Aimed at landowners, land managers, conservationists, and all lovers of the forest, this book provides information to enable people to better understand and make decisions regarding forests. Throughout the book, Registered Professional Forester Clare Nunamaker draws on her experiences as a 'dirt' forester, a SmartWood Certified Resource Manager, and a landowner to bring each subject alive. Topics include Understanding the Forest (fire, soil, riparian zones, trees, and ecosystems), Understanding the Landscape (structural, regulatory, and management tools), Sustaining California's Forests (private landowners, forest management, and roads), and Interconnectedness (conservation, ecological footprints, forest health, fuelbreaks, the urban-rural interface zone, and more). The essays are drawn from Clare's popular weekly newspaper column on forestry and forest management, which ran from 1998-2006 and aired on KZYX/KZYZ community radio in Mendocino County.