Ryan is an extension forester with the University of California Cooperative Extension serving Plumas, Sierra, and Lassen counties. The bulk of his career has been spent in the Sierra Nevada focusing on forest and fire ecology and management supporting landscape-level fuel reduction and post-fire restoration planning and implementation in Plumas County.
Ryan currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Plumas County Fire Safe Council and is the community coordinator for the Galeppi Ranch Firewise USA Site. In his extension capacity, he works with local partners to develop and advise community-based fuel reduction and wildfire preparedness efforts.
His research interests include post-fire restoration, exploring novel reforestation techniques to improve forest resilience in a future with active fire, and silvicultural practices to enhance forest restoration.
Post-fire Reforestation Techniques
Examples from the past wildfires in the Sierra Nevada have shown that areas that burn with high severity maybe vulnerable to re-burning at high severity in subsequent fires. This research project looks at different reforestation designs and treatments to enhance plantation heterogeneity and improve planted stands resilience to future fire.
Fuel Reduction and Forest Restoration Demonstration Project
This project includes collaboration with the Plumas National Forest, Feather River Resource Conservation District, and local partners to develop, plan, implement, and monitor a wide range of fuel reduction and forest restoration treatments to demonstrate and extend examples to public and private land managers. This project is in the development and planning phase.
Invasive Weed Management Post-Wildfire: Closer Look at Camp Fire Invasive Weeds in Right-of-ways
This project looked at post-fire dynamics of invasive plant occurrences along road right-of-ways after the camp fire. This project offers insights to land managers and landowners who are concerned about post-fire colonization of invasive plants
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