The Fire Safe Council began the year with its attention on the new insect threat to the Hill’s oaks, the Goldspotted oak borer. Many of our volunteers and staff attended a training program in January at the Nature Center led by experts from the Forest Service and University of California, Riverside. From that training came…

It looks as if federal funding for fuel reduction in the national forests will be cut in this year’s budget. The final budget may include more money, but given the various pressures on the Forest Service for other missions, I expect this reduction to stay. With some recent exceptions, the pattern for fuel treatment dollars…