4 Years Since CZU, Trail Recovery Still Underway
This week marks four years since the CZU Lightning Complex Fire blazed through the Santa Cruz Mountains. The wildfire ripped through nearly 90,000 acres in a matter of days, destroying homes, businesses, and beloved open spaces like Big Basin Redwoods State Park.
While our landscape and community continue to heal, we’re still far from fully recovered from CZU’s impacts. We do know one thing for certain, though–that our team will be there to help rebuild cherished trails and complete the hard work needed to improve fire resilience in our local parks.
Building Into the Future
As the climate continues to change, wildfires are only getting hotter and more frequent.
Our team’s continued fire relief work with California State Parks and other partners improves outdoor access and forest health in the long-term.
Today, many land managers take a “pyro-silviculture” approach to park management. This technique incorporates intentional fire into forest treatments to proactively reduce fuels and improve species diversity so that forests like Soquel Demonstration State Forest and the Big Basin backcountry remain resilient and healthy for generations. Take a peek at all that goes into a prescribed burn in SDSF here.
It takes a lot of highly skilled labor to manage forest fuels appropriately, and we are proud that our professional SCMTS Trail Crew and volunteers can support the health of local open spaces.
A Multitude of Benefits
By stacking forest restoration and trail development, we support:
Healthy ecosystems: low-intensity fire improves forest health and restores diversity to treatment areas
Resilient forests: fuels management improves preparedness for wildfire events
Improved recreation: create new sustainable outdoor recreation, and educate park visitors to encourage support for responsible stewardship in the long-term
Our Accomplishments So Far
2021: We expedited the reopening of trails in Fall Creek Unit of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. Our professional Trail Crew and volunteers completed resource management and trail restoration activities in the park. Take a peek at our Fall Creek photo journal here.
2021-2022: We completed post-fire trail restoration in Bonny Doon Ecological Preserve. We hosted volunteer events and a 50-person Dig Day on the property to repair trails post-wildfire and improve safety throughout the open space. See our recap of the event here.
2023: Our professional SCMTS Trail Crew completed essential fuels management work to reopen the backcountry of Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Watch them at work here.
2023: As a thank you for our support of California State Parks, we were honored with the Golden Bear Award from the CA State Parks Commission in Fall of 2023.
Up Next
We’ll tackle trail work in Big Basin’s backcountry. Following a controlled burn in the area, our professional Trail Crew and volunteers will restore and improve trail features to help folks get outside and connect with the beauty that only the Big Basin backcountry can provide.
Support Our Fire Relief Efforts
Work like this is only possible thanks to support from individuals like you. If you enjoy trails and want to see more fire-minded trail work take place in local parks, consider making a tax-deductible contribution to support our team. Thank you in advance!
