MENDO FOREST SUPERVISOR SIGNS DECISION TO INCREASE PACE AND SCALE OF FUEL PROJECTS

Post Fire Recon of M5 OHV Trail - 2018 Ranch Fire

MENDOCINO FOREST SUPERVISOR SIGNS FOREST-WIDE FUEL MANAGEMENT PLAN

 

 History was made last week at FireScape Mendocino’s (FSM) 10 year anniversary community celebration held on April 25 in Williams, CA when – for the 1^st time in my 34 year recreation advocacy and stewardship career – I witnessed a Forest Service line-officer sign a decision for a NEPA planning document. 

 

What makes this even more of a seminal moment is the decision authorizes a Forest-wide fire and fuels management strategy to dramatically increase the pace and scale of fire related projects to protect natural landscapes, cultural resources, and recreation facilities.

 

Don Amador, OHV recreation professional and co-founder of FSM, states, “This decision notice to increase the pace and scale of forest health and fuel projects could not have come at a better time as  Forest specialists, recreationists, and other stakeholders continue to grapple with the aftermath of the 2018 Ranch Fire and 2020 August Complex Fire.”

 

“Seeing Supervisor McMaster sign the decision is a highpoint for me and validates all of the hard work done by the agency and partners such as FireScape Mendocino to increase the number of fuel and post fire recovery projects on the Forest,” Amador concludes.

 

LINK TO FS DECISION DOCUMENT SIGNED AT FSM CELEBRATION

https://usfs-public.app.box.com/v/PinyonPublic/file/1514580275080

 

 Forest Service Update

 News, events and stories from Mendocino National Forest

 Decision signed on Forest-wide Prescribed Fire and Fuels Management Strategy

 

WILLOWS, Calif., April 29, 2024 — The increasing frequency and extent of high-intensity wildfires pose a significant threat to California’s ecosystems. To address the current wildfire crisis and restore forest health, Forest Supervisor Wade McMaster has signed a decision on the Mendocino Prescribed Fire and Fuels Management Strategy. McMaster signed the document in front of a diverse group of local partners, tribal representatives and community members at a FireScape Mendocino workshop and 10th anniversary celebration, held in Williams, Calif.

 

“The Mendocino Prescribed Fire and Fuels Management Strategy is incredibly important to me and my team, especially after we’ve had several catastrophic, dynamic fire seasons and other challenges with insect infestation, drought and back-to-back winters with severe storms,” said McMaster.

 

“This forest-wide and multi-phased approach will allow us to more quickly adapt to changing conditions, reduce impacts from future fire and improve forest resilience and health.”

 

With this decision, forest managers can use prescribed fire with manual and mechanical treatments to reduce the build-up of hazardous fuels (e.g., grasses, brush, small-diameter trees, downed trees and woody debris).

 

Treatments will be phased over time, targeting overly dense forest underbrush and small trees before and after wildfires. Prescribed fires will be applied at varying intensities, sizes, frequencies, seasons, and places, and manual and mechanical fuels-reduction tools will be utilized up to 20,000 acres per year to achieve and maintain desired vegetative conditions.

 

Treatments will vary across the landscape and will depend on several factors, including terrain, fire severity, desired conditions and ecology. Several constraints are in place to protect key resources. The strategy excludes treatment within Wilderness Areas and within 100-acre nest groves for the endangered Northern Spotted Owl. Also, treatments like thinning to reduce fuels are limited to small trees, up to 12 inches in diameter. No new roads or landings will be constructed under the strategy.

 

Projects under the strategy will have to meet site-specific conditions. Before the forest can implement in the field, projects will be vetted by an interdisciplinary team in a screening process. Local tribes, partners and collaborative groups like FireScape Mendocino will also play an important role in monitoring and helping identify potential areas for treatment.

 

“As we look to return fire to the landscape, our relationships are going to be key. I am excited to work alongside our tribal partners to incorporate cultural burning and healing as we move forward,” McMaster said.

 

The Mendocino Prescribed Fire and Fuels Management Strategy is consistent with the post-fire restoration framework and conforms to several elements of the 2023 Wildfire Crisis Strategy, which calls for a new paradigm to step up the pace and scale of the fuels and forest health treatments.

 

More information about the Mendocino Prescribed Fire and Fuels Management Strategy, including the decision notice and environmental assessment are available on the project website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/mendocino/?project=59722.

 

 

Forest Supervisor Wade McMaster signs decision notice on the Mendocino Prescribed Fire and Fuels Management Strategy in front of community members at FireScape Mendocino’s 10th Anniversary Celebration, Apr. 25, 2024.

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 Don Amador has been in the trail advocacy and recreation management profession for over 33 years.   Don is President of Quiet Warrior Racing LLC. Don serves as the Western States Representative for the Motorcycle Industry Council. Don is Past President/CEO and current board member of the Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance. Don served as a contractor to the BlueRibbon Coalition from 1996 until June, 2018. Don served on the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission from 1994-2000. He has won numerous awards including being a 2016 Inductee into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame and the 2018 Friend of the AMA Award. Don served as the government affairs lead for AMA District 36 in Northern California from 2019 – 2023. Don is a Co-Founder and current Core-Team member on FireScape Mendocino.  Don is a contributor to Dealernews Magazine. Don writes from his home in Cottonwood, CA.