News Release:
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USDA Forest Service
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Eureka, October 11, 2005
According to Forest Supervisor Jeff Walter, Six Rivers National Forest will implement a number of prescribed burn projects this fall. Prescribed burns are designed to reduce fuel loading, protect natural resources, provide for firefighter and public safety, protect private property and residences in and around communities, and improve the safety of evacuation routes. They are conducted under precise environmental conditions to ensure that objectives are met.
Some prescribed burns are an “understory burn” in which surface fuels consisting of downed woody debris, brush and small saplings are burned to reduce the threat of wildfire and maintain the canopy of larger trees. Understory burns may also be done to provide high quality basket making material. Others burns are “pile burning” in which handpiles consisting of woody debris, brush and small saplings are burned.
Smith River National Recreation Area (NRA) will begin implementation of 385 acres of prescribed burning of handpiles sometime this fall. Of this, 247 acres are located around the community of Gasquet and are part of the on-going Gasquet Community Protection Project. The remaining 138 acres are located in the vicinity of Bear Basin and part of the Siskiyou Project, designed to improve and protect mature forested habitats.
Lower Trinity Ranger District will implement a 120 acre understory burn as part of the ongoing Salyer/Hawkins Bar Community Protection Project located in the Ziegler Point Road area above Trinity Village. This project was developed through a collaborative process involving the Trinity County Fire Safe Council, Trinity County Resource Conservation District, Salyer Volunteer Department, Hawkins Bar Volunteer Department and United States Forest Service.
Orleans Ranger District will continue implementing 40 -120 acres of understory burning adjacent to private property in the Orleans Community area. A 122 acre handpile burn project will also be started.
Other burns include:
- Bear Grass burning which helps provide high quality basketry material. These burns remove the coarse foliage and the new spring growth provides weaving material for baskets and new leaves are also braided for many other uses (nine acres in two sites).
- Willow burning which is part of a research project that will monitor effects of burning on growth of sand bar willow (two acres in two sites).
- Hazardous fuel reduction burns in campgrounds and administrative sites (12-15 acres).
- Burning of slash created in timber management areas (approximately 90 acres).
Mad River Ranger District will implement an 84 acre understory burn to complete the 576 acre Clover Gulch Fuel Reduction Project. The project was initiated in 1998 and is located south of Ruth Lake. The purpose of the project is to reduce the heavy fuel loading within the Clover Gulch area of the Upper Mad River Watershed. Burning of handpiles will also occur on 74 acres of the 936 acre Mad Ridge Fuelbreak project. Thinning and handpiling of this project should be completed by next year and the subsequent pile burning completed the following year or two after the handpiling. The Trinity County Resource Advisory Committee has funded much of this project with the intent to protect the communities of Mad River, Ruth, and Hettenshaw Valley, as well as provide for firefighter protection.
Prescribed burning will be conducted under conditions which favor smoke dispersal and limit the impacts on local residents. “We realize the resulting smoke from prescribed burning can, at times, impact people who live near a burning project and we will make every effort to minimize smoke impacts to surrounding communities,” said Walter. “The burn will be conducted in compliance with all North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District regulations.”
California Department of Forestry and Fire (CDF) fire restrictions on private property are still in effect. When these restrictions are lifted, information on private burning, including permits, and daily information can be obtained from the North Coast Air Quality Management District at (707) 443-3093 or (866) 287-6329. Applications for burn permits will be available at the Lower Trinity Ranger District office on Highway 96 in Willow Creek when these state fire restrictions are lifted. For further information, contact Lucy Salazar, Fuels Specialist at (707) 441-3514.
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