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CLERC News
The latest news from the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center

US Forest Service Completes First Phase of CLERC-Funded Roadside Hazard Tree Removal Project

11/18/2022

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​After being severely impacted by the 2018 River Fire, the US Forest Service began looking for partners to help restore the land within the Mendocino National Forest. CLERC stepped up and worked with the staff at the Upper Lake Ranger District to include roadside hazard tree abatement on federal lands as part of the Lake County Hazardous Fuel Reduction Project – Phase 1.
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Drone photo showing roadside hazard tree abatement work completed as part of the Lake County Hazardous Fuel Reduction Project - Phase 1
​The scope of work for this portion of the project includes 500 acres of roadside hazard tree abatement in areas burned in wildfire. The goals of the project include improved ingress/egress, reduction of roadside fuel loading, and creation of fuel breaks to slow the spread of future wildfires.
Work consists of mechanical felling and piling of standing dead trees within 200 feet of key roads within the Mendocino National Forest. Several routes cleared with the first contract are identified in the Lake County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) as important for maintaining ingress/egress.
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Typical roadside conditions in the Mendocino National Forest prior to treatment.
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After the River Fire, travel through the forest became difficult due to the substantial number of downed trees.
​The contractor completed the first contract of 175 acres and a contract has been awarded by the USFS for the remaining 325 acres of work, which will be completed by the end of 2023. The US Forest Service is planning to burn the piles produced by the project as soon as conditions permit. Control lines have been installed around the piles in preparation for burning during the winter of 2022-23.
Inflation Drives Up Costs, Federal Funds Come to the Rescue
​For the initial 175 acres, bids came in $600/acre higher than budgeted in the grant.  This was largely due to the passage of time between the time the grant application was submitted and the time the project was implemented (about 2 years), in addition to pandemic-induced labor supply chain issues, and record high inflation across the economy as a whole. However, the USFS was able to provide federal funds to cover the difference in contractor costs, which resulted in over $105,000 being invested in Lake County that otherwise would have been spent in a different community.
More Projects Planned
​With this successful collaboration under our belts, CLERC and our partners at the Upper Lake Ranger District are excited about working together on future projects. CLERC has secured additional funding for work within the Mendocino National Forest as part of the Lake County Wildfire Resilience Project Phase 1.
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USFS Silviculturist examines two piles of logs created as part of the Lake County Hazardous Fuel Reduction Project, Phase 1.
​The USFS also just recently completed the environmental review for the North Shore Restoration Project, which will facilitate ecosystem restoration on over 40,000 acres of federal lands. The USFS and CLERC have entered into a Master Participation Agreement in order to allow CLERC to play a greater role in implementing projects on federal lands, in addition to securing the funding.
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© 2022 Clear Lake Environmental Research Center, PO Box 636 Lakeport, CA  95453
  • About Us
    • Who We Are >
      • About CLERC
      • BOARD OF DIRECTORS
      • STAFF
      • Collaborators
    • What We Do >
      • Fire & Forestry >
        • Community Projects >
          • Hazardous Fuel Reduction Project - Phase 1
          • Wildfire Resilience Project - Phase 1
          • Northshore Fuels Team
          • South Lake Chipping Program
          • Fox Drive Fire Prevention Project
          • Middletown and Cobb Evacuation Route Clearing
          • Bottle Rock Rd Project
        • Cost-Share Programs >
          • North Bay Forest Improvement Program (NBFIP)
          • Building Fire Resiliency in California's Coast Range Forests and Grasslands
      • Hitch Observation Program
  • The CLERC Lab
  • Resources
    • Current Conditions
    • Lab Forms
    • Report Hitch Sighting
    • Lake County TREX
    • Wildfire Resiliency Resources
    • The CLERC Library
  • Connect
    • CLERC News
    • Work With Us
    • Contact Us >
      • Landowner Contact Form
    • Donate