Wildfire Prevention & Recovery

The Land Trust has been engaged in fuels reduction and prescribed fire efforts across Napa County for over a decade. This includes contributing to developing the Napa County Community Wildfire Protection Plan and actively participating in the ongoing Napa County Pre-Fire Coordinating Group. This group—comprised of CAL FIRE, Napa County Fire, Napa Firewise, and local Fire Safe Councils—works collaboratively to reduce wildfire risk at a county-wide scale.

In addition to this regional work, the Land Trust actively implements fire-adapted land management strategies on its preserves, including:

Completing a prescribed burn on Missimer Preserve in June 2021, Land Trust of Napa County hit what you might call a wildfire risk mitigation and habitat restoration jackpot.

The effectiveness of this project for wildfire risk mitigation was tested in the LNU Lightning Complex fire of 2020, when a spot fire spread toward our property from a neighbor’s but was stopped by the lack of fuel right at the boundary of our grazed area.

The projects help reduce the chances of a high intensity crown fire that could threaten homes and neighborhoods nearby.

More Wildfire – Prevention and Recovery stories

A Changed Landscape

Caring for Land Trust preserves after the 2020 wildfires. A Changed Landscape

Nature’s Resilience Part II

Additional post-fire photo update highlights some amazingly adaptive native plants. Nature’s Resilience Part II

Nature’s Resilience

A post-fire photo update from Stewardship Director Mike Palladini. Nature’s Resilience

Rare fire poppy found amid Mt. George regrowth

Fire poppies are fire obligates, and require the heat or chemical cues from fire to germinate. Their seeds can lie dormant in the soil’s seed bank for many decades, waiting for just the right post-fire conditions to sprout. Land Trust discovers rare Fire Poppy amid Mt. George regrowth (photos and video)

Land Trust completes Aetna Springs fuel break project

Working with a Registered Professional Forester, the Land Trust created a plan with the goal of improving forest management and managing for resilience to wildfire and disease. Land Trust completes Aetna Springs fuel break project

Post Fire Botanical Assessment on the Snell Peak Preserve Yields Valuable Information

In a 254-acre area comprised largely of one habitat type, the Land Trust documented 16 special-status plant species. Post Fire Botanical Assessment on the Snell Peak Preserve Yields Valuable Information

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Our work is made possible by the generous support of individuals like you. As a community-based nonprofit, we depend on donations—both big and small—to protect the land and legacy of Napa for generations to come. Your contribution is an investment in Napa’s future. Every dollar makes a difference in preserving the beauty and vitality of our community. Join us in making a lasting impact today.

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Volunteers are essential to the daily work of the Land Trust. More than 100 dedicated individuals help lead hikes, monitor properties, care for preserves, and support fundraising efforts—playing a vital role in protecting Napa County’s natural resources.

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