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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UC ANR Fire Network Hosts Wildfire Legislative Tour with Berkeley Forests
As California grapples with decades of severe wildfires, the newly established UC ANR Fire Network plays an integral role in providing and advancing science-based solutions and delivering useful tools throughout the state. Recently, the Fire Network...
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Fresh cut, new content: UC ANR Forest Stewardship team updates their Story Map
The Forest Stewardship team has revamped their Forest Stewardship Story Map, first published in summer 2023. The new application hosts a slew of new features which provide a more user-friendly experience and allow users to learn about the forestry...
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Fueling community knowledge: A conversation with UC ANR Fire Advisor Barb Satink Wolfson
In the wake of California's increasing wildfire concerns, UC ANR has made a concerted push to expand their fire network by hiring more academic advisors like...
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A mini-camp with major impact: California community college students are introduced to UC Berkeley’s Forestry Mini-Camp
The window of summer is closed, and that ‘back to school' feeling everyone knows has settled in- the excitement, the nerves, the first 7AM breakfast you've had in the last few months. However, the magic of summer lingers, and is a bit more...
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UCCE’s Post-Fire Resilience Workshops: Nurturing community growth post-wildfire
In Spring of 2022, UC ANR launched its first Post-Fire Resilience Workshop. Since 2022, the workshop has traveled to Alpine, El Dorado, Plumas, Mariposa, Fresno, Madera, and Napa counties, and has reached 97 participants. The program continues to gain...
California Family Forest
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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.