Opinion: Two years later, CZU fire inspires new model of climate resiliency

Preserving Camp Jones Gulch offers an example of how we can maintain America the Beautiful.

Since the CZU Fire devastated Big Basin State Park and a large swath of the Santa Cruz mountains in August 2020, there has been a lot of hard work done to rebuild. As we mark the second anniversary of the fire this month, it is a natural time to reflect on what we have lost and search for long-term solutions to protect and preserve the natural resources that make the Bay Area one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world.

A new partnership between Sempervirens Fund and The Y of San Francisco — a collaboration born from the ashes of the CZU fire — to preserve Camp Jones Gulch near La Honda can serve as one long-term preservation model and inspire others. The partnership was forged after camp administrators saw the CZU fire march toward its borders, and Sempervirens Fund watched it burn the ancient redwoods the organization is sworn to protect. It includes a $9.6 million conservation easement that will preserve more than 900 acres that include creeks, waterways and precious old-growth redwoods that, in the fight against climate change, sequester more carbon by volume than any plant species on Earth.

This partnership demonstrates that innovative conservation strategies can do much more than buy land and lock it behind a gate — they can also serve the public. Since 1968, more than 1 million San Mateo County students and young campers have spent a week at Camp Jones Gulch exploring its natural wonders. The partnership will forever preserve the outdoor setting for school children, summer campers, scouts and other youth groups while ensuring that forest and ecological experts can implement management practices that increase fire resilience and preparedness on the property. It also provides the camp with financial resources to improve its facilities and expand access to nature for youth, especially for those who have been marginalized. We believe it is a wise investment for the future of our planet to preserve that experience and the love of nature it engenders for generations to come.

We are beginning to see a growing embrace of this view of dynamic conservation. President Biden’s America the Beautiful Initiative, for example, aims to conserve 30% of America’s lands and waterways by 2030 by developing collaborations that focus on conservation, resiliency and inclusion. We believe that Californians have the innovative creativity to achieve that vision and are pleased that our state leaders have been making financial investments that can facilitate their success. Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislators allocated a historic $15 billion for conservation, wildfire policy and climate resiliency. This year, lawmakers are hammering out an $18 billion climate package with significant investments for conservation.

If California can maintain the political will to continue to provide funding, we know nonprofits, land trusts, localities and other organizations can look to the Camp Jones Gulch partnership as a model to create their own approaches that will help us all reach our collective goal of preserving America the Beautiful for future generations to come.

Sara Barth is Executive Director of Sempervirens Fund, Jamie Bruning-Miles is president and CEO of the YMCA of San Francisco, and Nancy Magee is the San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools.