Walking the burn line

What's happening: Marin Municipal Water District natural resources program manager Carl Sanders stood on a hillside above Bon Tempe Lake on a Tuesday morning in June and made an argument that would have sounded strange to a previous generation.

"We are in a fire-starved landscape," he told about two dozen residents gathered at the Bon Tempe Lake trailhead at 10am. "One that absolutely and desperately needs fire to be healthy."

The walk was the second in a One Tam series called the Bon Tempe Burn Series, organized to show residents what prescribed fire does to the landscape on Mount Tamalpais. The group hiked the Sunnyside Trail along the lake's edge, then cut inland before returning to the trailhead via Bon Tempe Road, moving through a section of the Knob II Rx Burn Unit, a multi-acre prescribed burn completed last summer by Marin County Fire and Marin Water crews.

The context: The last significant wildfire on Mount Tamalpais was the Mill/Carson Canyon Fire of 1945, according to the Marin Regional Forest Health Strategy. That document, published by One Tam and developed with input from environmental scientists, natural resource managers and expert technical reviewers across the district's partner agencies, found that before European colonization, the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria managed the landscape with fire on a cycle of roughly five to forty-five years, depending on vegetation type and location. Today, more than 40 percent of Marin County's Coast Redwood forest has not burned in over 80 years, according to the same document.

That history ended with Spanish settlement. Sanders told the group that colonizers could not understand why native peoples were purposely setting fire to land they wanted to graze and develop. Fire suppression accelerated through the 20th century.

The result, Sanders said, is visible on nearly every hillside along the trail. Douglas fir, a native conifer that thrives in the absence of fire, has encroached on oak woodlands and shaded out the slower-growing madrones and oaks that once dominated the east and west-facing slopes. Annual European grasses introduced in the 1800s through livestock feed have displaced native perennial bunchgrasses across most of California's valley floors.

"If I'm looking at that north-facing slope covered in Doug fir," Sanders said pointing at Mount Tam, "I don't know that in my lifetime I'll ever see a prescribed fire purposely put on the ground up there. It desperately needs it."

What prescribed burning does: A prescribed burn is not a wildland fire. The district works from a formal burn plan, prepared in advance and approved by the state and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, according to Sanders. Wind speed, temperature, relative humidity and wind direction must all fall within a defined range before crews light a drip torch, he said. Sanders described the target as "high frequency, low intensity": burns that move quickly across the landscape at roughly a walking pace, staying low to the ground and out of the canopy.

Done right, Sanders said, a broadcast burn consumes the accumulated dead grass, leaf litter and fine fuels that make a wildfire catastrophic. It kills off the coyote brush and other shrubs encroaching on open grasslands. It opens the canopy. And critically, it triggers responses in fire-adapted species that cannot occur any other way. Some plant species only reproduce through heat or smoke, he said. The landscape, as Sanders put it, expects fire.

Marin Water does not use herbicides, a policy written into its Biodiversity, Fire and Fuels Integrated Plan, adopted in 2019. Its vegetation management toolkit is mechanical treatment, herbivory and fire. The district does not conduct burns itself. Marin County Fire, operating as a CAL FIRE contractor, supplies the burn bosses, personnel and equipment, according to Sanders.

The burn window: The district is targeting July for the next broadcast burn in an adjacent unit across Bon Tempe Road, according to Sanders. Nesting bird season is the current constraint. Biologists are actively surveying the landscape, mapping nests and tracking fledging timelines. The district cannot put fire on the ground while spotted owls, nesting raptors or passerines are actively nesting, Sanders said.

Air quality approval comes on the morning of the burn, based on wind direction. The goal is smoke that lifts and moves offshore rather than settling into nearby communities under an inversion layer, according to Sanders.

"You either get a little bit of smoke now," Sanders said, "or you get a lot later."

What recovery looks like: The burned unit visible from the Sunnyside Trail is already returning. Lush growth covers what was black ash through August, Sanders told the group. Purple needlegrass, a California native, sprouted mid-summer, outcompeting the annual European grasses that normally dominate, he said. Oaks are re-sprouting from their root crowns, drawing on underground energy reserves that fire does not destroy. Douglas fir, which does not re-sprout from the root crown, will die where killed and become snag habitat for woodpeckers, bats and hawks, according to Sanders.

What's at stake: The Marin Water board voted 5-0 Tuesday to raise the annual broadcast burning cap from 180 acres to 1,000: 240 acres in forest understory and 760 acres in grasslands and open oak woodlands. The district burned 109 acres in two broadcast burns in 2025, according to a staff report prepared for the June 16 board meeting. An environmental addendum prepared for the same meeting found the expansion would exceed air quality thresholds for particulate matter. The district acknowledged that finding as significant and unavoidable under CEQA, on the grounds that a wildfire would produce far greater emissions than any prescribed burn. No public comment opposing the expansion was offered at Tuesday's meeting.

Even 1,000 acres may not be enough, Sanders said at Tuesday's meeting. At a five to ten-year fire return interval across 22,000 acres, "2,000 acres is probably where we want to be," he said.

What's next: Marin Water is not working alone. State Parks has burns planned along Ridgecrest Boulevard, accessible from Deer Park Fire Road and Pantoll Road, with the earliest possible timing late summer or early fall 2026, according to state parks information officer Tyler Hersko. Marin County Parks vegetation and fire ecologist Sarah Minnick confirmed two formally approved burn units in the San Geronimo Valley: one at Roy's Redwoods Preserve targeted for late June, and a second at Gary Giacomini Preserve planned for later this fall, conditions allowing. Residents can sign up for burn notifications through Alert Marin at emergency.marincounty.gov.

Asked whether any of this felt like enough, Sanders did not make a promise.

"I don't know that we're ever going to change our plant communities from annual European grasses back to the perennial bunchgrasses that they once were," he said. "But fire helps."

PeopleForBikes released its 2026 City Ratings this week, placing Mill Valley 28th in California and in the 89th percentile nationally with a score of 57 out of 100, up 20 points from last year. "When I see a parent loading their kids onto a cargo bike to head to preschool, it's not a political statement," said Councilmember Katherine Jones to the Briefing. "It's Mill Valley living today."

The culture is real. The infrastructure in some places is still catching up. The Briefing is working on a deep dive for next week looking at what the number means on the ground, where the gaps are, and what the city should prioritize next.

On June 12, 1912, a group of five Austrians and Germans living in the Bay Area founded a local chapter of Die Naturfreunde, an organization for lovers of the outdoors established in Vienna in 1895. The San Francisco chapter was the first of three California branches. Oakland and Los Angeles followed.

Before the Golden Gate Bridge, members traveled from San Francisco by ferry, then by train to a Mill Valley of about 2,500 residents, then on foot up Mount Tamalpais to hike and camp.

On November 3, 1912, they discovered a neglected cabin above what is now Muir Woods. They purchased it, renovated it, and by 1915 had begun work on an alpine chalet, hauling materials by mule before the Panoramic Highway existed. That lodge still stands today.

The club continues to hold hikes and festivals on the mountain, 114 years on. The next public event is Kinderfest on September 20 at the lodge above Muir Woods.

Sources: touristclubsf.org; Keith Skinner, Membership Secretary, SF Nature Friends

Tue, Jun 23 – Open Mic Night with Caroline DeLone, Sweetwater, 7pm. A local singer-songwriter tradition celebrating Austin DeLone’s birthday. Performers get two songs or 10 minutes to take the historic main stage, backed by a stellar live support house band. Free show; all ages welcome. Sign-ups open via email the night before.

Tue, Jun 23 – Tuesday Night Comedy, Throckmorton Theatre, 8-10pm. Throckmorton’s acclaimed weekly comedy night brings a theater-style stage and an intimate club atmosphere to 142 Throckmorton Ave. Tonight’s laugh-out-loud lineup features fresh rising talent alongside top-tier veteran comics Jason Van Glass, Betsy Salkind, Bob Johnston, and Lyall Behrens, with Michael Meehan serving as the evening's host. Doors open at 7:30pm.

Wed, Jun 24 – Kitchen Dwellers w/ Water Tower, Junction Beergarden, 6pm. Kitchen Dwellers continue to carve out their own lane in the world of progressive roots music, blending bluegrass, folk, and psychedelic grit into a sound as expansive as their Montana home. The Bozeman-born quartet pairs instrumental virtuosity with emotional storytelling and deep connection to the American West. All ages welcome.

Thu, Jun 25 – Comedy in the Plaza, Mill Valley Downtown Plaza, 6pm. Grab a lawn chair, blankets, and snacks for the Arts Commission's massive annual night of free outdoor laughs under the summer sky. This year's stellar national stand-up lineup features Wendy Liebman, Bo Johnson, Caleb Elliott, and Patrick McDermott, with Pedro Gonzalez serving as MC. Free entry; open to all.

Thu, Jun 25 – Locals Night, Mountain Home Inn, 4-8pm. Escape up the mountain to 810 Panoramic Hwy for a weekly neighborhood gathering. Unwind with sweeping sunset ridge views over Mount Tamalpais alongside live music, cold local craft beer, and a curated selection of fine wines.

Thu, Jun 25 – Trivia Night, The Depot Cafe and Bookstore, 5:30pm. Co-hosts Lynne and Simon "The Brit" lead a popular night of quiz show fun and playful group therapy on the plaza. Picture trivia, wild categories, and bragging rights await those who know a little too much about obscure topics.

Thu, Jun 25 – World Cup: USA vs. Turkey, 7pm. Catch the action live with watch parties happening all over town at Sweetwater, The Junction, Tam Tavern, Playa, and other local screens. Check individual venues for match-day food/drink specials.

Thu, Jun 25 – 10 Years After — The Songs Continue, Sweetwater, 8pm. A remarkable, historic night celebrating the timeless songbook of Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman, performed live on their actual, original instruments. Featuring a powerhouse lineup of Jackie Greene and Jay Lane alongside very special guests Reed Mathis and Angeline Saris. All proceeds from the evening directly benefit Music Heals International and the Grateful Guitars Foundation. All ages; standard doors open at 7pm (VIP early entry at 6pm).

Fri, Jun 26 – Musical Feast, The Depot Cafe and Bookstore, 5:30pm. An alt-country-folk-rock ensemble blending Bonnie Raitt, John Prine, Springsteen, and Petty with guitars, flute, violin, and gorgeous vocal harmonies live on the plaza.

Fri, Jun 26 – Neon Velvet, Sweetwater, 9pm. Get ready for a euphoric, high-energy dance party. Northern California’s premier 5-piece band hits the stage delivering the very best new and classic dance hits from the 70s, 80s, and 90s up to contemporary favorites, paired with state-of-the-art lights, props, and choreography. All ages; doors open at 8pm.

Sat, Jun 27 – Patrick Winningham, The Depot Cafe and Bookstore, 5:30pm. Soft rock, folk, and Americana delivered with living-room warmth, every song sounding like it was written for the exact table you're sitting at live on the plaza.

Sat, Jun 27 – Jeff Sanford’s Cartoon Jazz Orchestra, Throckmorton Theatre, 8-10pm. Featuring 18 incredible, virtuosic musicians, the Cartoon Jazz Orchestra delivers a live concert experience that is a nostalgic yet adventurous blend of music inspired directly by classic American cartoons. Doors open at 7:30pm.

Sat, Jun 27 – Summer Studio 54 Night, Sweetwater, 8pm. Dust off your vintage disco threads and platform shoes for a massive throwback dance party. DJs Adam Twelve and Richard Habib will be spinning classic dance tracks live to transform the room into the ultimate legendary New York nightlife experience. All ages; doors open at 7pm.

Sun, Jun 28 – Marin Bluegrass Sessions, Sweetwater, 12-2pm. The monthly open jam session returns to the stage. Perfect for intermediate to advanced bluegrass pickers to step up, jam, and share traditional acoustic strings with the community in a relaxed afternoon setting. Free admission; doors open at 11:30am.

Sun, Jun 28 – Las Cafeteras, Sweetwater, 8pm. The vibrant East LA powerhouse ensemble hits the stage, fusing traditional Afro-Mexican Son Jarocho music with modern folk, hip-hop, and storytelling lyrics into a rhythmic, uplifting live performance. All ages; doors open at 7pm.

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