Butte County Resource Conservation District

11/02/2026

Thank you, CAL FIRE!
Here's wishing everyone a busy, safe, productive and joyous fall beneficial fire season!

Beginning Sunday, November 1, 2026 the burn suspension in Butte County is lifted and burn permits are no longer required for unincorporated areas of Butte County.

See News Release for further details.

As a reminder, burning is only allowed on permissive burn days.
☎️ Visit https://www.bcaqmd.org/or call 530-332-9407 to confirm the burn day status.

10/28/2026

-----SMOKE NOTICE----

Yesterday, Butte RCD and PBA volunteers assisted with nearly 40 acres of burning in Big Chico Creek Canyon, led by the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve. Congrats and good work BCCER!

-TOMORROW, Thursday, October 29th, Butte PBA will be conducting a broadcast burn near Forest Ranch Road in Forest Ranch.

-All PBA burns have required permits, and we will only burn if conditions are conducive to safe burning.

-This burn will reduce wildfire risk and enhance ecological function. Our burns also provide training to teach landowners and land managers how to use fire to manage land safely.

10/26/2026

We are grateful to have partnered on this project with CDFW, local partners, and our funders at the Wildlife Conservation Board and Sierra Meadows Partnership. This could not have happened without them!

10/23/2026

Two years after the Park Fire, how can we care for our lands? How can we make our neighborhoods as ecologically resilient as they can be?

And can we get a little help around here?!?

Come join a host of local residents and practitioners to GET INTO IT!

Our own botanist Wolfy Rougle will speak along with Butte County Fire Safe Council, Cohasset arborist/legend Seth Mitchell, and Cohasset's own Lyle W. Johnson of the Cohasset Ridge Prescribed Burn Association!

10/14/2026

Because of current fire weather conditions, Butte PBA is postponing the prescribed burn scheduled for Friday, October 16th, in Butte Meadows. We’ve tentatively rescheduled for Friday, October 23rd, when conditions are expected to be suitable and resources are available. Postponements like this are a normal part of prescribed fire. Every burn has a “prescription,” a specific range of weather and fuel conditions where fire behaves predictably and does the most good for the land. When conditions fall outside that window, we wait. Holding off until the right day is how we keep our crews and community safe and make sure the burn achieves its goals.
We’ll confirm the new date as it gets closer. Thank you for your patience and support!

10/12/2026

------PRESCRIBED FIRE ALERT---------
Butte Prescribed Burn Association and Butte County Resource Conservation District will be conducting a prescribed burn in Butte Meadows on Lucas Ranch Road.
This six acre burn in timber understory is specifically being conducted to reduce fuel and fire danger in the area.
When: Friday, October 16th, 9 am to 4 pm
Where: Butte Meadows
Size: 6 Acres
Permits: CAL FIRE Butte Unit has issued our LE7 broadcast burn permit, and all applicable air quality permits are in hand.
The past few days have delivered consistently mild weather to the region, providing the appropriate conditions to conduct Rx burns to meet objectives while burning safely. A prescription-based approach to burning means that regardless of the time of year, permits will be issued if prescriptions can be met and the appropriate resources are available. We intend to continue bringing fire back to the landscape when it can be done safely, even if burn suspensions are in place. Please do not burn without a permit. For more information about the Butte PBA and BCRCD visit bcrcd.org, or for questions or concerns email [email protected]

10/01/2026

As we prepare for our 2026/27 prescribed fire season, we want to thank for awarding us a grant from the Donna Murrill Wildfire Fund.
Donna Murrill, a longtime Butte County resident, was forced to evacuate twice during the 2018 Camp Fire. The experience affected her profoundly. She decided to leave part of her estate to NVCF for future wildfire recovery efforts.

With the $10,784 awarded to , we are purchasing a 125HP fire skid, along with all the other equipment needed to turn any 1/2 ton pickup into a Type 7 fire engine. Once installed, Butte PBA will have 2 fire engines! Thank you, Donna and the North Valley Community Foundation, for supporting the Butte PBA and a safer fire future for Butte County.

09/17/2026

Don't miss the chance to showcase your public speaking skills and knowledge in conservation!

09/09/2026

By providing flooded roosting habitat, dry untilled foraging habitat, or both, farmers in the Sacramento Valley and the Delta can help support wintering sandhill cranes while receiving incentive payments.

What's new this year? Due to forecasts of a potentially historic El Niño event, The Nature Conservancy has simplified the fall and winter enrollment schedule with a limited number of start dates.

Enrollment Options & Payment Rates

Fall/Winter (Options 1-4): Roost habitat, forage habitat, or both
$90/acre
Start dates: October 5, 12, 19, or December 7, 2026

Winter/Spring (Options 5-7): Roost habitat only, with a gradual drawdown over the final two weeks of enrollment
$95/acre
Start dates: January 18, February 1, or February 8, 2027

Application Timeline

Applications open: August 24, 2026
Applications close: September 11, 2026, at 11:59 PM
Award notifications: September 25-29, 2026

For complete program details, habitat requirements, and to submit an online application, please visit:

https://birdreturns.org/program/sandhillcranes/”

08/25/2026

Hey Prescribed Fire People!

The application for 2026 Fall Butte Cal-TREX is open! This week of prescribed fire training will take place Monday, Nov 2nd through Thursday, Nov 5th, in Butte County, CA. An RT-130 will also be available on October 2nd if you need to keep your NWCG certs current leading up to the event. The week will focus on hands-on learning opportunities and developing crew cohesion. We will prioritize live fire if a burn window opens. Training will incorporate equipment utilization, weather and fuel observations, fireline leadership skills, medical scenarios, communication, burn planning, and fire ecology. All skill levels are welcome!

Please note that this is an application, and participation will be capped at 60 people. Filling out this form does not guarantee admission. We will contact you before the event to confirm your participation. Registration is $50, and we will not collect this fee until/if your participation is confirmed. Please complete and submit this registration by 5 pm on Friday, September 4th, if you are interested in participating!

Click this link to register! https://forms.gle/TkJTaA2DgQv2Nb1y5