The ecosystem at San Vicente Redwoods is adapted to fire and has a long history of fire on the landscape. The August 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fire burned almost all of this approximately 9,000 acre property. The Lockheed fire in 2009, which burned over 7,000 acres, was held and stopped on a strategic road that bisects the property, preventing it from expanding into a more catastrophic blaze.

Installing a more robust water system throughout the property was part of our commitment to building trails at San Vicente Redwoods. We worked closely with CAL FIRE to identify the best locations for water tanks. In total, we installed eight, 5,000-gallon water tanks in four different areas.

Having 40,000 gallons of water readily available deep on the property also opens the opportunity for prescribed burns to maintain shaded fuel breaks and create a more resilient forest.

The water tanks will also support sustainable forestry operations at San Vicente Redwoods by keeping the dirt roads logging trucks use to navigate the property wet. If trucks are driven down a dry dirt road, the dust kicked up is actually the road itself. Losing all this fine sediment leads to costly deterioration such as ruts, potholes, and the “washboard” effect.

The timber harvests at San Vicente Redwoods, planned and carried out under the close supervision of foresters, scientists, and loggers, have multiple benefits. They thin out crowded, second growth stands to create more natural spacing for the old growth forests decades into the future. The harvests also supply local lumber that has been harvested according to the highest standards in the country. The revenue generated by the timber harvests goes right back into the property and helps pay for restoration projects such as dam removals, native planting projects, and wildlife studies.