After a nationwide implementation delay spanning more than 3 years, the 2015 Clean Water Rule became law in late August 2018 in 22 states (including California) as well as the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories. Wetland delineations in all participating states must now follow the 2015 rule. The 2015 rule was published by
Community wildfire protection planning plays a key role in protecting the millions of homes throughout California located on land designated as Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI). The U.S. Forest Service defines the WUI as places where humans and their development come into contact with (within a half mile of) wildland fuel sources. With 32% of housing in
Record-high temperatures and rainfall levels approaching the record low in California have fueled devastating fire seasons that begin earlier and earlier each year. In an effort to prevent increasingly catastrophic wildfires, California Governor Jerry Brown signed several bills in September that prioritize land management activities focused on forest health, fuel management, and fire prevention. Senate
Drought and pests, as well as tissue and root damage, put many trees at risk for internal rot and decay. Sonic tomography allows municipalities and developers to efficiently detect and accurately map tree decay in a non-invasive manner, especially for trees that do not show external signs of decay. Technology in Action Depending on tree
After decades of road and rail development obstructed the natural habitat of the Middle Martis wetland, Dudek and our native habitat construction subsidiary Habitat Restoration Sciences Inc. (HRS) worked with the Truckee River Watershed Council to restore the area to a lush meadow of native wildlife. The wetland restoration at the 60-acre site in the
National City — a small disadvantaged city in San Diego County — will expand its urban forest by planting 1,700 trees in city-managed properties with a $650,000 CAL FIRE grant. CAL FIRE’s Urban and Community Forestry Program focuses on using trees to provide neighborhoods the benefits of urban forests, such as sequestering greenhouse house gas,
Digital technology has transformed collecting environmental field data. Data is collected more efficiently, more accurately, in greater quantity, and processed more quickly than ever before. For Dudek biologists, archaeologists, urban foresters, hydrologists, and other science and engineering professionals that manage projects involving fieldwork, applying technology is a constant challenge as it evolves. Three Dudek team
Now’s the time to begin 2018 grant application preparations for CAL FIRE’s Urban and Community Forestry Program Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which provides funding for urban forestry projects for cities, counties, districts, and non-profit organizations. Awarded funding may be applied to projects including, but not limited to: Urban tree plans that include coordination of local
Ten million acres of public land in California deserts are under a new management blueprint with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s approval of the Record of Decision for the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) in September. The new landscape-level plan being implemented includes designation of use zones and management directives for renewable energy,
The polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB), a forest pest from Southwest Asia, is attackingPest_PSHB and killing hundreds of California native tree species, including coast live oak, western sycamore, and red willow. While most bark beetles feed on the tree itself, PSHB feeds on a fungus it introduces and transports from tree to tree. The fungus