HFQLG
Project Evaluation Form
Project Name:
Summit DFPZ
Project Type: Fuel Reduction Project
Forest: Lassen Ranger District: Eagle Lake Ranger District
Date: October 4, 2007
Attendance:
Agency- None
Public- Frank Stewart, Counties Forester and Quincy Library Group
USFS- Jerry Bird, Lassen Forest Supervisor; Terri Frolli, Eagle Lake District Ranger; Scott Stawiarski, Eagle Lake
District Silviculturist; Dave Evans, Forest Silviculturist; Linda Wrenn-Johnson, Timber Management Assistant; Rod
Vineyard, Biomass Specialist; Tom Rickman, Wildlife Biologist (only office meeting, did not go to field); Angela
Parker, HFQLG Implementation Team Assistant Team Leader; Colin Dillingham, HFQLG Monitoring Team Leader;
Elise Reierson, HFQLG Office Assistant; Paul Stancheff, Plumas NF Asst Forest Silviculturist.
Project completed by: Franklin Logging
Date completed: 48,980 green tons removed to date out of 68,150
total tons advertised. We reviewed units completed in 2005, sale completion
date anticipated 6/13/2010.
Type of treatment and acres:
1801 acres of DFPZ created and yielded 68,150 total tons. See examples below of two photo points that illustrate both
the pre-project and post-project conditions.
Resource
Area
Attribute
Objective
Silviculture
Tree Density
Reduce Basal area
from about 200 sq ft
per acre to 80 – 100
sq ft acre to increase
health and vigor of
residual stand.
EA
Silviculture
Quadratic
Mean
Diameter
Increase average size
of residual trees
EA
Wildlife
Snag
Retention
Maintain snags
where available
Fuels
DFPZ
Create an effective
DFPZ as part of
network
Heritage
Archeology
sites
Soils
Soil
compaction
No impact of
designated control
areas
Meet LRMP
objectives to
minimize soil
compaction
Source of
Objective
EA
Degree
Met
Yes
Yes
Yes
Comments
Retained 80 – 100 sq ft
per acre to meet
objective. Some marked
white fir died in last 5
years or so, creating
some openings suitable
for pine regeneration.
Thinning from below
effective, largest trees in
stand retained increasing
Quadratic Mean
Diameter dramatically.
Excellent snag retention
and additional
recruitment is occurring.
Snags are being used by
wildlife.
Ladder fuels drastically
reduced, fuel loading
reduced. Follow-up
jackpot pile burning will
improve conditions.
EA
Yes
EA
Yes
Control areas were
protected as planned
Lassen NF
LRMP
Yes
Rocky soils were present
and compaction was not
an issue.
Summit DFPZ Small Log Timber Sale (HFQLG)
Mixed Conifer prior to harvesting (2005)
Mixed Conifer after harvesting (2006)
.Removed to date 36.8 tons/ac., which was 52% sawlogs and 48% biomass chips.
.Generated $417,799.40 or $314.14/ac. in revenues for the portion of the sale which is harvested.
.The objectives were to develop a DPFZ and improve stand health and vigor.
Lassen National Forest
.CASPO Prescription
Eagle Lake Ranger District
Susanville, Ca
Akcpc/C:/akcworkspace2007/rodshandouts/photopoints/plot6
Summit DFPZ Small Log Timber Sale (HFQLG)
Mixed Conifer prior to harvesting (2005)
Mixed Conifer after harvesting (2006)
.Removed to date 36.8 tons/ac., which was 52% sawlogs and 48% biomass chips.
.Generated $417,799.40 or $314.14/ac. in revenues for the portion of the sale which is harvested.
.The objectives were to develop a DPFZ and improve stand health and vigor.
Lassen National Forest
.CASPO Prescription
Eagle Lake Ranger District
Susanville, Ca
Akcpc/C:/akcworkspace2007/rodshandouts/photopoints/plot4
Shortcomings and Successes:
Highly successful DFPZ implementation with excellent economic return to federal treasury in an area without high
value resources. The purchaser (Franklin Logging) has a small log mill and was able to get added value material (7 –
9.9” diameter logs) made into boards rather than biomass. Although the advertised volume had 13,404 green tons of
sawtimber and 54,746 tons of biomass (20% sawtimber) the purchaser was able, through utilizing small material, to
harvest the material as 52% sawlogs and 48% biomass chips. The sealed bid resulted in a relatively high bid and
brought a $581,319.50 sale value.
Whole tree biomass of trees 3 – 9.9 inches resulted in removing most of the ladder fuels present. This material was
removed from the site in the form of biomass and small logs. The canopy has been drastically reduced, resulting in a
DFPZ that would bring a canopy fire to the ground and has created an area that would be safe for firefighters to fight
wildfire. Aerial retardant could be effectively applied in this DFPZ.
The forest conditions were poor prior to stand entry, with a large amount of dead, dying and downed trees. The fuel
loading on the ground is high, too high to prevent mortality in the stand during wildfire or prescribed fire burning.
The follow-up work noted below is on schedule for completion.
Stand conditions similar to this are good candidates for Group Selection treatments. This project was planned prior to
group selection goals, but future group selections in this forest type were recognized to provide good ecological
benefits, particularly regeneration sites for pine.
Follow up actions:
Jackpot pile burning is needed and planned to reduce high fuel loading. This is scheduled to be accomplished with KV
funding. After jackpot burning is accomplished, additional underburning may be recommended to make this stand
able to survive a fire.
District Ranger:
__/s/ Theresa M. Frolli__________________________ Date:
10/17/07____