schools visited the Benicia Wastewater Treatment Plant. Wearing safety goggles and buzzing with anticipation, students curiously examined microscopic creatures being displayed on a screen in the treatment plant’s lab. A wastewater operator later revealed that students were looking at activated sludge containing microscopic waste-eating organisms as they broke down sewage. Students also toured the plant, met laboratory technicians and wastewater operators, and saw first-hand how wastewater is made safe enough to be released into the Carquinez Strait. 
 

The Wastewater Treatment Plant tour follows an in-class lesson where students create a water filtration system. These fourth graders think like engineers as they design and build a model to mimic the first process of water treatment. The lesson correlates with the Next Generation Science Standards and brings home the message that students can be stewards of our water resources.

“The Benicia Water Education Program provides the next generation of leaders and scientists the opportunity to become stewards of their local waterways and learn the importance of protecting our valuable water resources,” stated Marc Bautista, Water Quality Supervisor for the Benicia Public Works Department. “Our partnership with Solano RCD supports Benicia students by providing valuable educational experiences that cover water from source to sink, conservation, and protection both in the classroom and at city facilities.”  

Benicia’s fifth graders were scheduled to attend two field trips, one to Lake Herman Recreation Area to learn about drinking water resources and their local watershed, and the other to the Benicia Water Treatment Plant to learn how water is made clean and safe enough for drinking and other household uses. 

“If it weren’t for COVID-19 related school closures, this would have been the first year that every fourth and fifth grader in Benicia would have toured our water and wastewater treatment plants,” said Kyle Ochenduszko, Deputy Public Works Director. “Hopefully our videos and photos can provide an adequate substitute for the public until we can, once again, invite tour groups back to our facilities.”

This spring, 304 fourth graders participated in the in-class lesson, with 180 of those students touring the Wastewater Treatment Plant before the countywide shelter-at-home order closed schools. In lieu of live lessons and field trips, Solano RCD developed distance learning resources featuring videos and virtual tours. These resources are now available for anyone who would like to learn more about Benicia’s water and municipal services on the Solano RCD’s website under Benicia Water Education. 

Funding for the Benicia Water Education program comes from the City of Benicia Public Works Department. Solano RCD works with multiple partners to provide students from elementary through high school with learning experiences in the watersheds in which they live. Benicia’s third graders also participate in Solano RCD’s Watershed Explorers program and its sixth graders participate in the Suisun Marsh Watershed program. Additionally, several Benicia High School biology classes participate in the district’s Solano County Biomonitoring Program every year.

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