Caring for the land together: Prescribed fire and forest health on Mt. Tam

Prescribed burns help restore fire, an essential part of Marin's ecology, to the landscape in a safe way. This prescribed burn was conducted near Bon Tempe Lake on Mt. Tamalpais in 2025.

Marin Water

For decades, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy has worked hand in hand with partners and local communities to care for the places that care for us. It all comes back to a simple idea: when we tend the land, it gives back in return.  

Fire has always been part of California’s story. Many native plants and animals depend on it to thrive. But decades of fire suppression have left forests dense and vulnerable, while hotter, drier summers have made catastrophic wildfires more likely. Prescribed burns help reverse those trends by reducing fuels, recycling nutrients, and allowing fire-adapted species to regenerate naturally.

This season on Mt. Tamalpais, the partners of One Tam are using fire to bring health and balance back to the landscape. The partnership, which brings together the Parks Conservancy, National Park Service, California State Parks, Marin Water, and Marin County Parks, is collaborating to plan, fund, and implement forest health projects that protect biodiversity, reduce wildfire risk, and build lasting relationships across the mountain. This work is grounded in both science and relationships. Learn more about prescribed burns and how they’re planned and managed.

Prescribed burns were conducted in 2025 by Marin County Fire Department and Marin Water near Bon Tempe Lake, Mt. Tamalpais.

Marin Water

The partners, together with Marin County Fire Department, are carrying out prescribed burns in key locations around Marin this fall and winter. These burns are carefully planned and led by trained professionals under specific weather, safety, and air-quality conditions.  

The work is guided by the Marin Regional Forest Health Strategy, created by the One Tam partners in collaboration with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria (FIGR). FIGR is the only federally recognized Tribe whose ancestral territory is present-day Marin County. One Tam continues to consult and collaborate with the Tribe to inform this strategy and our future endeavors to ensure the Tribe's perspectives and experiences are part of One Tam efforts.

"We're using every tool available to build resilient forests on Mt. Tam,” said Claire Mooney, Vice President of Park Projects and Conservation at the Parks Conservancy. "Prescribed fire is about prevention, and also renewal and rebalancing ecosystems that have long depended on fire to thrive."

Each spring, new green shoots rise from the blackened ground, a reminder that renewal is part of nature’s ongoing cycle. The Parks Conservancy invites members and visitors to witness this renewal firsthand through One Tam tours and programs, where relationships, knowledge, and care come together to keep our forests and communities thriving.