Following several years of uncharacteristically large and severe wildfires, the Sierra Nevada region is in uncharted territory. In 2021 alone, approximately 1.5 million acres burned. Over half of those acres experienced high-severity fire, which kills at least 75% of vegetation. These fires have left behind an altered landscape that now includes vast expanses of dead trees. The change threatens our water supply, wildlife habitat, carbon stores, Native American sacred sites and biocultural values, and recreation opportunities.
Several Sierra Nevada communities are hurting deeply, with homes destroyed, livelihoods disrupted, and traditional ways of life further threatened. And some of California’s most precious natural resources including crucial water sources like the Feather River watershed and beloved symbols like the giant sequoia have been harmed.