Forest and Rangelands Assessment Steering Committee (FRASC)

What is FRASC

CALFIRE's Fire and Resource Assessment Program (FRAP) is required by the California legislature to produce periodic assessments of the forests and rangelands of California. These reports have been published since the 1970s.

In 2008, the U.S. Farm Bill directed the U.S. Forest Service (under the Department of Agriculture) to coordinate with states on forest and rangelands assessments. The first coordinated report for California was completed in 2010 (see quick links on side bar). FRAP and USFS Region 5 are now preparing for the 2015 assessment. A critical component of this preparation is soliciting input from stakeholders. We invite you to be a part of this process by participating in the Forest and Rangelands Assessment Steering Committee (FRASC).

We are seeking the participation of local, state and federal agencies as well as non-governmental organizations and private stakeholders.Meetings are quarterly and serve as a forum for participants to provide input on a broad array of issues affecting forests and rangelands across California. In addition to providing input into our next assessment your participation will help inform and improve collaboration on the management of forest and rangeland resources.

Our past meetings have focused on one topic per meeting. To date, we have covered:

• Sustainable Forestry
• Plant, Wildlife, and Fish Habitat Protection, Conservation, and Enhancement,
• Climate Change
• The Challenges of California Wildfire: Balancing ecological needs with societal demands
• Water Supply and Quality
• Green Infrastructure and Connecting People to Nature
• Sustainable Rangeland Management in California
• Sustainable Rural Economies
• Communities Planning to Mitigate Wildfire Hazards