Volunteers work to clear fuels in Santa Cruz Mountains to help prevent spread of wildfire

By CBS Bay Area

In a proactive effort to prevent a major wildfire from devastating Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains, a dedicated group of advocates is taking decisive action. 

On Friday, Big Basin received some much-needed attention to fortify the beloved state park. While it may not be immediately apparent, every cut and snap is contributing to the park’s resilience. 

David Cowman from the Sempervirens Fund emphasizes the emotional connection people have with redwoods.

“When you go into a redwood forest, you realize you are in a special place,” he explained.

Cowman leads a team of volunteers, California State Parks, and other Big Basin supporters in clearing downed limbs, overgrown vegetation, and other flammable materials from the forest floor. The debris is collected into burn piles, which can eventually be removed through prescribed fire.

This initiative is part of a broader shift in forest management, driven by the painful experience of the 2020 CZU Fire, which burned over 86,000 acres, including 97% of Big Basin. 

“The CZU Fire was a real wake-up call for land managers across the Santa Cruz Mountains. That turned into proactively gathering fuel so we don’t have a CZU 2.0,” Cowman said.

Four years later, the forest is still recovering, with burn scars visible and seemingly endless.

Despite the work being dirty and sometimes tedious, every branch removed and every pile built contributes to the larger goal of protecting this picturesque space for future generations.

The next wildfire will come. The question, forest managers say, is how prepared this forest will be when it does.