Cal Poly Fuel Reduction EPP

The Cal Poly SLO Fuel Reduction project will apply broadcast prescribed fire across approximately 535 acres within seven distinct treatment units of predominantly annual grasslands, intermixed with coyote brush. The seven treatment units are located within Cal Poly’s ranchland, campus-adjacent wildlands, and WUI zones, all within a High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. The primary objectives are to reduce high fuel loading of fine fuels and improve ecological resilience. Burns will be conducted under CAL FIRE approved burn plans, favorable weather prescriptions, and SLO APCD smoke management requirements. No mechanical treatments are proposed. CAL FIRE and Cal Poly Hand crews will be used along the existing access roads and proposed control lines to improve the access/evacuation route; and as needed in equipment exclusion zones. Hand crews may be used prior to burning to improve control lines or protect infrastructure (e.g., improve access/evacuation routes, protect fences/structures, trim oak trees adjacent to unit). No tree removal is proposed. Burns will utilize existing roads and trails as primary control lines; no new roads are planned. No work will occur with known sensitive species occurrences. Treatment activities include manual fire control line construction, prescribed burning, hand crew thinning, chipping, pile burning, pruning, and hazard tree removal, ultimately, reducing the threat of catastrophic wildfires in this area in cooperation with landowner objectives will result in ecological restoration, hazard reduction and range improvement.