Covington Big Hill Fuel Reduction Project

The proposed project, which will be carried out by American Forest Foundation, will reduce hazardous fuel loading and create a shaded fuel break condition on portions of 6 private parcels along Covington Mine, Columbia Crest, and North Bald Mountain Roads. The project area is approximately 65 acres in size. The project area ranges in elevation from approximately 2,900 to 3,200 feet above sea level. The objective of the project is to reduce hazardous fuel loading to create or restore shaded fuel break conditions to areas that were treated 10 to 20 years ago on portions of these 6 private parcels. These parcels are strategically located in a Very High fire hazard zone and will restore safe ingress and egress for residents on North Bald Mountain, Covington Mine, and Columbia Crest Roads, and protection of die Yankee (fill communications towers. Vegetation at die site would best be described as Oak Woodland; however, there is a significant amount of ponderosa pine, sugar pine, incense cedar and a few Douglas-fir in die overstory. Overstory tree species consist primarily of canyon live oak, interior live oak. California black oak, ponderosa pine, sugar pine, incense cedar, and a few Douglas fir. Much of the project area has been treated in the past and the understory consists primarily of live oak, black oak, manzanita, chamise, poison oak and toyon sprouts ranging from two to ten feet in height Surface and ladder fuels will be reduced or modified by mastication, chipping, or by hand cutting with chipping or pile burning. Masticationmay be conducted by a variety of track laying type tractors. Hand work for chipping, as well as lopping and scattering will be conducted by hand crews using chainsaws and other hand tools. Trees up to 12-inches in diameter at breast height (dbh), surface fuels and ladder fuels will be treated to achieve a target residual tree spacing of 25 to 35-feet between crowns. Residual trees will be pruned to a height of approximately 8 to 10-feet above ground level. Dead trees of any size may be felled and chipped, piled, or masticated. Masticated or chipped material will be left on site. The reduction in vegetation will restore or create a shaded fuel break condition that will minimize fire behavior and create a stand structure that is resistant to stand replacing fires.