Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Post Fire Travel Management Tools - Trail Delineators

Mill Fire's Landscape Alteration
 
Post-fire rehabilitation of destination OHV areas on Forest Service lands requires a lot dedication, determination, and dollars/labor.  Sometimes, the landscape is altered for several generations.
Key trail entrance landmarks such as trees and boulders are often destroyed by the wildfire or impacted by heavy equipment used to blaze dozer lines around the fire.
Dozer Lines Can Also Remove Trail Entrance Features
 
On a recent work detail, QWR’s Sound Trails Initiative had the opportunity to help restore trail entrance features and vehicle-type control devices on the Mendocino National Forest.
Trail Delineators Ready for Installation on MC/ATV Trail
 
As many of you know, the 2012 Mill Fire destroyed about 82,000 acres within the boundaries of the Stonyford OHV Area on the Grindstone Ranger District in Northern California.  Much of the landscape is now unrecognizable and important trail entrance features are no longer there.
Delineators Installed on Designated MC/ATV Trail
 
To help identify trail entrances and vehicle-type restrictions, the Forest has been installing new trail delineators on important route entrances.  Over the last year, hundreds of trail delineators have been installed with the help of agency staff and volunteers to help prepare the unit for the fall riding season.
Trail Delineators Installed on Trail for Full-Size Vehicles
 
This summer’s fire season has devastated a lot of federal timber lands in the West including portions of the Stanislaus National Forest burned by Rim Fire.  Installing managed OHV recreation trail control structures will be important to reopen those routes in an expeditious manner.
QWR believes that volunteers will continue to play an important role in those trail projects.   It is a team effort to repair post-fire damage and will require continued partnerships with users, agency staff, grant funds where available, and other stakeholders.
Agency/Volunteer Work Party
 
Lastly, QWR wants to thank our partners and sponsors for the support over the last year which has enabled us to help with the ongoing post-fire trail rehabilitation efforts on the Mendocino National Forest.
Tools of the Trade
 
 

1 comment:

  1. Great work Don. And a huge tip of the hat to all who volunteered to help.
    We have an offer out to round up local volunteer help for rehab of the Bison Fire that burned in the Pine Nut Mountains, east of Carson City Nv. Heard back initially but haven't heard anything recently from BLM.
    Bottom line. GET INVOLVED. It works.

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