- a weekly column published in the Pioneer Press

This is the land management strategy designed to protect the northwest spotted owl and thousands of additional “old growth” species. It requires surveys to be conducted and management strategies to be created for lists of threatened and endangered species, as well as numerous other species of concern.

Catastrophic forest fires spurred the creation of the National Fire Plan. In January of 2001, the federal government published a list of Wildland-Urban Interface Communities in the Vicinity of Federal Lands That Are at High Risk From Wildfire, (WUI or woo-ee.) This list included the cities of: Etna, Fort Jones, Happy Camp, Mount Shasta, Dorris, Weed and Yreka.

The Klamath PAC has been discussing the difficulty of meeting the fuel reduction goals of the National Fire Plan, while satisfying burdensome regulations of the NWFP and additional requirements for “survey and management” of species a timely and cost effective manner.

Hazardous fuel reduction projects on WUIs in the Klamath National Forest typically identify a “Threat Zone” consisting of about 1 ½ miles around private land settlements with structures. This zone would be thinned so that fires would not have flame lengths greater than 8 feet in hot, late summer conditions. Within this zone is another called the “Defense Zone,” drawn ¼ mile around structures. Here, thinning would be such that crown fires would drop to the ground and flames would be no more than 4 feet in length.

Requirements of the NWFP for various species surveys has loaded down the process of getting fuel reduction projects started around our high risk communities. When a federal agency looks at making a land management decision, it is required to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA.) The act has requirements for looking at a range of alternatives, assessing environmental consequences and involving public input.

Certain decisions have been determined to be “categorically exempt” (CE) from the full lengthy and costly process on the basis that the category of action has no significant impact on the environment. There are currently two CEs specifically available for fuels treatment. One is for treating up to 4,500 acres with prescribed burning and the other is for treating up to 1,000 acres with mechanical methods for crushing, piling, thinning, pruning, cutting, chipping, mowing and mulching. There is also a CE for rehabilitation of up to 4,200 acres after a wildfire.

Late last summer, the U.S. Forest Service established a new policy for three types of limited timber harvest (LTH) sales that were categorically determined to have no significant impact on the environment. It means that the process of preparing the sale is considerably more timely and less costly. However, a decision on such a sale can be appealed.

The first category allows for harvest of live or green trees up to 70 acres, (prohibits clear cuts.) This harvest is designed to remove individual or groups of trees from crowded stands to improve the health and vigor of the remaining trees.The second category allows for the salvage of dead and dying trees on areas up to 250 acres. The third category allows the harvest of live, dead or dying trees when necessary to control insect and disease up to 250 acres. This is called a “sanitation” harvest. Use of any of these categorical exclusions (CEs) will include scoping of interested parties and public input.

At the moment of this writing, the House has passed the Healthy Forests Restoration Act – H.R. 1904 and it is expected to pass the Senate. It then proceeds to President Bush for signature. The bill will revamp the current appeal process, require judges to consider the environmental consequences of inaction on fuels reduction projects when they are challenged, expedite analysis and review requirements for fuels projects, clarify the NWFP requirements for retention of large trees in fuels reduction projects and ensure public participation in the process You can find the full text of the bill at http://thomas.loc.gov/

We look forward to working with the U.S. Forest Service to reduce fuel loads in forests adjacent to our communities. It will also be nice to see overcrowded stands thinned, bug and drought kill removed and our national forests managed with an emphasis on forest health. Planned projects are already invigorating the spirit of forest-dependent communities and stimulating discussion and involvement.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!