York in discussion with a group of leaders from across the University of California during their visit to Blodgett Forest. Photo by David Ackerly.
Members of the University of California President’s Advisory Commission (PAC) on Agriculture and Natural Resources and the UC ANR Governing Council visited Blodgett Forest, one of multiple research forests run by Berkeley Forests, earlier this month. During the tour, they saw the effects of the Mosquito Fire, which burned through the area in 2022. Berkeley Forests Co-Director Rob York explained how areas of the forest previously treated with combinations of prescribed fire and mechanical forest management methods suffered lower-severity impacts. Professors John Battles and Miranda Redmond described the long-standing research programs at Blodgett on carbon storage and dynamics and forest regeneration. Berkeley Forests staff also demonstrated resilience-focused logging operations, including the felling and processing of a large ponderosa pine—a sight many had never seen before.
The group of visitors included UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons, UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Cynthia Larive, UC Chief Financial Officer Nathan Brostrom, UC Vice President for Research & Innovation Theresa Maldonado, UC Davis Executive Vice Chancellor Mary Croughan, UC Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources Glenda Humistron, deans from six UC campuses, and many other senior ANR staff and PAC members from across California.
Visiting the forest allowed these UC leaders to connect with researchers, see real forest-management in action, and witness first-hand how UC research and cooperative extension work are addressing California’s natural resource, wildfire mitigation, and land management challenges.
“Research at Blodgett Forest exemplifies our contributions to the land grant mission, connecting cutting-edge research to both state policy priorities and management challenges facing land-owners in California,” said David Ackerly, Dean of Rausser College of Natural Resources. “It was an honor to host UC leaders, including the first time a UC Berkeley Chancellor has visited Blodgett, deepening our ties to colleagues across the system, and community members who share and support our mission.”
