Group of people, CLERC staff standing outdoors by a lake with a mountain Mount Konocti in the background, some wearing jackets and badges, on a sunny day.
Logo for Clear Lake Environmental Research Center, featuring a lake, mountains, trees, grass, and a bird flying in the sky

HI! We’re clerc

and our community chipping program is helping to keep lake county fire safe one chipping day at a time.

SIGN UP FOR A CHIPPING DAY

Rooted in Community and Science

Three women in hard hats and safety vests taking a selfie at a construction site with heavy machinery and other workers in the background.

The Clear Lake Environmental Research Center, or CLERC, is a nonprofit based in Lake County, California, dedicated to building a safer, healthier environment through education, science, and community action.

From wildfire prevention and forest-health research to water-quality monitoring and community engagement, our work connects people to the land they call home.

The Chipping Program is one of the many ways we turn that mission into action, helping neighbors reduce wildfire risk and protect what matters most.

Here’s how we turn our mission into action.

WHAT WE DO

Simple illustration of a pine tree with a brown trunk and dark green branches.
Illustration of a laboratory flask with liquid on top and blue liquid with bubbles at the bottom.

We work to restore and maintain healthy, resilient forests across Lake County. Through hands-on management, research, and community programs, we reduce wildfire fuel and support long-term ecological balance.

FOREST HEALTH

RESEARCH

CLERC connects science to the community; studying forest and water systems while sharing knowledge through workshops, local partnerships, and community outreach to inspire stewardship in this generation and the next.

Fire symbol with a slash through it, indicating no fire or fire safety.

Our Chipping Program and other wildfire-mitigation projects like fuel breaks, make it easier for residents to create defensible space and protect their properties from wildfire threats.

FIRE PREVENTION

Illustration of a handshake with one hand in blue and the other in red, forming a heart shape.

None of this happens alone. We collaborate with fire districts, resource agencies, and volunteers to expand our reach and strengthen Lake County’s collective resilience.

COMMUNITY

Learn more about CLERC

Why We Chip

Wildfire resilience starts with defensible space, and not every resident has the tools or equipment to create it.

A man wearing a white safety helmet and brown t-shirt holding a pine branch, standing next to a wood chipper as wood shavings fly through the air in a forest setting.

Our team and partners make that possible by bringing the chipper to your neighborhood, free of charge. Every pile chipped helps protect homes, wildlife, and the forests that define Lake County.

OUR PARTNERS

The Chipping Program is powered by collaboration between CLERC, local fire districts, and wildfire prevention agencies working together for a safer Lake County.

Patch of North Shore Fire Department with American flag, firefighter emblem, and symbols for emergency medical services and firefighter gear.
Logo for Hogback Ridge Crew featuring a red boar with gray hair, sharp tusks, and a fierce expression, surrounded by flames, with the team name in yellow cursive text above.
CLERC logo with a circular design featuring a mountain lake scene, green hills, a bird in flight, and cattails in the foreground, with the center text 'CLERC' and the outer ring reading 'Clear Lake Environmental Research Center

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