Monterey Bay Prescribed Fire and Cultural Burning Expansion (Resource Conservation District of Monterey County)

This project will implement “good fire” and integrate Indigenous knowledge across several burns on four properties in Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties — Basin Ranch, Glen Deven Ranch, Mitteldorf Preserve, and Mt. Madonna Center — in partnership with the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County (ETMC), Big Sur Land Trust (BSLT), Resource Conservation District of Monterey County (RCDMC), and Central Coast Prescribed Burn Association (CCPBA).

The work will reduce catastrophic wildfire risk, advance cultural stewardship, and restore ecological function in high-hazard, fire-prone coastal mountain landscapes. By reintroducing planned (or “prescribed”) fire, improving fuel conditions, and supporting long-term resilience, the project will protect nearby communities, critical infrastructure, and culturally significant landscapes while expanding Tribal-led and co-managed fire practices in a region historically shaped by Indigenous fire.