Colfax City Hazardous Fuels Reduction

Colfax City Hazardous Fuels Reduction

Project involves the removal of hazardous vegetative fuels on two City of Colfax owned parcels through a cooperative effort with Cal Fire. The project area consists of 91.5 acres of brush covered timberland in two separate parcels. Elevations range between 2000' and 2400' elevation. The aspect faces south to east and slopes range from 5-40% which lead into Slaughter Ravine and Smuther's Ravine and are tributaries of the North Fork American River. Forest management has not occurred on site for over 50 years. Understory vegetation is extremely dense includes live and dead Manzanita, Live oak scrub and trees, poison oak, black oak and Himalaya blackberry. Other species occur throughout the stand typical of the transition zone between ponderosa pine / oak dominated stand and mixed conifer. Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, sugar pine, grey pine, blue oak, black oak and canyon live oak are very typical of this elevational zone. The treatment includes hand cutting and chipping of brush and small trees using chainsaws, hand tools, diesel powered tracked chipper, and pole saws for pruning. The intent is to install a wide linear shaded fuel break along boundaries as well as general fuels reduction throughout the project area. Where fuels are unfeasible to chip due to access, cost and density, piling and burning will be used to reduce the fuel loading. Where none of these treatments are appropriate, mowing equipment will be used to grind the material in situ, leaving a dense blanket of chipped material on the ground to prevent erosion and suppress weed germination. Trees greater than 6" diameter at breast height will be left uncut unless the trees are found infested with insects or disease and deemed a threat to the remaining trees, the public, infrastructure, or personnel on site. Work involving pile burning will be conducted in accordance with local Air Pollution Control District requirements and permits.

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