This interview is part of our Women’s History Month series- check back this week for more stories from female forest landowners to inspire your forest stewardship journey!
Julianna Olate has stewarded forestland in Del Norte County since 2008, managing her own 80-acre parcel and her neighbor's 160-acre parcel that border Six Rivers National Forest. Throughout her childhood, she and her father would often visit the area for camping trips, leading to her deep appreciation for forests and the outdoors. Since moving to Del Norte County, Olate has worked to manage invasives, implement fuel reduction projects, and improve the health of a forest that had previously been clear-cut several times.
“I am a woman, I am a forest owner, and I am a tradesperson who has been doing work for most of my life that most people would find unique, and I am pleased to be able to tell my story,” she shares.
See Julianna’s perspectives on owning forestland, her advice for other women landowners, and details on management projects below. Answers have been edited for clarity. All photos used courtesy of Julianna Olate.
Q: Could you please share about your forestland: where you are, forest type, ownership history, etc.
A: I live in a place called Big Flat, which is in Del Norte County, California. I've been here since 2008, but I've known about this land for many years. I came up here as a little girl with my father to go camping, and I loved it here so much, I just kept coming back. When an owner here in this area was ready to sell, I was ready to buy, and we did our deal.
The property had been logged heavily, starting in the 1920s to the early 1980s. There’s been quite a lot of heavy work done here over the years, and what has grown back is a mixed conifer and hardwood forest that is not representational of what was here before the logging. There is a lot of Douglas fir, some smaller cedars, a whole lot of tan oak, California bay laurel, and some really intense huckleberry thickets, because when the previous owners clear cut they didn't replant any trees.
Q: Do you have a favorite place/spot on your forestland? What do you like to do for fun on your land?
A: There are these steep ravines on the property that look out over a creek at the bottom, and there are all kinds of interesting bird life that use the creek as a travel corridor. When you stand at the top you can see bald eagles, osprey, hawks, giant ravens, great blue herons and snowy egrets. You also get some great views of the mountains, and you can see the sunsets over the ocean. Those would be my favorite places.
What I like to do most here is just walk around. I go slow because there's so much to see. The flora and fauna are so amazing here, and the differences in plant and animal life between being on the edge of the creek versus getting higher into the deeper forest is so fascinating.
Q: What is a management activity or project that you are most proud of? Is there a project that you’re looking forward to?
A: We have accomplished doing fuels reduction, tree stand improvement, and woody debris management on a total of 240 acres. That work has all been possible because of the NRCS; their EQIP cost share program has provided funding which made it possible for me to hire crews and get this work done.
We aim to mirror the work that the Forest Service is doing all around our little community of Big Flat. We follow the same prescriptions they use to make our forest healthier and wildfire resilient. Fire is a huge deal around here. What the community is trying to do is be proactive, and the Forest Service is doing the same thing.
Getting that 240 acres done was a huge accomplishment. But now, we have to maintain it. So that's the project that we're implementing now: we’re working with the Del Norte Fire Safe Council to start a Prescribed Burn Association here in our county so we can “get good fire" on the ground which will help to maintain a healthy forest, and reduce the severity of wildfires when they occur, and that's really exciting for us as a community.
I'm also working with the NRCS on a 5-year program that will allow us to improve habitat for the small Spotted Owl community living here in the Jones Creek Watershed.
One of the amazing things about doing this work is that it's good for the forest. We have created a much healthier and much more diverse forest than we had 5 years ago because of the work that we've done.
Q: Are there obstacles to managing your land that most people wouldn’t expect? What about unexpected benefits?
A: Well, I'm one of the obstacles! I want to have this beautiful park-like place, but a forest is not a park. It's wild, and it's unpredictable. I've had to ask myself questions like: “How much of this do I need to touch? How much of this am I healthy to touch?” and that’s taken a tremendous amount of internal surrender.
I often ask myself: are you a human being, or are you a human doing? When I am a human doing, I have to think about how the activities I do affect everything else. I need to be clear on my plan, my methodology, and my science to make sure that I'm not doing too much or doing any harm.
There is also the obstacle of a forest being a forest! I didn't realize when I moved here how dangerous and hazardous it can be to live in a forest. Trees tip over a lot during winter storms; mostly in the forest, but sometimes on your house, in the road, or on top of one of your important life support systems like a solar panel array. You try to anticipate these things, but nature is powerful and unpredictable, so as they say, “stuff happens” and you just have to deal with it.
Life here is challenging, and being self-sufficient is a necessity. It is wonderfully fulfilling to meet the challenges encountered here on a daily basis, and I have found this to be one of the unexpected benefits of being here.
Living in the forest has changed me, I’m learning to “keep my hands to myself” until I’m truly clear about what I’m doing and why.
Q: What are some resources that you found helpful when you began your landowner journey?
A: I'm a big reader and I started out reading books on common-sense forestry, forest stewardship, and plant, tree, insect, and animal identification. Being able to identify and better understand all the things that live here has been really important. My connections with the Forest Service, the Fire Safe Council, and the Smith River Alliance, are all things that I've been able to take advantage of as well.
One of the most important things has been the UC ANR Forest Stewardship program that I participated in twice. That program has given me the language with which to communicate in the world of forestry, which has been invaluable for getting my ideas across to the forestry professionals that I'm working with.
Q: Is there a piece of advice you would give to other women landowners?
A: Learn to use your tools and become proficient in your trade. When you work in a forest you need to be able to do stuff. You need to be able to accomplish things with your hands. Learn how to use a chainsaw! Even if you're hiring people to do the work, at least you understand what they’re going through out there.
Know that it's possible for you to do it. I’ve never labeled anything that I do “men's work”. I just think of it as my work. All kinds of people can work outside, and don't let anybody tell you that you can't. Stay in shape, exercise, and get strong. Let go of any preconceived notions of what it is to be a woman so you can be the woman that you are, not the woman that other people think you should be.
Q: What gives you hope for the future of California’s forests?
A: As a species I feel we are becoming more aware of the value of forests as something to be cherished and cared for, and my hope is that we can strike a better balance between commercial forestry and forest preservation. There are several big nonprofits here in Northern California and Southern Oregon that specialize in forest management and preservation, while also harvesting timber in more responsible ways. These big tracts of forest land and their managers are living examples of how to preserve forests for future generations, and I am seeing these types of forest management practices being implemented all over California by private forest owners as well.