SCH Number 2023120609

Project Info

Title

Shasta County Wildfire Mitigation / Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project (Grant# 4382)

Description

The proposed action consists of removing ground and ladder fuels up to 400 feet from each side of the PAA roadway centerlines, thinning trees to reduce crown closure, removing dead and dying trees within 100 to 200 feet of serviceable roadways or within landscape areas, and after removal activities, applying herbicide at regular intervals to control the future regrowth of unwanted vegetation and maintain an understory canopy without fire-prone fuels. Work will focus on improving forest health, including vegetation management, forest undergrowth reduction and biomass utilization. Treatment will focus on reducing vertical and horizontal continuity of fuels; removing competition from small, closely spaced, fire-vulnerable species; and promoting a smaller number of resilient larger trees. Generally, living trees will be spaced to a distance of greater than 30 feet. These fuel reduction treatments will allow roadways to serve as areas where fire intensity decreases and can act as strategic locations to deploy firefighting resources in the event of fire, hampering fire’s ability to jump roadways. Both mechanized and manual techniques will be deployed for the removal of fuels. Areas that would be heavily disturbed by equipment or stacked logs would be reseeded with sterile cover crops or mulched with certified weed-free rice straw or wheat straw. Fuel reduction, biomass disposal, herbicide treatment and site restoration activities are described in greater detail below. The treatment contractor will conduct the hazardous fuel reduction techniques appropriate for each individual parcel. A Preliminary Site Assessment (PSA) will be conducted on each eligible parcel to identify water courses, special-status species and habitat, cultural resources, or any other obstacles to be avoided. An individual Treatment Prescription (TP) will be developed for each parcel based on the Preliminary Site Assessment. Commercial sized trees will be included in the thinning operations. Commercial sized logs may be left for the property owner of each parcel to sell appropriately or will be sold by the treatment contractor to offset project costs. Property owners who elect to sell commercial sized logs will be required to submit and receive approval of an appropriate Timber Harvest Exemption from CAL FIRE, pursuant to Title 14 CCR §1038.

4 documents in project