SERAL project map

New Research = New Solutions

Did you know that National Forests have special research areas called experimental forests?  Experimental forests are areas designated for research purposes. The Stanislaus National Forest has a 250-acre experimental forest where researchers study the ecology of forests to better understand how different forest management practices affect forest resilience and health. Before fire suppression, western forests […]

thinned forest

Stanislaus National Forest Releases Historical Forest Project

A final environmental impact statement and three draft decisions were released last Friday by the U.S. Forest Service for the Forest’s largest green forest project in its 124-year history! This project will be reducing fire threats North of Highway 108 on Forest Service lands from Columbia to upstream of Beardsley Reservoir. The Social and Ecological […]

yosemite valley

Yosemite’s New Lottery System

Yosemite National Park is piloting a new lottery system for North Pines Campground reservations for July 21 through September 14, 2022. Successful lottery applicants will have an opportunity to make a reservation for campsites in North Pines Campground during an early access period. The early access period will occur before the usual on-sale dates, and the remaining […]

seral project map

SERAL Project Released for Public Comment

The SERAL project proposal is now open for public comment, and CSERC staff will be providing highly detailed input to the Forest Service. The SERAL project is a large forest health project that is intended to increase forest resiliency and decrease wildfire risk to our community. This project is located north of Highway 108 and […]

Hikers on the Cables at Half Dome in Yosemite

The Benefits of Yosemite’s Reservation System

This news article shares the various benefits the reservation system had on Yosemite National Park this year. Visitors expressed how much better their visit was without long hours of traffic, lines for restaurants and bathrooms, congested trails, and competing for the same viewpoints and photographs. The reservation system decreased park visitation by about 60%, returning […]

sign near prescribed burn reads managed fire do not report

Yosemite National Park Prescribed Burns

  Fire crews are working on prescribed burns in Yosemite Valley through the first week in November. Burns will be taking place south of Southside Drive near the El Capitan Crossover and between Southside Drive and the Four Mile trailhead. Therefore, the Valley Loop Trail will be closed from the Four Mile trailhead to the […]

Middle Ground is Needed on the Age-old Issues Around Forest Management

CSERC’s Executive Director John Buckley was featured in a guest opinion piece in the Modesto Bee. He expressed the importance of reaching middle ground in forest management practices by focusing on areas of overlapping agreement and how CSERC has partnered with other stakeholders to successfully plan and implement balanced, appropriate forest treatments on our local […]