Landowner Spotlight: Lisa Ray
Lisa Ray is a product of the “environmental generation” and is dedicated to restoring her family land to a historic state. The daughter of a logger, she says there were many heated dinner table battles about forest management. Under her care, damage from clear-cutting and running cattle is healing, and wild flora and fauna are returning and thriving. A path that was once fenced now serves as a thoroughfare for wild turkeys, deer, coyotes, and more. She said, “Everybody is using it now.”
Originally purchased by her grandfather in the 1950s, the 150-acre ranch in Ukiah has been through many iterations. He planted walnuts and what is now the Lovers Lane Vineyard. In fact, 23 acres of the original wine vines remain. Years later, the land passed to Lisa’s parents and then on to her.
Her initial approach to forest management was to just “leave it alone.” After a while, she noticed that it was not an effective process and came to understand there was a benefit in selective cutting and fuels reduction. In 2013, she began to educate herself about grants and quickly learned that the first thing she needed was a Forest Management Plan (FMP). Lisa hired a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) and began her journey. The FMP identified and prioritized Lisa’s goals for the land. “That was the best money I ever spent. I use it all the time,” she said. She learned about forest health and management treatments from her RPF and through lots of reading.
The first agency Lisa worked with was the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The fuels reduction grant funded projects on the west side of the property and along a ridge. Those are the areas most vulnerable to oncoming wildfire due to topography and wind patterns. Safety first! She also removed over 3 dozen dead and dying Douglas fir that had encroached on the oak woodland. “They were matchsticks,” she said. One of her goals is to restore the oak woodland.
Lisa encountered numerous problems implementing her first grant. Weather delays. Contractor delays. Timing delays due to Spotted Owl nesting season since the property is close to a known nest. Huge fires that occupied all the CAL FIRE resources for months. She was able to get a couple of extensions and speaks highly of the NRCS staff’s patience and continued willingness to share their knowledge.
She has now received four cost-share grants for different phases of fuels reduction. Through developing her FMP, she prioritized her goals. She said, “Luckily, they are compatible goals. If you are doing forest health, then you are also doing fuels reduction and improving safety. Working from the home out.”
A recent recipient of a North Bay Forest Improvement Program (NBFIP) grant, Lisa praised the program, “It has been really streamlined compared to earlier iterations. The application process, the time from completing the application to being notified, to selecting a contractor.”
When asked about the different cost-share grant programs she has participated in, Lisa said,
“The first ones were maybe 25 cents on the dollar and that puts a lot of responsibility on the landowner. NBFIP is much more generous. It makes it easier, and it is an incentive to reapply in another year or two to do another phase of my project. The work is expensive. I couldn’t do it without that kind of help. The more the better!”
Lisa has become an expert at choosing a contractor and has terrific advice. She recommends that landowners call multiple contractors before choosing one to hire. Ask questions, such as:
Are their crews experienced? Ask for crew members’ length of experience.
Are their crews trained? Ask for specific training and when they are done.
Are the crews supervised onsite?
Do the crews have the right safety equipment? Ask for types of equipment.
When are they available to do the work?
How long will the project take?
How much will the project cost?
Ask for at least three references and call each one. If the contractor balks at giving you references, that is a bad sign.
Ask each reference if they would use this contractor again and find out why or why not. If you end up with a contractor who is doing unsatisfactory work, it is all right to say, “Thanks, but this isn’t working.” Nipping it in the bud will save you time and money.
Looking to the future, Lisa is exploring the option of a conservation easement and is looking forward to the first prescribed burn on her property. She is passionate about the preservation of the land in her care. She said, “It is a long-term and worthwhile commitment. It is really satisfying. It is expensive and it’s time-consuming, but it is worth it.”