Railtown 1897 Angels Branch Fuel Reduction

The project aims to mitigate wildfire risks to Railtown 1897 State Historic Park and its historic assets by conducting targeted fuel reduction and vegetation management in the Angels Branch and Western Gulch areas north and west of the park. In the Angels Branch Area, work includes clearing brush and understory along 1,000 feet of railroad track, maintaining a consistent 10-foot defensible space alongside the tracks, and pruning low-hanging branches along with the removal of dead wood and hazardous trees adjacent to the right-of-way. These actions are designed to eliminate potential ignition sources and interrupt vertical and horizontal fuel continuity that could facilitate fire spread toward the park’s infrastructure. In the Western Gulch Area, the focus is on eliminating accumulated debris and invasive plant species while selectively thinning vegetation along a 400-foot stretch to reduce ladder fuels that could allow a ground fire to climb into tree canopies. The efforts in both locations are strategically aligned to protect the park’s historic railroad equipment, buildings, and visitor safety by creating fire-resistive buffers. The project is managed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation, with environmental scientist Andrew Collum serving as the primary point of contact, and the work is planned to occur in California, specifically in the 95327 zip code area.