Ecologically Sound Practices (ESP) Partnership

The ESP Partnership is a collaboration between the fire authorities and climate and environmental organizations of Marin to mitigate the risk of wildfires wisely. The coalition advises Marin's fire professionals, defines best practices to guide the implementation of the wildfire prevention plans, and offers expertise and recommendations on specific projects. It serves as a community resource. It is guided by a Steering Committee and has formed three subject matter committees related to the following areas:
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1. Vegetation Management and Habitat Protection: This group focuses on developing best management practices for fuel reduction projects in wildlands, provides subject matter expertise for project development, and environmental regulatory compliance.

2. Carbon Resource Management: This group is developing best management practices for reducing carbon emissions and sequestrating carbon; and for managing green waste and other issues related to conserving carbon. A biomass recovery study endorsed by Drawdown: Marin (now, MarinCAN) was an ESP project.
2020 Carbon Resource Management Topics

3. Defensible Space for Ecological Benefit: This team focuses on providing best practices and ecological messages related to defensible space with target audiences including the general public, residents, landscape professionals, and defensible space inspectors.
Ecologically Sound Practices‍‍esp-partnerships‍

Context & Background

Marin’s fire departments have worked together to develop and create the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA) to implement a comprehensive wildfire prevention and emergency preparedness program for Marin County.

As the MWPA plan took shape and evolved into the ballot Measure C, it became evident that the climate and environmental communities have relevant concerns and important contributions to make to this effort. The fire chiefs welcomed the input, and amendments were made to the MWPA resolution reflecting the role climate change plays in the escalating threat of wildfires and the need for expert guidance in implementing the plan with ecologically sound practices. The creation of the ESP Partnership is an outgrowth of this process.
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The ESP Partnership provides a forum to:

provide expertise about ecologically sound best practices
bring questions, concerns, and solutions to the table
coordinate communication with fire professionals
reduce redundancy of efforts
develop solutions across areas of expertise

The ESP Partnership marks a new way of working together that can serve as a model for other communities facing climate emergencies.

Reference Documents:
Jan 8, 2020: ESP Vision Meeting
2020 CAP-Fire Presentation on Climate Change and Marin Working Lands
June 9, 2022: Ecologically Sound Practices for Vegetation Management

Who are the ESP Partnership members?

The ESP Partnership was initiated by the Marin fire agencies, Fire Safe Marin, Organizing for Action Marin, Marin Conservation League, and Sustainable San Rafael. These organizers formed a Steering Committee to launch the ESP Partnership and will continue to facilitate work moving forward.

The Steering Committee invited people from organizations and agencies recognized for their expertise and involvement in wildfire, climate, and ecologically sound practices. The list consists of renowned fire professionals, fire scientists and fire ecologists; climate scientists, planners and advocates; leading specialists in gardens, native plants, pollination, wildlife and ecosystems, watersheds, soil, forests, composting, waste processing and carbon sequestration.

This is an evolving process with the goal of creating a forum that is inclusive, coordinated and consensus driven. Organizers expect that ESP Partnership membership will grow to reflect a full range of relevant stakeholders committed to this effort.

The current members of ESP as of 07/1/22 are:

Public agencies (county, city, regional, state, federal) & universities

• Marin Open Space District
• Marin Municipal Water District
• California State Parks
• Golden Gate National Recreation Area
• Marin Resource Conservation District
• One Tam
• Drawdown: Marin
• City of San Rafael
• Town of San Anselmo
• San Anselmo Sustainability Commission
• UC Cooperative Extension, Marin

Non-profits and others dedicated to wildfire, climate and the environment

• Marin Conservation League
• UC Marin Master Gardeners
• Marin Native Plant Society
• Marin Audubon
• Nature Conservancy of California
• Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
• West Marin Environmental Action
• Audubon Canyon
• Watershed Alliance of Marin
• Friends of Corte Madera Creek Watershed
• Bonnie Bee & Company
• Organizing for Action Marin
• Sustainable San Rafael
• Sierra Club Marin Group
• 350 Marin
• Green Change

Biomass resource (aka “green waste”) managers

• Marin Sanitary Service
• West Marin Compost
• Waste Management Redwood Landfill
• Mill Valley Refuse
• Zero Waste Marin
• Carbon Cycle Institute
• Carbo Culture
• Recology

Urban foresters

• California Urban Forest Council

How will the ESP Partnership work with the MWPA?

The ESP Partnership will provide expertise and advice to support implementation of the MWPA Goals.
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The ESP Partnership will provide expertise and advice within the decision-making structure of the Joint Powers Authority.
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The ESP Partnership's first important effort has been to prepare a set of recommended best practices to guide work and to provide expertise during the developmental of projects. Click to see the Ecologically Sound Practices for Vegetation Management (6/9/2022)
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High priority is given to actions already underway such as: 1) serving as non-voting member on the MWPA Advisory Technical Committee (ACT); 2) refining and implementing existing practices as needed; 3) organizing and scheduling field trips; 4) reviewing MWPA educational materials as developed; 5) continuing to build awareness about the importance of wildlands vegetation treatment projects, carbon management, and defensible space; 6) drawing on the wealth of expertise within the Partnership.
Members of the ESP Partnership have workgroups to advise on MWPA priorities around the following:
                • Vegetation Management and Habitat Protection
                 • Carbon Resource Management
                 • Defensible Space for Ecological Benefit
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