UC ANR RREA program abstract description & beneficiaries the renewable resources extension act of 1978 (RREA) supports an expanded and comprehensive extension program for forest and rangeland…

UC ANR RREA program abstract description & beneficiaries the renewable resources extension act of 1978 (RREA) supports an expanded and comprehensive extension program for forest and rangeland renewable resources. RREA supports forest and rangeland owners and managers in the sustainable production of wood products, forage and livestock, fish and wildlife populations and developing outdoor recreation opportunities. UC agriculture and natural resources oversees the UC RREA program which focuses on eight issue areas. Public awareness and youth engagement: engaging youth and adults about the importance of forest and rangeland resources, particularly how forest lands and rangelands affect rural and urban communities and the need to use science-based information when making decisions about these resources. Ecosystem services: assisting forest and rangeland owners and managers in actively managing their lands with knowledge of forest and rangeland ecosystem processes and how specific management strategies produce different combinations of ECO system services; and assisting forest and rangeland users in understanding the role different ecosystem services have on community well-being. Fish and wildlife habitat: ensuring that private landowners and natural resource professionals have the best available information about fish and wildlife resources to make informed decisions about habitat management in forest and rangeland ecosystems. Generational succession and other landownership changes: enhancing the decision-making ability of ranch and forest landowner families for generational succession by providing information on and facilitating communication about such planning options as conservation easements, community-based natural resources management or other non-traditional succession models; training and linking interested parties in collaborative partnerships that will augment generational transfer of forest and rangeland enterprises. Invasive species: increasing the capacity of landowners, managers, and professionals to assess the threat of invasive species; developing integrated pest management plans; implementing effective invasive species management and control strategies to protect forest and rangeland ecosystems; providing means for the general public (including absentee landowners), youth, and community groups for their interaction and participation in monitoring and controlling invasive species. Rural communities: working with rural communities to assess needs and determine how to sustainably enhance local economic development through a focus on forest and rangeland industries, infrastructure, and expertise; creating a stronger relationship between healthy forests and rangelands and the social and sustainable economic bases of rural communities; assessing needs and determining how to enhance local landscape economics. Water and wetlands: encouraging management of forests and rangelands to improve water quality and quantity. Wildfire prevention and management: engaging forest and rangeland communities with research-based information on wildfire risk-management and post-fire recovery strategies; increasing T he capacity of community, county, and state emergency preparedness/civil defense authorities to communicate community needs and inform community-development policies, codes, and ordinances that protect communities from wildfire; developing outreach efforts that in clude current and emerging research on impacts of wildfire on forest and rangeland ecology and economics, fuels management, and prescribed fire to create appropriate management strategies; increasing capacity for community action, empower landowners to engage in P rescribed fire, and provide support for training and capacity in fuels reduction.