Huttopia Fuels Reduction Project

The Huttopia Fuels Reduction project is located on property owned by Huttopia Paradise Springs Properties LLC is located within the community of Paradise Springs in Los Angeles County. Huttopia is a recreational camp that rents cabins and yurts for public camping. The project is in a high desert vegetation community. Ponderosa Pine, Jefferey pine, Pinyon Pine, scrub oak and black oak. Understory shrub species include a variety of desert chaparral. The elevation of Huttopia is approximately ~4800 feet. The project goal is to reduce wildfire risk to infrastructure located on the property and to nearby homes on State Responsibility Area (SRA) by reducing vertical and horizontal fuel continuity and for emergency vehicle access during wildfires and for project access. The project area consists of the removal of hazardous fuels within the property. Work will be accomplished using CAL FIRE crews, hand tools, chainsaws and chippers. Work will be limited to within 100 feet of existing structures and campsites. Dead/dying trees will be removed regardless of size except to meet wildlife habitat needs. All vegetation within the drip-line of residual trees will be removed. Brush will be thinned to create a mosaic of islands of vegetation of various shapes and sizes. A minimum distance of two and half times the brush height will be cleared between the islands of vegetation. Cut material will be chipped and deposited onsite. Vegetation that is not pilled for use as firewood will be chipped utilizing tow behind or tracked chippers. Chips will be scattered to a depth of no more than two-four inches, will not cover more than 75% of the ground, and will be kept at least three feet from the base of residual trees. Cut material may also be cut into firewood size lengths and stacked next to the side of the road. Large diameter hazardous trees that are cut may have their main stem left intact on the ground to meet down and woody wildlife requirements. If trees that are cut are found to be infested with bark beetles, the main stem will be left on the ground or cut into firewood size length and stacked. The stems and the wood stacks will be covered with six mil clear plastic to control the spread of the beetles. No pile burning will occur within this project. All ground based equipment will be operated from existing roads or disturbed areas (i.e. landings). No new roads will be constructed.