Tulare County Forest Health Task Force

Tulare County facilitates the Tulare County Forest Health Task Force.  The Task Force was originally founded in 2016, and was formerly known as the Tree Mortality Task Force.  The Task Force was developed in response to an existing local emergency due to widespread and increasing tree mortality in Tulare County.   The immediate and long-term ramifications of tree mortality was impacted by a number of factors including, but not limited to, Drought/Bark Beatle Impacts, Disaster Declarations, and Catastrophic Wildfires:

• Rough Fire (2015)
• Cedar Fire (2016)
• Pier Fire (2017)
• Sequoia Complex Fire (2020)
• KNP Complex Fire and Windy Fire (2021)

The mobilization of emergency personnel, utility companies, government (local, state, federal), and various organizations to address relief efforts was swift. Emergency and wildfire suppression response delineated a hierarchy of responsibility creating momentum around forest health activities.

In 2020, the California Tree Mortality Task Force rebranded to the Forest Management Task Force.  The restructure focused on long-term forest resilience and forest health objectives moving away from short-term emergency response.  In 2021, the Tulare County Tree Mortality Task Force rebranded to the Tulare County Forest Health Task Force in response to the changing objectives. 

Today, the Task Force continues to work with local, non-profit, tribal, state, and federal agencies to share effective strategies that addresses a growing wildfire risk concern.   

Tulare County is committed to cultivating deeper, broader, and more meaningful relationships.   Staff has prioritized collaboration and supportive networks to nurture forest health initiatives.    Task Force efforts include:

• Facilitate the development of a communication plan for stakeholder engagement.
• Increase interagency cooperation and capacity through partnership agreements.
• Create a network of stakeholders to expand ongoing wildfire awareness and prevention coordination across working groups.
• Develop grant opportunities to support conceptual, design, planning, and implementation projects.
• Increase development and support of public engagement and outreach activities. 
• Facilitate and Support fuel reduction and wildfire prevention.
• Develop a pipeline of projects which benefit County communities in wildfire mitigation efforts.
• Develop strategic measures to collaborate county-wide on forest health efforts.

The meetings are held In-Person at:

Tulare County Resource Management Agency

Large Conference Room

5961 S. Mooney Blvd.

Visalia, CA 93277.   

Meetings are held Bi-Monthly on the first week of the month on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m.   

Meeting are also available through Microsoft Teams.    Please visit our Forest Health Calendar for updated meeting information at: https://tularecounty.ca.gov/foresthealth/calendar/.  

Uniting our Wildfire Community to Action!

Tulare County is creating resources and funding streams to assist all Fire Mitigation groups.  The goal is to build capacity through projects, outreach, and education initiatives supporting Wildfire Prevention and Awareness.   Extreme weather vulnerabilities impact our citizens, especially conditions which increase wildfire risk threatening public health, safety, and well-being.

In the last several years, the County has experienced several wildfires which devastated and degraded our forested landscapes. We need your help to unite our Wildfire Community to Action!

How can you help!

• Provide a list of priority projects you would like to partner with or address gaps in wildfire prevention in your community.
• Join the Tulare County Forest Health Task Force to advance priorities and create lasting positive impacts.
• Share experience, expertise, and knowledge with the Task Force to encourage Best Practices to address gaps in service, funding, and capacity.
• Share your projects, outreach, and education successes so we can develop a shared database to know where the work is pending, ongoing, or completed.

10/31/2023 Tulare County Board of Supervisors Presentation

Presentation by Denise England, RMA Grants & Resource Manager

Title: Forest Resilience Update