Inyo National Forest Seeks Input for Reds Meadow Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project

The Inyo National Forest, Mammoth Ranger District, is seeking input on the proposed Reds Meadow Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project. The area in and around Reds Meadow as well as east along Highway 203 is densely forested and at risk of high severity crown fires, affecting ingress and egress on a steep, narrow road. High fuel loads and the potential resulting high severity wildfire pose a significant threat to the safety of visitors and firefighters, as well as campgrounds, resorts, and trailheads.

The proposed project would thin 2,149 acres within the project area to create defensible space around roads to improve ingress and egress, and reduce fuels around campgrounds, resorts, and developed recreation areas. The focus is on roadside thinning, thinning near infrastructure, meadow restoration, and thinning for general forest health. Thinning would include selected trees up to 30 inches in diameter, concentrating on trees that are dead and dying from drought, insects, and/ or pathogens. Larger, more vigorous, fire resistant trees would be retained. A combination of ground based mechanical equipment and hand crews would be used to accomplish the work. Resulting timber from fuels treatments will be sold for fuel wood or saw logs, and residual slash and tree tops will be piled and burned or chipped.

Thinning of conifers promotes healthy forests by increasing the vigor of remaining trees to withstand drought, and insect outbreaks. Thinned forests that have greater spacing between trees and less ladder fuels, decreases the chance of high severity fire and increases fire crews’ ability to defend homes and structures from wildfire.

There will be a public meeting about the proposed action on Tuesday, August 21 at 6:00 pm in the Auditorium at the Mammoth Ranger Station, 2400 Highway 203, Mammoth Lakes, CA. For additional information or to comment on this project please contact Eric Vane at +1 760 924-5509 or by email at ericdvane@fs.fed.us. Comments are most valuable if received by September 7, 2018.