Mount Crossman Community Fuel Break

The Mount Crossman Community Fuel Break is a state-funded wildfire mitigation project administered by the Amador Resource Conservation District in unincorporated areas near Buckhorn and Pioneer, California, covering approximately 85 acres along prominent ridges north of Buckhorn. The project aims to construct a 300- to 500-foot-wide shaded fuel break spanning 1.4 miles to protect hundreds of structures, the communities of Buckhorn and Pioneer, and water quality in the Mokelumne River watershed by reducing hazardous vegetation and fuel continuity. Treatment methods include mechanical mastication, hand thinning, chipping, piling and prescribed burning, pruning, and targeted herbicide application to remove brush, ground fuels, and small conifer and hardwood trees, with operations planned across 50 days and an estimated 1,275 tons of biomass removed. Right-of-entry agreements have been secured from private landowners, and the project area has been physically flagged on-site. The initiative complies with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) regulations and was determined categorically exempt under Section 15304 as a minor land alteration, with a Notice of Exemption filed on July 25, 2025. The project also adheres to state fire prevention codes, traffic control standards for adjacent roads, and pesticide regulations if herbicides are used, while maintaining a 15-foot buffer around watercourses and requiring compliance with permits such as those from CAL FIRE, the Regional Water Quality Control Board, and Amador County for road encroachment. Funded through the CalFire CCI Fire Prevention Grant, the project does not involve a traditional federal contract or standardized FAR clauses, and no pricing, contract value, or procurement evaluation factors were specified. Oversight is managed by the Amador Resource Conservation District, with Ed Struffenegger serving as the Contract Forester and Todd Bertwell as the Project Manager. There is no formal solicitation, bid process, or contract award mechanism documented; instead, work is carried out under the authority of the environmental exemption and grant funding. The intent is to establish a permanent fuel reduction zone, with the Notice of Exemption covering ongoing maintenance in perpetuity. No federal acquisition, packaging, or invoicing requirements apply, and the project’s success is measured by compliance with environmental mitigation measures, land access permissions, and regulatory adherence rather than commercial delivery or cost-based performance metrics.