California Vegetation Treatment Program (CalVTP) Update

The Tuolumne County Resource Conservation District (TCRCD) is proposing the Big Hill-Lyons Fuels Management Project in portions of the Peppermint Creek-Woods Creek, Lower South Fork Stanislaus River, and Sullivan Creek watersheds near the communities along Big Hill Road and adjacent to Sonora, Phoenix Lake, Quail Ridge Ranch, Comstock Ranch and Cedar Ridge in Tuolumne County. Treatment types and activities will occur on up to an eventual 14,856 acres. This acreage includes some areas that may not end up being treated for lack of landowner acceptance and funding and contractor availability or site specific conditions such as steep slopes, economic feasibility or site specific concerns (e.g. cultural sites or sensitive species). Project Description: The goal of the Big Hill-Lyons Fuels Management Project is to reduce the risk of wildland fire to land adjacent to portions of the Phoenix Lake, Quail Ridge Ranch, Comstock Ranch, Cedar Ridge and Big Hill communities, residences along Lyons Bald Mountain Road and the City of Sonora by decreasing the amount and continuity of hazardous fuel loading in the wildland urban interface (WUI) and creating strategic shaded fuel breaks along major ingress and egress routes. These vegetation treatment types and activities are intended to create conditions that will minimize fire behavior and to create a mosaic condition that is more resistant to stand replacing type fires. Of the 14,856 acres in the project area, 14,523 acres are located in the CalVTP Treatable Landscape and 333 acres are outside of, but adjacent to, the mapped Treatable Landscape. The acres outside of the Treatable Landscape have similar topographic, environmental, and vegetative conditions that are essentially the same to those acres within the Treatable Landscape. This project ranges from 2,200 feet to 5,000 feet in elevation and contains varying aspects and topography with slopes ranging from less than 10% to over 60%. The vegetation types in this project would best be described as tree and shrub with overstory species consisting primarily of interior live oak, California gray pine, valley oak, California black oak, blue oak, ponderosa pine and incense cedars and understory species consisting of manzanita, chamise, poison oak, toyon, yerba santa and ceanothus. Initial and Maintenance Treatments The treatment types that may be implemented are shaded fuel breaks and wildland urban interface (WUI) fuel reduction. The shaded fuel breaks were strategically located along roadsides that provide critical ingress and egress routes for residents and emergency personnel and would have a maximum width of 300 feet. WUI fuel reduction areas were determined to be the locations where the proximity of private property and high fuel loads were very close and posed a high likelihood that a fire that started in one location could impact the other. Generally, brush vegetation and smaller trees would be removed and thinned in a mosaic pattern to reduce ladder fuels and canopy connectivity while still maintaining patches of vegetation throughout the project area to enhance habitat quality. Larger trees would be retained to try and shade out shrub regeneration. The proposed treatment activities for both initial and maintenance treatments may consist of mechanical treatment, manual treatment, prescribed herbivory, herbicide application and prescribed burning (broadcast and piles). Mechanical treatment will often be utilized in both initial and maintenance treatment phases based on current vegetation loads, site conditions, economic factors, and different landowner preferences. The entire Big Hill area is covered in dense stands of vegetation and will benefit from the controlled break up of vegetation that mechanical treatments may provide over other methods when in proximity of private property (like in the WUI), along roadways, and near sensitive areas. Mechanical treatment will occur over the primary area of the project (up to 14,447 acres) and consist of uprooting vegetation or masticating and chipping material to a specified maximum length and depth and dozer piling. Masticators, skid steers, dozers, excavators, brush rakes, chippers, and equipment operators will be used during implementation with crew sizes anticipated to be between one and 60 crew members. Up to five crews could be conducting treatments simultaneously across the project area. Slash disposal will be distributed across the landscape or piled for burning. Some biomass removal off site may occur. The project has several areas that are too steep or deemed to be more sensitive (like WLPZs) that preclude the effective use of mechanical treatment. As such, manual treatment may be utilized in order to cut, clear, and prune vegetation. Manual treatment will consist of hand crews thinning or pruning vegetation with chain saws, and either lop and scattering, chipping, or piling (for burning) the material. Manual treatment is expected to occur year round (up to 14,447 acres) weather permitting, unless precluded by a sensitive species. Prescribed burning may consist of pile burning (up to 11,182 acres) or broadcast burning (up to 14,856 acres). This method of vegetation management is intended to manage fuel loading by reducing the amount of cut material left on the landscape after mechanical and manual treatments and allows for fuel removal in areas that are harder to access by other methods (like rock outcrops). Generally, pile burning may be used as a complement to initial mechanical and manual treatments, while broadcast burning would be more of a maintenance option. Broadcast burning reintroduces fire back to the landscape and more closely mimics the natural fire regime of the area. Prescribed burning will generally occur after manual and mechanical treatments have been completed to allow for appropriate fuel loads, time to dry piled material, and favorable weather conditions, likely late fall to early spring. Prescribed herbivory may be used as an initial treatment in areas that preclude the effective use of other methods; however, it is generally proposed as a maintenance treatment expected to occur at least 1 year after initial treatments depending on vegetation regeneration and the availability of funding and contractors. Prescribed herbivory will be used to slow the regeneration of understory shrubs and maintain low fuel loads utilizing goats, cattle, or sheep. It could occur on up to 13,478 acres in the project area during the appropriate window for the species being targeted, unless precluded by a sensitive species or area. Herbicide application may be used as an initial treatment in areas that preclude the effective use of other methods; however, it is generally proposed as a maintenance treatment expected to occur at least 1 year after initial treatments depending on vegetation regeneration and the availability of funding and contractors. Herbicide application may include any of the 10 listed herbicides analyzed in the PEIR depending on the primary species that regrows within the project area.