TRINITY COUNTY LOCAL PROGRAMS
Forestry and Fuels
California’s forests are adapted to thrive with frequent, low-severity fire. Therefore, reducing hazardous fuels and improving forest health are key objectives of Watershed Center programming. Our forestry programs include a full range of forest management work including forest thinning, fuels reduction, technical work, silviculture projects, and preparation for timber sales.
Our professional crews implement projects on public and private land in Trinity County, working with landowners, agency partners, and community members to support local jobs, the economy, and the health of our landscape.
Want to learn more about how our qualified crews can help you manage your land? Check out our available services.
Prescribed Fire
Did you know that the Watershed Center has a local prescribed fire program in Trinity County?
Ellen and Qwalen, residents of Hyampom, are our local Prescribed Fire Operations Specialists.
The backbone of our prescribed fire program is the inclusive learning environment created through our cooperative burning. We host hands-on trainings and cooperative burns to deepen our understanding of land management with the use of long-term prescribed fire application. All of our work happens in and around our highest value resources and assets: our communities.
The Watershed Center leads the Trinity Integrated Fire Management Partnership (TIFMP), a cooperative and cross-boundary, multi-partner effort to reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health and wildlife habitat by building the local capacity to plan and implement cooperative prescribed burning throughout Trinity County, California. Our partners include Trinity County Resource Conservation District, Hayfork Fire Department, Hyampom Fire Department, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Shasta-Trinity National Forest, CAL FIRE, and volunteers from the community.
We also support the development of local Prescribed Burn Associations (PBAs) - community members helping each other manage the land with fire. We provide support for these PBAs with training and mentorship.
Interested to learn more? Attend one of our burns and learn through participating. We believe “fire is for everyone”, and that you can serve a role in bringing good fire back to the landscape, regardless of ability or experience.
Do you want to manage your land with fire? Email Ellen and Qwalen at fireoperations@thewatershedcenter.com to learn more. There are also opportunities with our Forestry and Fuels Program (see the Forestry/Fuels Program content above) on initial fuels reduction if your land needs extra help before implementing a prescribed fire.
Learn more about our Statewide Prescribed Fire work, and check out our 2023 Fire Program Accomplishments.
Watershed and Fisheries Stewardship
The Watershed Stewardship program, like our local watershed itself, encompasses varied and diverse elements. Our work requires cooperation between biologists, hydrologists, geologists, and more! The Watershed Stewardship program staff develop regional plans for restoration work, perform on-the-ground monitoring, conduct public outreach, grow support and funding for watershed treatments, and implement on-the-ground restoration projects.
Much of our work seeks to restore and conserve fish populations, including our Spring Chinook. Recently implemented restoration projects include the Hayfork Community Wetlands, forest/ranch/rural road upgrades (sediment reduction projects), riparian planting, streamflow enhancement projects, cannabis grow site reclamations, and fisheries habitat restoration. The Watershed Stewardship Program is actively implementing storage and forbearance projects in the Browns Creek and Tule Creek Watersheds. These projects consist of 5,000-gallon water storage tanks for landowners to collect water during the wet winter months and forbear from creek withdrawals in the dry summer months. The Watershed Center is actively seeking a contractor to complete the plumbing and electrical components of these tank installations. If you are an interested contractor who can partner with us for this project, please read the Request for Proposals for project information and submittal deadlines. The Watershed Stewardship Program also conducts the annual Snow Surveys in the Trinity Alps to measure snow-water equivalent and forecast the upcoming water year. Snow survey data allow us to plan and prepare for the future.
Youth Programs
The Watershed Center’s youth programs are designed to foster a culture of stewardship while nurturing the next generation.
Indian Valley Summer Camp (IVSC) is a free two-week camp that connects our young people, ages 7 - 14, to the local land, rivers, and people. This summer day-camp has been enriching lives for the past two decades and is made possible through partnerships with local community businesses, natural resource professionals, and the county school district. Campers explore local public lands, participate in adventure activities, learn about natural resource careers, and conduct service learning projects.
The Hayfork and Weaverville Youth Conservation Crews put youth to work in the wilderness. Since 2001, we have partnered with local schools, agencies, organizations, and community members to employ this high school crew, ages 15 - 18, to spend their summer improving area trails, removing noxious invasive species, and learning job skills in the land management and outdoor recreation industries.
The Watershed Center supports a number of additional youth enrichment projects such as:
Trinity County Environmental Camp for 5th graders at Bar 717 Ranch
Youth Salmon Gathering event for 4th & 5th grade students in Hyampom
Science field trips to the Hayfork Community Wetlands for 7th-12th graders
Recreation
We strongly believe that access to recreation can both inspire the next generation of stewardship and reawaken the passion of adults. The Recreation Team works with the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and local organizations to build both OHV and non-motorized trails throughout the county, oversees the Youth Conservation Crews, and pursues water recreation options in Trinity Lake and Trinty River. Each year we conduct multiple outreach events and volunteer days in partnership with the Education & Outreach department. Dates and locations for these recreational opportunities are advertised on our Events page. We are also looking into upgrading trail access to certain trails, allowing them to comply with The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Trail Standards.
Trinity County is an excellent location for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and water sports of all varieties. The Recreation Program partners with The Friends Enjoying Ewing Trails (FEET) group, leading the creation of a mixed-use trail system at Ewing Reservoir for hikers, bikers, and equestrian user groups. We hold multiple volunteer events and trail-building trainings each year. Join us for some quality fun in the great outdoors!
Botany
Our local forests boast global biodiversity hotspots that botanical professionals and enthusiasts travel from around the world to experience.
The Watershed Center's Botany program strives to promote ecosystem resiliency through increasing biodiversity of native species and reducing competition from noxious weeds. Botany program staff work with agency partners and local nonprofits on the following:
NEPA rare plant surveys
Noxious weed treatments
Native seed collection
Plantings
Seeding and mulching
The Watershed Center hopes to include conifer cone collection and a native plant nursery for reforestation projects in the near future to increase the positive impact on our local forests.
The botany program employs 6-8 people each field season. For questions, please reach out to Jon Cluff, the Botany Program Manager: jon@thewatershedcenter.com.
We are grateful to work with our many diligent Partners who support our local programs.
