The Environmental Impact Of Cultural Burns

On January 1, 2022, California SB332 took effect, removing some barriers for controlled burns, which are low-intensity fires that can prevent catastrophic blazes such as California and other states have experienced in recent years. Dirk Charley will explain what cultural burns are, how they’ve been used historically, and what some of the challenges are to continuing this long-standing tribal tradition. Using his experience as a Tribal Liaison for the Dunlap Band of Mono Indians and his long career with the Forest Service as Tribal Relations Program Specialist, Mr. Charley will talk about his experiences implementing cultural burns and how they can be used to rejuvenate the environment and improve our management of the land.