Dozer Line through Repaired Habitat Supervised by SPARCS Fireline Resource Advisors during the Palisades Fire

Bulldozer lines create breaks in vegetation and are commonly used when fighting wildfires.  This dozer line was created during the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County, California in January 2025.  USGS scientists that are part of the SPARCS (Suppression & Planning Actions for Restoring Communities & Species) program were on site to advise on ecologically sound fire suppression and suppression repair tactics to best protect natural resources.

SPARCS is a collaboration of local agencies including the USGS Western Ecological Research Center, Bureau of Land Management, San Diego Management and Monitoring Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, CalFire, the County of San Diego, and local NGOs. The program facilitates a shift in adaptive management in Southern California by establishing databases and web maps for fire personnel to utilize while responding to wildland fires in Southern California and create and manage a cohort of resource advisors in the Southern California Ecoregion.