HFQLG
Project Evaluation Form
Project Name: Blakeless DFPZ Underburn and Grizzly Watershed Restoration Project
Project Type: Blakeless DFPZ Project - Underburn to construct Defensible Fuel Profile Zone (shaded fuelbreak).
Grizzly Watershed Restoration Project – install grade control structures to stop erosion and restore stream bed.
Forest: Plumas
Ranger District: Beckwourth Ranger District
Date: 22 Sept 2009
Attendance: 18 people
Agency: John Olofson, Sierra Valley Resource Conservation District and Plumas County Planning Commission;
Gale Dupree, Sierra Valley Resource Conservation District and Sierra County Fish & Game Commission.
Public: Frank Stewart, Counties Forester and Quincy Library Group; Terry Rust, Quincy Resident and Feather
River Resource Conservation District.
USFS: Deb Bumpus, Beckwourth District Ranger; Jon Lamb, Fire Ecologist; Antonio Dueñas, Hydrologist;
Barbara Boaz, Ecosystem Manager; Russell Nickerson, District Wildlife Biologist; Maria Cisneros, Wildlife
Biologist; Michael Friend, Botanist; Lynée Crawford, Botanist; Sara Billings, Fuels Tech; Lowell Evans,
Archeologist; Colin Dillingham, HFQLG Monitoring Team Leader; David Wood, HFQLG Team Leader; Jeff
Watson, HFQLG Management Analyst; Dave Evans, Lassen National Forest Silviculturist.
Blakeless underburn DFPZ Project and Grizzly Watershed Restoration Project were completed by U.S. Forest
Service personnel. No service contracts were utilized.
Type of Treatment:
The Blakeless Underburn project was a follow-up underburn project to complete construction of an effective
DFPZ. Most of the project area had been thinned with mechanical harvesters during an entry prior to Quincy
Library Group, but riparian areas were avoided. The follow-up underburn treated both uplands and the adjacent
riparian zones with careful underburning to reduce fuel loading. The Blakeless Underburn project area is 1200
acres.
The Grizzly Watershed Restoration Project was implemented to reduce soil and stream channel erosion from preexisting eroding channel banks, headcuts, and gullies. As these treatments become effective, the project is
expected to restore basic hydrologic functions thereby aiding natural recovery processes. With few exceptions,
the treatment was successful. A majority of the headcuts and gullies have been repaired and energy dissipaters
are in place to slow the flow of surface water. The project prevented a total of 543 cubic yards of soil and stream
channel erosion from project inception. The project restored hydrologic function on approximately 0.2 acres.
Discussion Topics:
Jon Lamb, Fire Ecologist, describes the Blakeless
Underburn project objectives. This site was
thinned with a timber sale prior to the HFQLG
Pilot Project Act. The treatment was a follow-up
underburn to complete the Defensible Fuel Profile
Zone. The first stop visited an underburned site
where surface fuels were reduced and met the
HFQLG DFPZ objectives for surface fuel loading,
ladder fuels and canopy fuels. Snags and large
down logs were retained as prescribed during the
prescribed burn through careful fuel moisture
monitoring. Some brush is beginning to grow in
the understory.
Resource
Area
Attribute
Objective
Source of
Objective
Objective
achieved?
Fuels
prescription,
from HFQLG
EIS, Appendix J
Yes
DFPZ
construction
Eliminate 75% of
surface fuels less
than 1 inch diameter
and 35% of larger
pole sized material.
Fuels
DFPZ
construction
Maintain 90% of all
crop trees and
protect large woody
debris and snags
where possible.
Fuels
prescription in
EA
Fuels
DFPZ
construction
Scorch white fir
reproduction and
60% of decadent
brush species.
Fuels
prescription in
EA
Hydrology
Grizzly
Watershed
Restoration
Create grade control
structures
Water
Quality
Erosion
Prevent continued
erosion
EA
Yes
Hydrology
Grizzly
Watershed
Restoration
Restore headcuts,
gullies and eroding
channels
SNFPA, FSEIS,
Appendix A
Yes
Botany
Moonwort
(Botrychium)
and Cryptic
catchfly
(Silene invisa)
Prevent impacts to
rare plants
EA and Forest
Direction
Yes
Fuels
EA
Yes
Yes
Yes
Comments
Underburn very effective
at reducing material less
than 10 inches diameter.
Very little damage to
residual stand, height to
live crown base raised.
Snags and logs remain
post-treatment, but plot
data not available.
Most white fir
reproduction burned as
well as large portion of
brush. Brush species
resprouting and may
need treatment in 3-5
years.
Grade control structures
installed and appear
effective.
Project prevented 543
cubic yards of
anticipated soil from
entering stream
Use rock to fill eroded
stream bank and
headcuts. Erosion
prevented and
ephemeral stream.
Plants adjacent to
project area were not
impacted by project.
An untreated area adjacent to the
underburn project area shows the dense
forest and accumulation of surface and
ladder fuels. Little brush is present in
the dense understory.
Although the previous timber sale did
not enter the riparian area, the
underburn prescription recommended
underburning through the riparian zone.
Pre-treatment conditions would allow a
wildfire to burn the riparian zone at high
intensity. To prevent crown fire
initiation, the HFQLG FEIS, Appendix J,
recommends managing ladder fuels and
crown base height at a sufficient level to
prevent crown fire initiation. The
underburn raised the live crown base
height and reduced surface fuels to
desirable levels.
Frank Stewart explains his concerns with
NEPA and litigation and need for public
to get involved in process. John Olofson,
part of Plumas County Planning
Commission had asked how he could
help to promote these underburn
projects. Frank later also added that it is
important to link both watershed
restoration and upland vegetation
treatments into single NEPA documents
to show public that the HFQLG program
is more than just upland treatments.
GRIZZLY WATERSHED RESTORATION PROJECT
Antonio Dueñas, district hydrologist,
explains the Grizzly Watershed
Restoration Project to participants
including (foreground) John Olofson
and Gale Dupree both of Sierra Valley
Resource Conservation District and
Frank Stewart, Counties Forester and
Quincy Library Group member. The
rock grade control structure the group is
standing on is imbedded into the slope
to prevent the stream from eroding
around the edges.
Terry Rust, Feather River Resource
Conservation District (RCD) (green hard
hat) is standing on margin of previously
eroded stream bank that was filled with
rock. RCD and QLG members
commented that the high quality of the
project together with a low price tag
($22,800) was very cost effective to
restore ¼ mile of stream. The prevented
erosion will help downstream water
quality.
The photo on the left was taken prior to project
implementation and shows the deeply incised channel
and eroding channel bank and gully. The photo on the
right illustrates a rock grade control structure, the
eliminated gully and restored riparian vegetation.
Successes, Shortcomings and Follow-up Treatment Needed:
The Blakeless Underburn project was considered a complete success and a 1200 acre effective Defensible Fuel
Break is now available to help manage wildfires. A follow-up treatment to prevent excessive shrub development
may be necessary in 3 – 5 years.
The Grizzly Watershed Restoration Project was considered successful. A majority of the headcuts and gullies
have been repaired and energy dissipaters are in place to slow the flow of surface water. The project prevented a
total of 543 cubic yards of soil and stream channel erosion from project inception. The project restored
hydrologic function on approximately ¼ mile (0.2 acres) of ephemeral stream. The high quality of the project
together with a low price tag ($22,800) was very cost effective to restore ¼ mile of stream.
Notes prepared by: _/s/ Colin Dillingham__________ Date: 2 Oct 2009
HFQLG Monitoring Team Leader
Reviewed by: _/s/ Deb Bumpus__________ Date: _2 Oct 2009__
Beckwourth District Ranger