Though the days have cooled off here in Susanville, CA, the fire heat hasn’t died down yet. A recent wildfire, the Willard fire, started over the weekend of September 10th just around 7 miles west of town and has now burned roughly 1,000 acres. I was not expecting to see a big plume of smoke while driving back after the weekend, but sure enough, the smoke was coming from just beyond Susanville! This is the closest I have ever been to a big wildfire, so it is a whole new experience for me. They are evacuating people along the Susan River now, and I’ve seen several planes flying overhead. The Willard fire is now 100% contained and burned a total of 2,575 acres. Structures destroyed include 2 houses and 5 other structures. The past month has been filled with water rights and juniper mapping. I’ve been able to explore so many roads at the Eagle Lake Field Office that are tucked in between 395 and 139. It is always a shock to emerge back on the highway after spending a day bumping along on the back roads. Being on the two track roads almost always makes time feel as though it passes more slowly. There is a very nice and relaxing element to the solitude of the places we visit. The marijuana growing activity has picked up since Lassen county passed a new ordinance allowing a limited number of plants to be grown for medical marijuana. Because it is harvest season, part of the field office has been closed off until things die down. Fall also marks the beginning of hunting seasons here. I am glad that my field shirt is red! Our seed collecting has been slowing down here since most things have died or the seed has gone already. We are already thinking about the possibility of driving the seed up to Bend later in October. With 6 weeks left, the thought of leaving is starting to set in a little. I really hope I get to experience some actual rain here before I leave. I don’t exactly wish to be stuck out in the field in a storm, but it would be an experience. I am also looking forward to seeing how I reflect on my time here after I leave. While taking the train back from San Francisco to Reno a few weeks ago, I was amazed by how the journey felt so different with a different vantage point. I am sure I will be processing my experiences here over many more miles of travel along new roads here and others leading to new places. The next few weekend plans include hiking around Tahoe and going up to Oregon. We are running out of weekends for adventures here in Nor Cal. The fall also means that there will probably be more office work soon. We are currently looking for sites to rake in Atriplex canescens seed, in addition to mapping upland exclosures. Last Thursday we woke up to snow on the local Diamond range, which marks the end of the Sierras. It’s pretty exciting to see snow so early. This past week it warmed up to 90 degrees during the days and felt like July again. Hopefully more snow will come soon!

Alia

Bureau of Land Management

Eagle Lake Field Office