An array of scientists are working together to help the U.S. Forest Service determine the best way to ensure the long-term health of California forests. One aspect of the wide-ranging effort - called the Sierra Nevada Adaptive Management Project or SNAMP - is to define a healthy forest. UC Berkeley scientist John Battles is leading a group of researchers who have been extracting core samples from thousands of trees in the Sugar Pine and Nelder Gove areas over the past two years to analyze their health.
A recent public field trip in the experimental area was covered by Sierra Star reporter Jill Coppler. Her article said people are continuing to buy and build homes in the beautiful mountain area. The population is projected to triple by 2040, amplifying the importance of effective fire management.
"This is very much a learning enterprise," Battles was quoted in the story. "We don't have all the answers locked in an ivory tower and we don't rely on a strategy of hope or hoped-for outcomes.
"We're here to analyze what happens to a sweep of elements because we know you can't push on one and have the others not effected."