Community-Led Prescribed Fire and Fuels Reduction in Butte County, California

California Fire Science Consortium

Wednesday, February 11 - 2pm ET

Abstract: This presentation explores the role of Prescribed Burn Associations (PBA's) and community-based fuel reduction programs in expanding the use of “good fire” in California, with a focus on work taking place in Butte County. Drawing on hands-on experience coordinating the Butte Prescribed Burn Association and implementing fuels projects in partnership with private landowners and CAL FIRE, the talk highlights how PBAs help reduce barriers to prescribed fire, build local capacity, and support landowners in actively managing their land with fire. Topics include how PBAs function on the ground, training and capacity building, risk management and regulatory navigation, and the cultural shift needed to normalize a culture of landowner ignited prescribed fire as a practical and accepted land management tool.

Presented by: Dallas Koller, Fire Program Manager, Butte County Resource Conservation District

Dallas is a Minnesota native who spent 10 years as a wildland firefighter on Type 1 Interagency Hotshot Crews in California before joining the Butte County Resource Conservation District in November 2021. Dallas now manages the Butte Prescribed Burn Association as well as BCRCD's fuels reduction work with the Bureau of Land Management and CAL FIRE. He hopes to promote and encourage the use of “good fire” throughout Butte County. He is a California State Certified Prescribed Fire Burn Boss (CARx) and holds a Master's Degree in Forestry Science from Colorado State University. In his spare time he enjoys running, skiing, backpacking, and discovering other new self propelled ways of getting lost in the woods.