Fuels Reduction--A "HOT" Topic This Summer
The Trinity County Resource Conservation District (RCD) continues to work on strategic fire safe projects in Trinity County in the midst of the major fire event started by a lightning storm on only the second day of summer. These fires continue to affect much of California. The District has been successful in applying for, and obtaining, grants for high priority projects through the California Fire Safe Council, which distributes funds from the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. These priorities are set by the Trinity County Community Wildfire Protection Plan and by the encouragement of landowners for help from the District.
The District had two projects approved recently for funding through the statewide Fire Safe Council. The East Weaver Community Fuels Reduction project is designed to help create a buffer on private lands contiguous to a planned wildlife habitat improvement burn on Forest Service lands between East Weaver Road and Musser Hill. The Douglas City Strategic Fuels Reduction project is for work with landowners along several roads in the Douglas City area.
These new projects build on work the District has already completed. For example, 148 acres were treated in a pair of fuels reduction projects done earlier this year along Oregon Street and in the Grass Valley Creek Watershed with funds from the BLM. Smokey the Bear visited our crew while they were working to reduce fuel loading in a high priority area. With the onset of an extreme fire season, fuels reduction is needed more than ever and Smokey’s visit serves as a reminder that you need to keep defensible space around your home!
The RCD is currently working on the Down River Community Fuels Reduction project on private lands, and the Salyer/Hawkins Bar Fuels Reduction project on adjacent USFS lands. Our Community Chipping Project is well underway and is designed to give landowners an alternative to burning or hauling woody material to the transfer station. A chipping request form can be obtained from the District’s office by calling 6236004 or from our website.
The District realizes that good planning is the key to meeting our County’s fire safe strategies, and our staff is working with the Trinity County Fire Safe Council to assist the County’s Long Range Planning staff develop an update to the County’s General Plan with regards to wildland fire in the Safety Element of the General Plan. The District encourages everyone to take a look at the draft Plan when it becomes available and provide comments to the General Plan Advisory Committee.
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