In California, catastrophic wildfires that cause severe monetary and social damages have become a yearly occurrence. The clear increase in both the frequency and intensity of wildfires can be attributed to historic forest management practices, which has led to an extreme build-up of combustible materials in publicly owned forests across the state. Large areas are in urgent need of restoration and considering the extreme costs involved in removing excess burnable fuels, there is a clear need for innovative solutions to mitigate wildfire risk.

The attached media relates to recent research Max Eriksson conducted at the University of California, were he identified barriers to large-scale conservation efforts of California’s forests and examined the potential of stakeholder collaboration to overcome these barriers. During his time in Califonia, Max also engaged in research on public acceptance of forest management practices, the role of fire as a management tool, and water rights issues.