Dragoon Fuels Reduction

The proposed project will reduce hazardous fuel loading in strategic locations near the community of Sonora. The project will reduce shrubs growing in control lines constructed during the Washington Fire in 2021 and will remove large wind rows of brush adjacent to old control lines. Additionally, hazardous fuel loading will be reduced by creating shaded fuel breaks adjacent to control lines and adjacent to residential areas. The project area is approximately 138 acres in size. The project area ranges in elevation from approximately 1,785 to 2,400 feet above sea level. Vegetation at the site would best be described as oak woodland with dense brush. Overstory tree species consist primarily of interior live oak with scattered gray pine, ponderosa pine, and California black oak. Understory species consist of manzanita, toyon, chamise, poison oak, blackberry and patches of French broom. The project area contains dozer lines constructed during the Washington Fire of 2021. Manzanita, toyon and live oak are regrowing in the control lines and range from 18-inches to four-feet in height. Some live oak sprouts within old control lines will be retained to create a shaded fuel break condition. Surface and ladder fuels will be reduced or modified by mastication, chipping, or by hand cutting, piling and burning. Mastication may be conducted by a variety of track laying type tractors. Wind rows of brush created during the Washington Fire may be masticated or piled for burning with an excavator. Hand work for chipping, as well as piling and burning or lopping and scattering will be conducted by hand crews using chainsaws and other hand tools. Work within 25-feet of Dragoon Gulch walking trails will be conducted by hand. Trees less than 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 30-feet between stems. In areas where no trees are available for retention, aggregations of brush may be retained. 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 and burned, or masticated. Masticated or chipped material will be left on site. The reduction in vegetation will create a shaded fuel break condition that will minimize fire behavior and create a stand structure that is resistant to stand replacing fires.