We all know that the fires have done a good job of lessening fuel loads in the park, thereby reducing future fire risk. The Ecology Center’s restoration program manager, Mills, has said that the fumigating effects of wildfire smoke could lessen the threat of plant diseases, including sudden oak death. But he worries the intensity and frequency of recent fires could threaten the return of some native species. We should also mention that oaks have a long fire return interval. This is the time that the trees need to mature and thrive again following fires. The process that had begun in the early has restarted in significant areas of Sugarloaf, notably in areas that have burned twice.
The proffesionals point to the spring following the 2017 fire, after winter rains brought to Sugarloaf an explosion of wildflowers, including the first sighting of the rare whispering bells in a half-century. Not coincidentally, that’s thought to be around the last time a major wildfire struck the park.
The Napa County locals are cleaning up the trails at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park. Napa Valley locals, John Roney and Jason Mills rise above thousands of acres of cherished parkland that have been transformed in recent days and years by wildfire.
Where oak woodlands, chaparral stands and flower meadows once stretched for miles, smatterings of scorched trees and brush now cover the hills and valleys of the 4,900-acre park east of Kenwood, exposing hiking, biking and horse-riding trails to direct sunlight.
One of the few hikers at the park this morning describes the fire “damage” greeting her on her trek. But Roney, the park’s manager, sees “stark beauty” in the view, while Mills, a fire ecologist, touts the restorative effect of flames on the park’s flora.
“Some of what looks the most bleak will come back with the most diversity,” Mills says from the backseat of the pickup.
From almost any angle, Sugarloaf has undoubtedly undergone dramatic transformation, with long-term implications for the park’s recreational uses, ecology and funding for programs and operations. Immediate concerns include repairing damage from September’s Glass fire and preparing for winter rains to prevent damaging erosion across the denuded hills. And there’s still a pandemic to contend with.
A month after the Glass fire ripped through the park, visitors are being welcomed back, and 3 miles of the park’s 30 miles of trails have reopened. Overnight campsites are being booked at a fairly brisk pace. But there’s no doubt that the park experience has changed.
“It’s pretty exciting to see what’s in the seed banks,” Mills said. “As botanists, we like to go out after fires and see the biodiversity.”
The fires have taken a toll on the park’s wildlife, killing untold numbers of animals that were unable to escape the fast-moving flames. But staff have seen evidence of bears, mountain lions and other predators roaming the park, as well as falcons and other birds of prey. This morning, a rafter of wild turkeys visited the campground.
“Nature will come back just fine,” Mills said. “It’s our influence on nature we need to mitigate.”