Acknowledgements in 1979, and 2003. In 2008, the Federal Farm Bill added a provision to federal law that required states to do assessments of forest resources. These assessments are to identify key issues and define the status and trends across all forest lands in each state. To the extent possible, spatial areas (called priority landscapes) are to be delineated that help focus investments and other programs to deal with associated issues. A separate document must also be prepared that presents strategies to address issues and priority landscapes identified in the assessment. The intent of the 2010 Forest and Range Assessment is to meet both the state and federal mandates, hence it covers both forest and rangeland resources, on private as well as publically managed lands.In many ways, this assessment portrays a continuation of past trends of impacts from wildfire, development, forest pests, and exotic invasive species. However, there are also relatively new or markedly increasing potential threats from renewable energy infrastructure, off highway vehicle use, and climate change. Finally, traditional as well as new opportunities exist for shaping future conditions through emerging markets for biomass and other renewable energy sources; carbon, niche markets, and ecosystem services; innovative regional and local partnerships and strategies to conserve and manage open space and working landscapes for both commodity production and non-market benefits; and various tools, policies, programs and incentives to positively influence land management and use decisions. PRESENTATION OF THE 2010 ASSESSMENT SUMMARY OF CHAPTER RESULTSKey findings and highlights from each topic covered in this assessment are supplied in this section, organized according to the guidance given by the Forest Service's Redesign program. These highlights do not cover the topics in detail, but provide a quick review of topic coverage to serve as a supplement to the strategy report. ASSESSMENT California's Forests and Rangelands 6 CHAPTER OVERVIEWMany of the same ecosystems that have been hard hit by historical development are projected to be further impacted by development in the near future, particularly in and around the largest urban areas. The state's already large population is still growing, particularly in Southern California, and an estimated 3.9 million residents will be added over the next decade. This ongoing trend will maintain or increase pressure for land development that can increasingly compromise ecosystems across the state.Tools to address development threat to ecosystems, include land acquisition, easements, zoning policies, and policies to promote in-filling of existing developed areas.This chapter has a single spatial analysis which examines the threat of near-term development to ecosystems. Key Findings CHAPTER OVERVIEWThe concept of "working landscapes" was developed to encompass the idea that lands used for commodity production also provide crucial ecosystem services and that future demands make it essential that these system...

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Livestock Protection Tools for California Ranchers C onflicts between livestock and predators are perhaps inevitable, especially on extensively managed rangelands (Breck 2004). In many parts of North America, large carnivore populations are increasing due to habitat restoration, reintroduction, and legal protection efforts. In many cases, these single-species conservation successes have increased humancarnivore conflicts and highlighted concerns about "whole picture" tradeoffs across multiple-use working landscapes. Public perception and legal restriction of lethal predator control makes knowledge and use of nonlethal livestock protection methods critical for California ranchers. Reducing conflicts between predators and livestock is critical for maintaining viable ecosystems and ranching enterprises (Miller et al. 2016). This publication helps producers evaluate livestock protection tools that may fit their site-specific needs. Much of the research on nonlethal livestock protection tools has been conducted outside California. In addition, experimental studies (as opposed to surveys) regarding the efficacy of nonlethal tools are rare (Eklund et al. 2017). Future research may adapt these tools to California-specific conditions and predators. Figure 1. Coyotes can be a significant concern for sheep producers. Photo: California Agriculture.

Wildfires are increasing in frequency and severity across the Western United States. However, there is limited information available on the impacts these fires are having on the livelihood of livestock producers and their animals. This work presents the results of a survey evaluating the direct and indirect impacts of the 2020 wildfire season on beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, and goat, producers in California, Oregon, and Nevada. Seventy completed surveys were collected between May and July 2021. While dairy producers reported no direct impacts from the fires, beef, sheep, and goat producers were impacted by evacuations and pasture lost to fires. Only beef producers reported losses due to burns and burn-associated deaths or euthanasia. Dairy, beef, sheep, and goat producers observed reduced conception, poor weight gain, and drops in milk production. All but dairy producers also observed pneumonia. Lower birthweights, increased abortion rates, and unexplained deaths were reported in beef cattle, sheep, and goats. This work documents the wide-ranging impacts of wildfires on livestock producers and highlights the need for additional work defining the health impacts of fire and smoke exposure in livestock, as well as the policy changes needed to support producers experiencing direct and indirect losses.

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