UPDATE - Efficacy of Lincoln Log No-Dig Trail Delineators

May 2019 Review of Lincoln Log Barriers Installed

in October 2018 - Post Carr Fire Recovery Update

BLM Chappie-Shasta OHV Area

Efficacy is the ability of achieving a goal or objective to produce the intended result.  In the case of post-wildfire recovery of recreation facilities those efforts often include travel management-related projects to reestablish delineation of designated routes, highlight a trail entrance, or protect natural or cultural resources.

Over the last 18 years, QWR has witnessed the increased frequency of reoccurring intense wildfires impacting popular federal recreation areas in the California and the West.

Lincoln Log Barriers Installed in Oct. 2018

Many land management agencies have historically relied on a post wildfire model to “buy and replace” milled timber barriers to meet desired travel management objectives. Often purchasing, constructing, and transporting a milled timber barrier with footings and rebar stakes to its destination at a remote trailhead or cultural site can exceed $100 to $150 dollars each.

While milled timber barriers or trail delineators may still be valid and necessary depending on desired management objectives, QWR believes our new and more frequent wildfire reality requires us to reevaluate the automatic response to purchase miles of costly milled timber barriers vs. increased use of “free” on-site dead or dying trees to construct “lincoln log” trail delineators.

Milled Timber Barriers Installed in Oct. 2018

BLM Chappie Shasta OHV Area

To review the effectiveness of lincoln log delineators to restrict OHV travel on routes impacted by dozer lines, QWR reviewed post-Carr Fire recovery efforts at the Chappie-Shasta OHV Area near Redding, California.

In October of 2018, OHV volunteers and BLM recreation staff installed both milled timber and non-dig lincoln log barriers/trail delineators on several dozer lines created during fire suppression efforts.

The “No Dig” Strike Team was directed to a dozer line that needed barriers installed. The team cut various lengths of dead trees on-site which were then laid into the v-notches of natural footings also cut on-site from fire damaged trees. 

This created a stable natural-looking no-dig barrier/delineator that highlighted the designated path of vehicle travel and/or the area that was protected. 

A recent field review in May 2019 showed those no-dig lincoln log barriers were meeting their management objective and were just as effective to date as the milled timber barriers.

May 2019 Review of Milled Timber Barriers that were

Installed in Oct. 2018 - BLM Chappie Shasta OHV Area

QWR believes that some credit to the effectiveness of both the no-dig and milled timber barriers can be attributed to ongoing travel management efforts by the Forest Service, BLM, and the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division to encourage OHV travel on designated roads, trails, and areas.

Freshly Installed Lincoln Log Trail Delineators Installed

May 2019 at Post River Fire Recovery Project

BLM Cow Mountain OHV Area

While the 2005 Forest Service Travel Management Rule that directed all National Forests to designate roads, trails and areas for motorized use was at the time controversial, it appears that post-2005 travel management planning efforts and subsequent implementation strategies may be contributing to the user community’s willingness to stay on designated routes at popular OHV areas in the West that are at risk from intense wildfires.

  

Lincoln log barriers/delineators are just one of many post wildfire recovery travel management tools that may not be as effective in high use areas such as campgrounds and staging areas where milled timber or rock barriers are more appropriate.

However in more remote areas where OHV recreationists are simply passing through on a designated road or trail, the no dig delineator might prove to be a more cost-effective option.

  

POST WILDFIRE - Dozer Line Recovery Strategy

Main Connector Route Impacted by Carr Fire Dozer Line

BLM Chappie Shasta OHV Area

It is no secret that designated roads and trails provide recreational access to the great outdoors for millions of Americans.  In addition, they are often used by dozers to cut firebreaks or to provide ingress/egress for firefighters and support vehicles to manage a wildfire.  

For the purpose of this article, QWR will focus on post wildfire recovery prescriptions for three different types of dozer line impacts to system routes.  Those situations include dozer lines created on an important connector or corridor road/trail, dozer lines that obliterate the core of a single-track or 50-inch trail network, and non-route related dozer lines that intersect a system road or trail.

Reconstructed Rolling Dips on Connector Trail Used as Dozer Line

BLM Chappie Shasta OHV Area

QWR believes the first order of priority for post wildfire recovery and reopening of a unit is for trail crews to reestablish soil loss/water control structures (i.e. rolling dips, sediment catch basins, etc.), signing, and vehicle width restrictors on key connector routes that provide public access for multiple-use recreation and post-fire management/monitoring activities. 

Secondly, the focus should be on installation of temporary pressure treated wood or natural wood/downed tree barriers and signs to restrict vehicle traffic where dozer lines obliterated the core of a single-track or 50-inch trail network.   This gives recovery crews time to focus on restoring public access on major connector routes.   Once that mission is accomplished then workers can focus on reestablishing and reopening the affected trail network.

Dozer Line Intersecting System Trail

BLM Chappie Shasta OHV Area

Lastly, dozer lines are also created on old non-system roads or historic fuel breaks from past fires.  These are not legal routes where installation of pressure treated, natural wood, or rock barriers are used to restrict vehicle traffic.

Volunteers and Agency Staff Install Temporary Natural Wood Barriers and Sign 

BLM Chappie Shasta OHV Area 

Often it is not the wildfire that directly impacts the trail but is the associated fire management activities such as building dozer lines that affect the road and trail system.

Recovery and Reopening of Connector Trail

BLM Chappie Shasta OHV Area

QWR believes a robust recovery and reopening strategy (using agency staff, contractors, and volunteers) should address dozer line impacts in a timely manner so as to avoid economic impacts to rural communities and recreation interests.

*QWR wants to thank the volunteers and agency staff who participated in the recent Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance work party at the BLM Chappie Shasta OHV Area which is now reopened for public use.

WILDFIRE UPDATE - Get Red Cross First Aid Certification BEFORE Taking FS Chainsaw Class

The Forest Service requires that volunteers - who use chainsaws to clear trails of downed trees - get certified or recertified every 3 years.  

According to the Forest Service, volunteer sawyers covered by those policies often maintain trails on national forests and grasslands or work in Wilderness where crosscut saws are required. The national saw directive standardizes training, evaluation, certification, and safety procedures for sawyers operating on lands managed by the agency.

 

Valid Red Cross Adult First Aid Card

The FS requires volunteers to have a valid Red Cross First Aid/CPR certification card BEFORE you can take the FS Chainsaw Certification class.  Depending on where you live, the Red Cross

Classes (usually ½ day or so) are either online or you attend in person. Costs vary from $25 dollars for the online course to $115 for the classroom.

 To learn more about the American Red Cross training programs, please visit:

http://www.redcross.org/

The safety planning components are related to Felling, Bucking, Brushing and Limbing Plans that uses a planning logic strategy which includes the following analysis and project description categories; Objective, Hazards/Obstacles, Leans/Binds, Escape Routes, and Cut Plan (OHLEC).  This process is applied to all phases of the saw operation.

Historically, the chainsaw certification levels were largely based on tree size or Diameter at Breast Height (DBH). The current certification rating is more focused on the complexity of the specific felling or bucking task using OHLEC as a decision matrix.  The sawyer certification levels are listed below.

A Sawyer.  An apprentice sawyer who may saw only in the least complex situations or, for training purposes, at the next higher level and in either case only under the immediate supervision of a B or C Sawyer qualified to supervise the work.

B Sawyer – Bucking Only (not applicable in the fire management context). An intermediate sawyer who may independently buck and limb any size material in moderately complex situations and who may saw at the next higher level, but only under the immediate supervision of a sawyer qualified to supervise the work

B Sawyer – Felling and Bucking.  An intermediate sawyer who may independently fell, buck, and limb any size material in moderately complex situations. This person may saw at the next higher level under the immediate supervision of a sawyer qualified to supervise the work. This person may also conduct classroom and field training for A and B Sawyers with prior written approval from the Saw Program Coordinator.

C Sawyer – Bucking Only (not applicable in the fire management context). An advanced sawyer who may independently buck and limb any size material in highly complex situations based on the Regional Saw Program Manager’s or Saw Program Coordinator’s written recommendation. The recommendation must be supported by demonstrated advanced saw knowledge, skills, and in most cases certification as a B Sawyer. This person may conduct classroom and field training within that person’s skill level for A and B Sawyers, and may conduct field proficiency evaluations within that person’s skill level for A Sawyers and B Sawyers ̶ Bucking Only.

   

C Sawyer ̶  Felling and Bucking. An advanced sawyer who may independently fell, buck, and limb any size material in highly complex situations based on the Regional Saw Program Manager’s or Saw Program Coordinator’s written recommendation. The recommendation must be supported by demonstrated advanced saw knowledge, skills, and in most cases certification as a B Sawyer. This person may conduct classroom, field training, and proficiency evaluations for A and B Sawyers.

LINK TO INFO ON THE FOREST SERVICE NATIONAL SAW PROGRAM

https://www.fs.fed.us/about-agency/regulations-policies/saw-policy

Again, the training is very comprehensive.  Topics include, but are not limited to: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), area size up, proper body positioning and stance,  familiarity with OSHA requirements and regulations, physics of “binds”,  physics of “kickback”, sawyer/swamper communication, cutting area control, danger tree awareness,  job hazard analysis and emergency evacuation plans,  Forest Service radio communication, radio procedures and how to use a Forest Service radio;  parts of the chainsaw,  how to sharpen chainsaw chain,  and saw maintenance;   and of course the inclusion of safe chainsaw handling, starting and stopping procedures, use of escape routes,  and safe fueling of the saw to avoid “fuel geysers.”

It is important to set aside two days for the FS Chainsaw Class which includes one day in the classroom and one day in the field.  And again, plan for ½ a day to attend a Red Cross First Aid class.

As OHV stakeholders and partners wait for volunteer post-wildfire projects to be scheduled  -- once the fires are out, mop up operations are concluded, and the FS or BLM are ready to starting planning for volunteer projects -- you can be proactive and get your Red Cross First Aid certification NOW and be ready to attend a FS chainsaw class when they are announced.

The need for a trained professional volunteer workforce will continue to grow as we face the current and future impacts of wildfires on federal recreation areas.

*Don Amador also serves as the Operations Chief for the Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance

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OHV ON FIRE - Gear Up to Support Post-Wildfire Recovery Efforts

Don Amador on Past Tour at BLM's Cow Mountain OHV Area

*Unit on Fire Now - Mendocino Complex Fire*

OPINION

Don Amador

July 29, 2018

OHV ON FIRE - GEAR UP TO SUPPORT POST-WILDFIRE RECOVERY EFFORTS

Many in the OHV community are being directly or indirectly impacted by the horrific and deadly wildfires burning throughout the West including those fires raging out-of-control in the BLM’s Chappie-Shasta OHV Area near Redding and the BLM’s Cow Mountain OHV Area near Ukiah/Lakeport in Northern California. 

BLM's Chappie-Shasta OHV Area

*On Fire Now - Carr Fire*

One of the lessons I have learned over the last 10-20 years working on numerous volunteer post-fire recovery projects at OHV recreation sites and serving on a regional forest-health/fuels management collaborative is the important role that OHV stakeholders (i.e. clubs, volunteers, grant partners such as the CA OHV Division, and OHV Industry grants, federal disaster relief aid, etc.) have in the delivery and implementation of post-fire mitigation efforts.

Post-Wildfire Hazards

Intense wildfires can destroy important OHV management tools such as trail delineators, signs, kiosks, and campground facilities.  Costly soil erosion and water quality trail structures can often be obliterated by dozers creating access routes for firefighters or blading fire lines around the blaze.

2012 Mill Fire - Post-Wildfire Trail Clearing

Mendocino National Forest

With winter rains coming in a relatively short period of time, a lot of the post-fire recovery projects will be centered on soil stabilization.  Here are some of those site-specific project areas.

  

Roads/Trails:

• Restoring drainage
• Clean the ditches and culverts
• Pull floatable debris from uphill of the culverts
• Water bars/Rolling Dips

Trails:

• Erosion control measures
• Trail stabilization
• Hazard tree mitigation
• Install route markers
• Install public warning signs gates and barricades

Protection/Safety:

• Hazard tree mitigation
• Cultural resource protection

Let’s continue to keep our family, friends, and firefighters in our thoughts and prayers and gear up to support important post-fire recovery efforts.

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