The Lava Timber Sale - Encroachment Permit

The Lava Project is a forest health and fuels reduction project that requires mechanical tree removal. The goal of the project is to thin the number of trees to reduce the risk of wildfire around the community of Mammoth Lakes and improve forest health. The Lava Project is managed by the National Forest Foundation in partnership with the Inyo National Forest. One of the units (Unit 3) has a boundary that is 15-65 feet from the edge of pavement of Highway 395 Southbound. The unit is located between post-mile 31-32. We are applying to do a shoulder closure of Highway 395 South during fall 2026. The contractor will be cutting trees with a Tigercat 1165 Harvester. They will fall marked trees away from the direction of the highway using machinery that can control the direction of fall. The unit parallels highway 395 for approximately 600 feet. It will take one to two days of cutting to complete.