How Jean-Pierre Conte Supports Community Fire Protection

Jean-Pierre Conte serves on the board of Pepperwood Preserve, a 3,200-acre ecological research institute and nature preserve in Sonoma County, California, where he provides financial support for conservation and fire-related research.

Pepperwood Preserve conducts fire ecology research and community education following major wildfire events in Northern California. After the October 2017 North Bay wildfires, the organization organized the “Living with Fire in California’s Coast Ranges Symposium” held from May 7-9, 2018 at Sonoma State University. The symposium was “Organized in response to the devastating October 2017 North Bay wildfires” and represented “a partnership between the California Fire Science Consortium, Pepperwood, SSU, CAL FIRE, the Sonoma County Forest Conservation Working Group and local public and private agencies.”

The symposium brought together “more than 400 participants, including members of the general public, scientific community, private sector, natural resource and fire safety agencies, and non-profit organizations.”

Fire Research and Community Education Initiatives

Through Conte’s board support, Pepperwood Preserve conducts fire ecology research and serves “as a demonstration ‘Sentinel Site’ for post-fire watershed and ecosystem restoration, as well as wildfire preparedness.”

The organization’s educational programs address fire ecology and community preparedness. Pepperwood’s “Fire Ecology for Non-Scientists” educational content explains that “Northern California ecosystems are fire-adapted, with many species evolved to thrive with regular burning” and that “Native Americans, like the Wappo People whose traditional homelands include Pepperwood’s 3,200-acre reserve, understood this relationship and used fire to tend their landscape for millennia prior to European settlement.”

The educational materials note that “our current situation in Northern California, with increasing frequency and intensity of fires, is directly linked to the suppression of Californian indigenous burning practices starting in the late 1700s” and that this situation “coupled with our changing climate is shaping what California’s fire science community has been predicting for years: that wildfire events will be more frequent and severe.”

Post-Fire Research and Recovery

Conte’s support enabled Pepperwood Preserve to continue operations as a research facility following major fire events. When the Tubbs Fire hit Pepperwood in October 2017, it “burned hottest near the entrance of our 3,200-acre scientific preserve on Franz Valley Road, vaporizing two staff homes, our barn full of research and land management equipment, and the Hume Observatory” and ultimately burned “over 90 percent of our property.”

Despite the damage, the organization maintained its research capabilities because “our administrative base at the Dwight Center for Conservation Science – a 9,400-square-foot green facility framed in steel and concrete, affectionately called the ‘science castle’ by visiting kids – sustained minimal damage, and with the installation of port-a-potties, staff were able to return by Thanksgiving.”

The preserve’s recovery demonstrated its fire-adapted characteristics. “Seven months after the Tubbs Fire, Pepperwood’s grassland hillsides have transitioned from charcoal to an especially vibrant green and the first wildflower blooms of spring hint that we may be in for some spectacular displays in the wake of the flames. Our wildlife cameras – half of which survived – have documented the return of mountain lion, black bear, bobcat, coyote, and other familiar faces.”

Regional Coordination and Climate Data

Pepperwood Preserve addresses fire protection through regional coordination efforts, recognizing that “a coordinated regional approach is needed to manage fire fuels and protect local communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure from wildfire.”

The organization’s “Building Climate and Fire Resilience initiative” focuses on “increasing our resilience to accelerating climate and fire hazards while maintaining or enhancing the health of our watersheds and ecosystems.”

Pepperwood maintains “22 climate stations, continuously reporting data to inform policy around drought and wildfire risk mitigation.”

The organization’s educational impact includes “924 youth inspired through educational programming” and “1,140 environmental education participants served via live classes, hikes, online programs, and summer camp.” Additionally, Pepperwood supports “8+ large landscape conservation partnerships supported to advance resilience throughout our region.”

Jean-Pierre Conte’s board service and financial support enable Pepperwood Preserve to conduct fire ecology research, community education programs, prescribed burning initiatives, and regional coordination efforts that contribute to community fire protection across Northern California.

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