Forest Landowners of California

10/03/2026

Assembly Bill 706 has been signed by the Governor.

09/29/2026

Again, for those following California legislation, here is an update on Asembly Bill 442, that was signed by the govenor:

Email from Forest Landowners of California WFMP and NTMP - Z'berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973 News You Can Use   AB 442 - Signed by the Governor The bill increases the NTMP acreage from 2,500

09/29/2026

For those following California legislation, here is an update on Assembly Bill 2494:

Email from Forest Landowners of California Management of State Forests News You Can Use   Management of State Forests Thanks to all of the members who sent letters opposing AB 2494 (Rogers) that was v

09/20/2026

Boys and their toys...what to do when you've had to fall trees around your house for fire and wind safety, but there's no market for them. I guess you buy your own mill and start building...

09/19/2026

Happy Saturday! This week I had 2 great days as a docent for Spring Rivers Educational Foundation, leading 5th graders on a hike at Crystal Lake. We taught them about about the fault scarp that borders the lake, bald eagles & ospreys, ecotones & plant diversity between the wetland and chaparral veg types, the water cycle, how to use binoculars, and so much more. Getting kids out in nature and helping them make connections...that's what it's all about. This program is such a blessing to the community. I've been helping Spring Rivers since they started 18 years ago. 🏞

How do you help kids get connected to the forest and nature?

09/08/2026

Here is a book every forest landowner (or anyone who works in or manaages a forest) should read...

09/07/2026

Happy Monday!

What does a healthy forest look like? What is the meaning behind the overused phrase in many management plans "Forest Health"? Is it all just pointy topped trees evenly spaced, or is there more to it?

Here is a USFWS article that considers 4 key elements as necessary to a healthy forest. What does your forest look like? I'll share my personal healthy forest list, that's a bit longer, (from a wildlife/botany married 35 years to a forester perspective) tomorrow, but I'm curious as to what others think a "healthy forest" means.

When you close your eyes and think of a healthy forest, you may picture one that’s thick with trees. But a healthy forest is complex, just like the plant and animal species that live there. Rick Kuyper, Sierra-Cascades division supervisor in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Sacramento Fish a...

09/05/2026

Good to know...

A California agency on Wednesday approved long-delayed regulations designed to protect homes from wildfire, but they're less stringent than defenses

09/01/2026

August and September is when young skunks are finding new territories. Lots of people don't like skunks, but I happen to love these little stinkers. They were my favorite smell growing up as a kid. 🙂

There are at least 2 good reasons to let them live. One, they are immune to snake venom and will seek out and kill young rattlesnakes. And two, they dig up ground wasp nests and eat the larvae. How cool is that! If you've ever stumbled upon a ground wasp nest while marking timber, you know the feeling of running thru the woods to escape those nasty bees and may wish you had come across a skunk instead!

They also have super soft fur. In my taxidermy class years ago at HSU, the assignment was to bring in a road kill animal to stuff. I brought in a beautiful skunk that had been hit on the road (the stinker part was still intact, so it did not smell bad), unfortunately Doc Harris did not allow me to practice my taxidermy skills with it. 🤣😂🤣

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1514602164041635&id=100064755968574&post_id=100064755968574_1514602164041635&mibextid=CDWPTG

It's the time of year again when we start getting lots of calls about striped skunks. Don't worry, you don't have baby skunks that have been orphaned wandering aimlessly about. You have first year skunks that are dispersing. August into September is prime season for the males that were born (usually in April) to go out into the world and find their own territories. The females might hang around mom for many more months. These first-year males also may look a bit small, and you may see them hanging out during daytime hours. They also can seem pretty unconcerned about humans. The youngsters are just a bit clueless but remember they are on their first solo forays exploring and surviving in this brave new world. It's also important to keep in mind that skunks have poor eyesight. So, make noise to alert them to your presence. They also do not spray randomly. It takes them up to 10 days to replenish their scent glands so they only spray as a last resort. In this watershed, the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife does not allow rehabbers to interact with skunks at this time. So, all we can offer is advice.

09/01/2026

Any thoughts on this?

Personally, I think the landscape needs fire, but we need to reduce fuels first. Going back to putting every fire out by 10a.m. might encourage more fuel build up through overstocked forests and excessive brush growth. Further it may prevent the USFS, NPS, and BLM from doing prescribed burns on land they manage. Managing forests should not be a one size fits all approach.

https://www.activenorcal.com/the-firefighting-rule-america-abandoned-50-years-ago-could-be-coming-back/?fbclid=IwdGRzaAUD1RdjbGNrBQPVEHBkb2YBZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMzUwNjg1NTMxNzI4AAEeMxY6P_iV9FsjyBiPol4dpKqK_5KOVoyFmU51h-hFXRK_ZpSVA7MGY_e1cnM_aem_mGRbeUu4FuPkcCWAIGKKKQ

The 10 a.m. rule shaped a century of firefighting. Now Washington may revive it, and California's fire community is split.