Cultural Tanoak Burn at Leavey Ranch

On 10/7/2025, the Blue Lake Rancheria (BLR) Tribal Environmental Protection Agency (TEPA) conducted a cultural burn at Leavey Ranch, led by fire practitioner Dr. Frank Kanahwa Lake. The burn’s objectives included returning fire to a landscape that had faced over 150 years of fire exclusion, pest control, supporting a hazel grove in epicormic resprouting for food and basket material, and supporting the health and acorn production of the tan oak tree that resides on Leavey Ranch. Cultural burns like this one supports healthy acorn production through a seasonally-timed litter burn.

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵 is a historic 240-acre property adjacent to 𝗕𝗟𝗥 Tribal Lands that 𝗕𝗟𝗥 has recently assumed stewardship of, by a land return made possible by the Humboldt Area Foundation + Wild Rivers Community Foundation. BLR is implementing traditional ecological knowledge in order to properly care for this land in good stewardship.

The BLR TEPA expresses immense gratitude to the practitioners, support personnel, and attendees at the burn, including the lead practitioner Dr. Frank Lake, Danza Azteca members, invited community members, the Cal Poly Humboldt Cultural Fire Club, students from Dr. Daniel (Bubba) Lipe’s Fire 305 Class, and the Humboldt Prescribed Burn Association.

“We look forward to monitoring the impact of the burn on culturally important species in the years to come. This is one of many cultural burns that will be conducted at Leavey Ranch- stay tuned for opportunities to engage with this work!” – Karley Rojas, BLR Native Plant Specialist