[PCA] Four perspective on fires in southern California, native plants and weeds

[Craig Dremann - Redwood City Seed Company]

Dear Rick and All,

I just got back from Southern California, and I have four perspectives on
the fires down there:

1.) Missing perennial native grasses, that regrow after fires.  I was able
to find in coastal scrub habitats (Artemisia-Salvia-buckwheat) that had
been unmolested by cows, as much as a 20% native perennial grass
understory, like the water tower hill of Oak Park, that is near Thousand
Oaks.

I'm suggesting that after fires, that an investment be made by the local
homeowners, to purchase and sow the proper local native species of native
perennial grasses?  The County governments could create special Districts
out of the canyon areas, where an annual fee is added to everyone's
property tax bill, to pay for the seeding.  It would cost a minimum of
$5,00 per acre, especially on the steep canyon sides.

2.) "Pre-seeding the fires".  When I taught my classes to the Forest
Service, the plan for fires, was always an "after the fact" process.  What
I have been suggesting, is to "Preseed the Fires", by sowing back the
proper local native perennials into a fire and mudslide prone area, so
when a fire does occur, there will be perennial native grasses to slow
down the fire and hold the soil after the fire.

3.) Look more closely at the annual exotics, and what is the lowest
threshold that can carry fire?  I drove out to the Mojave, and looked at
an area along Hwy 14 and Agua Calaente road that burned sometime this
summer.  What I found was a totally toasted ecosystem, with only about 50%
of the Mojave yuccas left standing, even burning the riparian forest trees
to the ground.  What carried that fire from shrub to shrub was a very thin
understory of annual weed grasses, like red brome and Schimus grass.

The fact of weed grasses carrying fire isn't new, but was surprising is
how little did so much damage.  If you weigh one square foot of the
unburned grasses, it only weighs 0.1 oz., or only 250 pounds of biomass
per acre.

BLM Barstow is in the process of renewing all the cattle and sheep grazing
allotments this year.  Their plan for management, isn't to monitor the
native species and their health, but just measure all edible biomass. 
That could mean good health in the desert is a thick stand of red brome
and schimus, which if caught fire, could cook all the native desert
species that live out there.

4.) If we don't ressed with local natives after fires, are we just leaving
spaces for the exotics to come in?  Especially in coastal southern
California, fires seem to favor some of the weeds to colonize where
natives formerly grew, like the annual weed grasses, the weed mustards,
and especially the evil fountain grass.

Sincerely,  Craig Dremann