Deer Creek Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project

Deer Creek Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project

In an effort to create resiliency against catastrophic wildfire, the City of Nevada City is undertaking a fuel reduction and fuel treatment project to protect life and property in Nevada City by creating a fuel break along the western edge of Nevada City. A fire assessment and fuel treatment prescription has been provided by registered professional forester (RFP), Kevin Whitlock (RFP #2436). The project area has been divided into fuel treatment units with specific treatment methods and recommendations within each treatment unit. The treatment units are as follows with their respective treatment prescription. Fuel Treatment Unit 1: Work in these 54 acres consists of hand cutting, piling, burning, and/or chipping; no heavy equipment operations except on established roadways. Cutting, piling, and burning and/or chipping of all downed wood material less than 12” diameter at breast height (DBH). All burn piles will be constructed at a minimum of 15ft from the edge of the trails, residual trees, fences, and roads. Piles will not be created within riparian zones. Chipping will occur as site specific conditions allow and material will be pulled to chipper location on existing access roads. Thinning of conifers 1-12” DBH to a minimum 20 ft spacing between stems. Thinning of hardwoods 1-6” DBH to a minimum 30 ft spacing between stems. All Scotch broom to be treated by manually hand pulling/cutting and burning. Mid-story fuels will me treated with manual thinning of trees 12”-16” DBH. Trees shall be removed to create horizontal distances between residual trees from 30 feet between trunks. Prune residual trees to a height of 10 ft or 50% of the live crown. Fuel Treatment Units 2, 3, 4: Work in these 183 acres consists of both manual thinning and mastication and will require removing understory fuels and tree removal. Mastication is the preferred method of treatment of understory fuels and the masticator shall have a footprint of less than 7 pounds per square inch of surface area. Treatment includes removal of approximately 80% of smaller conifers (1”-10” DBH), small hardwoods (1”-6” DBH), and brush that could act as ladder fuels. Achieve minimum 30 foot spacing between conifer stems and 40 foot spacing between hardwood stems. Aim for less than 100 stems per acre combined conifer and hardwoods within the diameter range stated above (1-10” conifer and 1-6” hardwoods) in fuel treatment areas 2, 3, and 4. All residual trees pruned to a height of 10 feet or 50% of the live crown. All scotch broom shall be treated by manual pulling or cut/burn method (no mastication of scotch broom). Mid-story fuels will be treated by removing trees that are between 12”-24” DBH to create horizontal distances of 35 feet between trunks. Removal of ladder fuels within the driplines of all trees over 24” DBH. All residual trees in the mid-story layer shall be pruned to a height of 10 feet or 50% of the live crown. Fuel Treatment Unit 5: Work in these 2 acres consists of cutting, piling, and burning and/or chipping of all downed wood material less than 10” DBH. This area does not lend itself to mastication and must be worked by hand. Treatment includes thinning of conifers 1-10” DBH to a minimum of 30 foot spacing between stems, thinning of hardwoods 1-6” DBH to a minimum of 40 foot spacing between stems, pruning residual trees to a height of 10 feet or 50% of the live crown, cut/pile/burn scotch broom and aim for less than 100 stems per acre combined conifer and hardwoods within the diameter range stated above (1-10” conifer and 1-6” hardwoods). Fuel Treatment Unit Class II and III Watercourse: Work in these 30 acres consists of hand cutting, piling, and/or chipping; with no heavy equipment use within the protection zone. Protection zones are located on both sides of the watercourse and measure 50 feet for Class III and 75 feet for Class II. Deer Creek has a protection zone of 100 feet with no treatment within 100 feet. Cutting and chipping of conifers 1-10” DBH to a minimum 30 ft spacing between stems. No treatment/tree removal in the mid-story as required to maintain shade canopy. All residual trees to be pruned to a height of 10 ft or 50% of the live crown. All Scotch broom to be treated by manually hand pulling or cut/burn method. Fuel Treatment Unit Transmission Line: PG&E crews will perform work within their 3 acre transmission line easement which shall include cutting and chipping conifers 1010” DBH to a minimum 30 foot spacing between stems, cutting and chipping hardwoods 1-6” DBH to a minimum of 40 foot spacing between stems, residual trees pruned to a height of 10 feet or 50% of the live crown, and all scotch broom treated by manually hand pulling or cut/burn method. Fuel Treatment Unit Special Treatment Areas: Work in these 38 acres will require hand cutting, piling, burning and/or chipping; no heavy equipment use within the special treatment areas. Treatment includes removing understory fuels over one foot in height (individual plants or groups of plants may be retained if there is adequate horizontal separation and not within the dripline of an overstory tree). Materials shall be cut and pulled outside of the unit boundary prior to chipping or piling. Work also includes cutting and chipping of conifers 1-10” DBH to a minimum 30 foot spacing between stems, cutting and chipping (or pile/burn outside of treatment area) hardwoods 1-6” DBH to a minimum of 40 foot spacing between stems, removal of all downed woody debris, all residual trees pruned to a height of 10 feet or 50% of the live crown, all scotch broom to be treated by manually hand pulling or cut/burn method, aim for less than 100 stems per acre combined conifer and hardwoods within the diameter range stated above (1-10” conifer and 1-6” hardwoods).

Nevada City

Nevada

Citywide, Unincorporated

Nevada