WILDFIRE: Yuba Water Agency returns forest management to Mother Nature

Overprotection of forests for 120 years and climate change have damaged the hydrological cycle, creating catastrophe for wildlife and human civilization

The above video presentation was live-streamed on Jan 9, 2023 by the One Water & Stewardship Committee of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), chairperson Tracy Quinn.

Topics: Improving forest health and watershed resilience

Speaker: Willie Whittlesey, General Manager, Yuba Water Agency

Speaker background: Whittlesey has been at Yuba Water Agency since 2016 and was appointed General Manager in July, 2020. He oversees the agency’s general operations, including flood-risk reduction, hydropower generation, energy sales, water rights, and water supply. Prior to coming to the agency he worked for 13 years at Pacific Gas & Electric in its land and hydrogeneration departments and 6 years in private forest management. He is also a registered professional forester in California.

Overprotection for the past 120 years led to high densit…