Cultural Fire Climate Project Hwy 169

Cultural Fire Climate Project Hwy 169

This project is a hazardous fuels reduction project utilizing accepted prescribed fire practices. It is a collaborative effort led by the Cultural Fire Management Council (CFMC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit run by Yurok Tribal members in coordination with the Yurok Tribe, CAL FIRE, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). This project is a continuation of a community effort to reintroduce prescribed fire to the Klamath River area and to reduce or eliminate fire hazard along the State Highway 169 corridor. The project involves four separate geographic areas receiving fuels and prescribed fire treatments. These treatments mitigate accumulated fire fuels near tribal elder residences, along public roads, and along various private roads internal to the Yurok Reservation. The project will reduce the buildup of hazardous fire fuels on 300- 600 acres using two treatment methods. The first treatment involves using hand-tools, chainsaws, and chippers to clear fire fuels within 100 feet of key egress/ingress roads (~20 miles) and near the residences of 72 tribal elders. Brush, shrubs and small immature trees will be removed to eliminate fire ladder fuels and increase spacing between tree crowns. Treatment two involves using low intensity prescribed fire within the four areas during 5 separate Training Exchange (TREX) events. For any given TREX event on any one area, a maximum of 30 acres will be burned on average to treat tribal lands of accumulated fire fuels and provide ancillary benefits of reintroducing cultural practices which promote growth of essential ceremonial and native food sources. The reduced fuel zone will lessen the chance of a wildfire starting and increase the likelihood of fire crews being able to extinguish the fire.

Humboldt