Deerlick Springs Project

The Trinity County Resource Conservation District is implementing the Deerlick Springs Project on a 151-acre site in Trinity County, California, to restore natural fire regimes and reduce wildfire risk through manual thinning and prescribed burning. The work focuses on reducing hazardous fuel loads by hand-thinning small trees and brush under 10 inches in diameter using chainsaws, followed by treatment of residual materials through piling, chipping, or lop-and-scatter. Prescribed burns, conducted under approved burn plans and with handheld ignition tools, aim to achieve 50–90% consumption of grass thatch and 40–90% reduction of surface fuels in grasslands, oak savannas, and mixed conifer stands while limiting oak mortality to no more than 10%. Hand-constructed fire breaks, no wider than four degrees and dug to mineral soil, will be created without heavy equipment to facilitate firefighter access and control fire spread. The project also targets invasive species removal to restore native vegetation and enhance biodiversity in fire-adapted ecosystems, with special attention given to protecting structures and critical infrastructure through targeted pre-burn treatments. All activities are conducted in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act’s Class 4 Categorical Exemption for minor land alterations, and all necessary permits for prescribed burning are required. The Trinity County Resource Conservation District serves as the lead agency and responsible party for inspection and acceptance, with project oversight provided by its Environmental Compliance Program Manager. No formal contract value, pricing, or standard federal acquisition clauses are included in the documentation, as this is an environmental compliance and land management initiative rather than a federal procurement. Performance occurs entirely on-site in the Deerlick Springs area near Douglas City, with no shipments, packaging, or delivery terms applicable. Maintenance treatments are planned on a cyclical basis of every three to ten years depending on vegetative regrowth and funding.