Sonoma Mountain Vernal Pools RX

Located in Sonoma County at Enterprise Ln and Bennett Valley Rd, this project site is a private property managed by Sonoma Land Trust (SLT) consisting of annual and perennial grasslands interspersed with oak woodlands. The Sonoma Mountain Vernal Pool burn proposes to treat approximately 60 acres through prescribed broadcast and pile burning. The primary goals are to reduce the cover of invasive species, particularly medusa head (Elymus caput-medusae) and yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis), improve ingress and egress along Bennet Valley Road, while also providing valuable training opportunities for local and state fire personnel. The fire will be conducted under a low- to moderate-intensity prescription to create beneficial ecological disturbance. Control lines will include wet lines, existing roads, and hand-constructed scratch lines as needed based on terrain and access. Use of heavy equipment will be restricted to existing roads to minimize soil compaction and erosion. Pre-burn treatments may include pruning lower oak limbs and moving dead or downed vegetation into units for full consumption during the burn. The project area has been affected by past wildfires, including the 2017 Nuns and Tubbs Fires and more recent fire events during the 2020 and 2021 fire seasons. These wildfires caused extensive mortality and stress to oak woodlands, increasing fuel loads and fire risk. The proposed treatments aim to reduce this buildup, improve forest health, and enhance fire resilience for the ranch and surrounding landscapes. Prescribed burns in oak woodlands and general grasslands are scheduled for the fall, while targeted grassland burns focused on invasive species control will take place in the spring, before invasive seeds have. Seasonal timing of fire may be adjusted as personnel and staffing fluctuate.