Mike is a Fire Captain with Cal Fire at Washington Ridge Conservation Camp where, between wildland fire assignments, forestry management, and fuel reduction are his top concerns. Mike has grown up near the town of Washington and knows the terrain and forest better than most. Washington lies alongside the South Fork of the Yuba River, in a deep canyon, as the Sierras ascend steeply to the Donner Pass which separates East and West Nevada County. He has made it his personal mission to educate the public about what real forestry health should look like, how to repair the man-made damage and move forward with integrity.
Sample of the interview of Mike Stewart with Ruth Chase 2017
Traveling down the ravine after making a left turn off HWY 20 to the little town of Washington is a short trip that feels worlds away. Mike and his family live right on the Yuba River, down a dirt road three miles for the center of town. Mike has so many stories about growing up in Washington and venturing out into the woods by himself as a kid to camp overnight. In this short audio clip taken from Radu Sava’s video footage, Mike shares with us the wisdom he passes on to his two boys, Colin and Brandon about managing our forests.
Mike Stewart is part of BELONGING, a community arts initiative led by Nevada County Arts Council Artist-in-Residence Ruth Chase, generously funded in part by California Arts Council through its Artists Activating Communities Program.
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