HFQLG
Project Evaluation Form
Project Name: Warner Defensible Fuel Profile Zone
Project Name: Feather Aspen Enhancement Project
Project Name: North Dusty DFPZ underburn
Project Type: Fuels Reduction/ Wildland Urban Interface
Project Type: Aspen Restoration
Project Type: Fuels Reduction/ Wildland Urban Interface
Also included in these notes are discussions from a pre-treatment review of the:
Clone Aspen and Meadow Restoration Project Aspen Enhancement and Meadow Restoration
Forest: Lassen Ranger District: Almanor Ranger District
Date: Oct 6, 2009
Attendance: 28 People
Agency- Julie Newman, California Department of Fish and Game; Jay Neuman, Cal Fire.
Public- Bill Wickman, Quincy Library Group and American Forest Resources Council; Jared Tappero, Collins Pine
Company; Frank Stewart, Counties Forester and Quincy Library Group; Arnold Selk, Lake Almanor Citizen; and Dave
Ashe, Lake Almanor Citizen
USFS- Al Vazquez, Hat Creek District Ranger; John Zarlengo, District Silviculturist; David Haupt, Project Leader,
Feather Aspen Project; Ryan Foote, District Fisheries Biologist; Bobette Jones, Ecologist; Frank Howell, Culturist;
Adam Bianchi, Sale Administrator; Dave Wood, HFQLG Implementation Team Leader; Colin Dillingham, HFQLG
Monitoring Team Leader; Elaine Alaniz, Sale Prep; Linda Wrenn-Johnson, Forest Service Representative; Brenda
Barton, Timber Sale Administrator; Patrick Doyle, Fuels Officer; Matt Cerney, Fuels Officer; Rick Atwell, Timber;
Damien Stoy, Wildlife; Sara Hubert, Wildlife Ecologist; Cassie Parson, Wildlife; Hanna Main, Wildlife; Marty Lee,
Hat Creek Ranger District Fuels Technician; and Dale Newby, Hat Creek Ranger District Fuels Officer.
Date completed: ongoing
Warner DFPZ timber sale completed by: Collins Pine Company
Scout DFPZ timber sale completed by: Pew Logging
Date completed: 2008
Feather Aspen project completed by: Franklin Logging Date completed: 2008 (62 of 141 acres)
North Dusty DFPZ underburn project completed by: Forest Service Crews
Date completed: June 2004
Type of treatment and acres:
Warner DFPZ Project, Decision Notice signed August 2004.
Construct 1,805 acres of Defensible Fuel Profile Zone (DFPZ) within a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). The Warner
DFPZ project was split into two timber sales, the Warner DFPZ Timber Sale and the Scout DFPZ Timber Sale. The
Warner DFPZ was reviewed during the field trip, the Scout DFPZ was not reviewed other than by discussion.
Feather Aspen Project, Sale Awarded January 2008.
Restore 141 acres of aspen habitat by removing conifer trees to reduce competition for sunlight and to provide the
proper growth environment for aspen.
Clone Aspen and Meadow Enhancement Project: This planned project was sold on Sept 23, 2009 and has not yet
been treated. This project includes both aspen and meadow restoration treatments.
North Dusty DFPZ Underburn Project: This project was a follow-up treatment to the North Dusty DFPZ project,
which was mechanically treated prior to the HFQLG Act. The follow-up underburn treatment completed construction
of a functioning DFPZ.
Warner DFPZ project monitoring review
Resource
Attribute
Objective
Area
Source of
Objective
Degree
Met
Yes
The thinning project will
allow for less competition
and increased vigor of
remaining trees
Yes
Thin from below
prescription removed
ladder fuels and
accomplished crown
separation.
Improve
Forest Health
Reduce competition
of retained trees
Canopy and
Ladder Fuels
Remove ladder fuels
and reduce canopy
fuels to prevent
crown fire initiation
and sustained crown
fire.
Fuels
Surface Fuels
Maintain
approximately 5 tons
per acre of surface
fuels less than 3
inches diameter
HFQLG FEIS,
Appendix J
Yes
Wildlife
Goshawk
Retain habitat in
Protected Activity
Center
EA
Yes
Soils
Soil Cover
Meet LRMP
objectives to
maintain soil cover
Lassen NF
LRMP
Yes
Silviculture
Fuels
EA
HFQLG FEIS,
Appendix J
Comments
Post treatment fuel loading
about 5 tons per acre,
follow-up underburn is
desirable. Enough to carry
ground fire retained as
prescribed.
Project reduced fuel
loading in 335 acres of
Goshawk PAC while
retaining essential habitat
elements.
High amount of organic
matter post-treatment
meets LRMP objectives
Warner DFPZ Project – Brenda Barton,
Timber Sale Administrator and John Zarlengo,
District Silviculturist describe fuel reduction
project and Wildland Urban Interface. Summer
homes are located through the forest to the left
edge of this photo. This was a typical thinfrom-below prescription that made a fire safe
stand, but perhaps reduced the quality of
habitat for marten and spotted owls. The group
discussed ideas of “leave islands” for retention
and also talked of thinning throughout the size
classes which might be introduced in other
projects.
Warner DFPZ Project – Jared Tappero, representative from
Collins Pine Company, explains need for maintaining a
reasonable sawlog to biomass ratio in timber sales so that the
sales are economically viable. The sawlogs offset the cost of
removing the biomass from the forest. Biomass was taken to
Collins Pine electrical cogeneration facility where they are
currently purchasing biomass, including agricultural waste
such as almond hulls, to keep the cogeneration plant running.
There were discussions of how the politically imposed upper
diameter limits restrict the Forest Service’s ability to properly
manage forests in some situations.
Feather Aspen project monitoring review
Resource
Attribute
Objective
Area
Source of
Objective
Degree Met
Aspen
Aspen
persistence
Reduce competition
of retained trees
EA
Yes
Aspen
Aspen
Regeneration
Acquire desirable
aspen recruitment
Prescription
Unknown
Aspen/
Fuels
Introducing
Fire
Retain aspen and
remove fuels
Discussion
Item
Not
applicable
Wildlife
Species
Diversity
Improve bird species
diversity
EA
Yes
Comments
The conifer removal
created desirable opening
and increased sunlight
for aspen.
Stand appears to have
desirable conditions for
regeneration.
Recruitment expected in
3 years.
Threat of losing aspen
clone if fire is introduced
because it may kill the
aspen roots.
Monitoring by PRBO
indicates increased
species diversity in
treated aspen stands
Discussion of Feather Aspen Restoration Project:
Feather Aspen Restoration Project –
David Haupt, project leader and Bobette
Jones, Ecologist, lead aspen restoration
discussion. They explained how the majority
of aspen stands on the district are in very
poor health and that is why they implemented
this project. The group discussed why
introducing fire to a relatively unhealthy
aspen stand might potentially kill the aspen
clone.
Feather Aspen Restoration Project –
The aspen stand has had conifer forest
removed and recruitment is expected. Dead
conifer snags were retained for wildlife
habitat.
North Dusty underburn project monitoring review
Resource
Attribute
Objective
Area
Remove ladder fuels
and reduce canopy
fuels to prevent
Canopy and
Fuels
Ladder Fuels
crown fire initiation
and sustained crown
fire.
Source of
Objective
HFQLG FEIS,
Appendix J
Fuels
Surface Fuels
Reduce surface fuels
HFQLG FEIS,
Appendix J
Wildlife
Habitat
Stand
Diversity
Provide for future
stand diversity
Field Trip
Discussion
Item for future
Degree Met
Comments
Yes
Previous mechanical thin
reduced canopy fuels and
removed ladder fuels.
Yes
Not
applicable
Underburn treatment
created low surface fuel
loading and meets
desired conditions
Discussed idea of
increasing diversity in
future by putting in
North Dusty Underburn Project –
Matt Cerney (not pictured) explains how the
completed underburn project finished the
final treatment necessary to have a fully
functioning DFPZ. This underburn was a
follow-up treatment to the North Dusty
DFPZ project, which was mechanically
thinned prior to the HFQLG Act. This DFPZ
ties into the Warner DFPZ to the south and
provides for additional protection to the
homes in the Feather River Recreational
Residence Tract.
Al Vazquez, District Ranger, discussed the next possible prescription for this stand. The current stand provides a
completed and effective DFPZ, but retained little in the way of stand diversity for wildlife and biodiversity. To
improve stand diversity, he suggested the next entry might include group selections to that the area provides vertical
and spatial diversity in an area that currently has low structural diversity.
Clone Meadow Enhancement Project (Proposed)
Clone Meadow Project –
Elaine Alaniz (not pictured) explained the
proposed project which would remove
encroaching lodgepole pine trees in the
meadow environment. Historic photos show
how meadow has been getting smaller in the
past 70 years. Analysis of conifer sapling
establishment data indicates a large
percentage of trees have become established
in past 150 years of fire suppression.
Follow up actions:
Burn grapple piles and complete follow-up underburn prescriptions to complete Warner DFPZ project.
Continue to monitor Feather Aspen enhancement project.
Implement Clone project and monitor results.
Notes prepared by HFQLG Monitoring Team Leader: /s/ Colin Dillingham Date: 10/6/2009
Reviewed by District Ranger:
__/s/ Al Vazquez
Date: 10/7/2009
Appendix 1. Warner DFPZ Handout
WARNER DFPZ PROJECT EA (August 2004)
PURPOSE AND NEED: Construct DFPZ on 1,805 acres within a WUI area.
Willow Creek home sites, Feather River home sites, Fleishman Boy Scout Camp,
and 2 private land parcels.
Four Treatment Categories:
Treatment A: Surface and small ladder fuels
Treatment B: Surface, ladder and canopy fuels
Treatment C: Surface, ladder and canopy fuels
within Northern Goshawk PAC
Treatment D: Surface fuels
205 acres
980 acres
335 acres
285 acres
Project generated two timber sales:
• Scout DFPZ: Roughly 2 mmbf on 100 acres within the scout camp boundary. Force account hand
piling was follow-up treatment.
•
Warner DFPZ: 3.2 mmbf sawtimber and 880 loads of biomass from 1,065 acres adjacent to the
Willow Creek and Feather River Special Use Areas. $339,409.00 revenue. Service contract grapple
piling was follow-up treatment on completed areas.
Project provided the following actions to the transportation system:
• 1.3 miles new construction
• Decommissioning - 0.7 miles System Roads ; 0.6 miles Unclassified Roads
• 4 locations of gate and barrier installations
• 1 culvert improvement
• 1 waterhole improvement