August meeting. Photo by Mary Rawson
Part of the Alpine Biomass Committee’s program is to have leading scientists and researchers present the results of their investigations with respect to issues affecting forests and watersheds. Our first presenter in this regard is Dr. Roger Bales, who has been the leading researcher in studying the effects of forest health and climate on the amount of available water from forests. As almost all of the water we use in Alpine County as well as that consumed downstream in Nevada and California comes directly or indirectly from the forest this should be of interest to all of us. We cannot control how much precipitation we receive, nor whether it falls as rain or snow, but by better forest management we can influence how much of that precipitation is available for use.
Dr. Roger Bales is a Distinguished Professor of Engineering and a founding faculty member at UC Merced, and has been active in water- and climate-related research for over 30 years. His scholarship includes over 150 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and more presentations, book chapters, and reports. Currently, his work focuses on California’s efforts to build the knowledge base and implement policies that adapt our water supplies, critical ecosystems and economy to the impacts of climate warming. He works with leaders in state agencies, elected officials, federal land managers, water leaders, non-governmental organizations, and other key decision makers on developing climate solutions for California. He is a fellow in the American Geophysical Union, the American Meteorological Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has been a professor at UC Merced since 2003, an Adjunct Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the UC Berkeley since 2013. Previously, he was a Professor of hydrology at the University of Arizona from 1984 to 2003. He is Director of the UC Water Security and Sustainability Research Initiative, Director of the Sierra Nevada Research Institute (SNRI), and a researcher at the Center for Information Technology in the Interest of Society (CITRIS)
The September meeting is scheduled for Tuesday Sept. 6th at 6:00 pm at Turtle Rock Park.
The Alpine Biomass Committee is supported by a grant from the National Forest Foundation with funds coming from Region 5 of the U.S. Forest Service. This organization is an equal opportunity provider.
Alpine Biomass Collaborative 