Bringing research and outreach to forest landowners.
The Central Sierra forestry program seeks to provide the latest research-based information from the University of California to residents, non-profits, and staff of local, state, and federal agencies.
Susie Kocher is the Forestry Advisor for the Central Sierra area. Susie is a Registered Professional Forester with a background in forestry, stream restoration, monitoring and sociology and has worked for Cooperative Extension for 24 years, in South Lake Tahoe since September 2006. On-going projects:
- Conducting forest stewardship workshops throughout California to help landowners develop plans and management their forests
- Increasing the capacity of private landowners to carry out prescribed fire in the Sierra
- Conducting reforestation workshops for landowners affected by wildfire and tree mortality
- Training Master Gardeners to answer questions on tree mortality from the public
- Coordinating input to the tree mortality data collection network
- Collaboration with the California Fire Science Consortium
- Maintenance of the University of California Forest Research and Outreach website
Past projects:
- 2010 - 2013 Collaborating with the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Living with Fire program to organize the Lake Tahoe Basin Wildfire Awareness Week and wildfire summit
- 2007 - 2015 Monitoring of the recovery of the Angora fire area in collaboration with the California Tahoe Conservancy
- 2008 - 2015 Coordinating public involvement in the Sierra Nevada Adaptive Management Project
- 2009 - Developing Voluntary Revegetation Guidelines for Private Parcels in the Angora burn area with a group of affected homeowners
- 2007 Conducting a Needs Assessment to identify extension and outreach needs
Forestry events/workshops:
- Check this page for a list of past forestry workshops/events.
- Check this page for upcoming events
Forestry publications:
- Check this page for forestry publications.
Ideas for collaboration or educational programming are welcome. Please contact:
Susie Kocher, University of California Cooperative Extension-Central Sierra, 1061 3rd Street, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150, Phone: 530-542-2571, E-mail: sdkocher@ucanr.edu
Forest Research & Outreach Blog
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Connecting California’s forest landowners with CA Tree School
While trees and forests are often emblematic of constancy in a fast-paced world, our state's forests are actually changing before our eyes. Since 2020, the UC ANR Forest Stewardship Education (FSE) program has been helping California's...
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Trunk to Table: Forest Stewardship visits the modernized UC Wood Products Lab at the Richmond Field Station
Today, the revitalization of the UC Wood Products laboratory at the Richmond Field Station outpost is led by Berkeley's UCCE Assistant Professors and Extension Specialists Dr. Daniel Sanchez and Dr. Paul Mayencourt. Sanchez leads the Carbon Removal...
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Empowerment and Incentivization for Forest Management
Social Media Summary Protecting California's forests and building climate-resilient communities and ecosystems requires forest landowners, managers, and natural resource professionals to actively engage in stewardship. UC ANR's Forest Stewardship...
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Forest Stewardship and Industry: Mendocino and Humboldt Redwood Co.'s John Andersen
Before he became the director of forest policy for a timber company, John Andersen was working next door to one. During his time as a consulting forester, several family forests Andersen visited were adjacent to parcels of industrial forestland that...
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New Film Profiles Immediate Actions to Restore California's Wildfire-vulnerable Forests
The new film "California's Watershed Healing" documents the huge benefits that result from restoring forests to healthier densities. UC Merced's Sierra Nevada Research Institute partnered with the nonprofit Chronicles Group to tell...
California Family Forest
Sharing the vision and passion of California forest landowners
New UC ANR Publications
Forest Health
In 2015/16, many trees are dying throughout the central Sierra Nevada. This link connects to a webpage with information, publications and resources for dealing with tree mortality in the central Sierra.