Lower Manzanita Phase 1

The Lower Manzanita Phase 1 project is a fuels reduction initiative located in Markleeville, California, within Alpine County. The project encompasses approximately 30 acres across two private landowner parcels, specifically the Boyde property on Diamond Valley Road and the Denio property on Bryan Way. The primary objective is to mitigate wildfire hazards by reducing fuel loading and altering fuel arrangement to decrease flame length, intensity, and rate of spread. The treatment area is characterized by native sagebrush habitat and fire-damaged conifers. To achieve the desired post-treatment conditions, where projected flame lengths are limited to 2-4 feet, the contractor will perform mechanical mastication on 70% of the sagebrush while leaving 30% in a discontinuous mosaic to maintain habitat. Additional tasks include chipping woody material to retain soil moisture, hauling materials to designated sites, improving and restoring access, and limbing remaining trees to a minimum height of 10 feet. Operational execution is subject to strict environmental and safety constraints. Equipment operations are restricted to weekdays between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm, and no machinery may be used on slopes exceeding 20% or in areas with saturated soils. To protect sensitive resources, the contractor must adhere to specific protocols regarding Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) and Cultural Resource (CR) buffer zones, which include prohibitions on vehicle access, pile burning, and mechanical thinning in designated zones. Within CR avoidance areas, activities are limited to hand thinning, and any new discoveries require an immediate work stoppage and notification of a qualified specialist. Furthermore, the contractor is responsible for implementing safety measures for chainsaw and mastication equipment use, maintaining fuel containment at refueling sites to prevent spills, and ensuring compliance with all relevant air quality permits.