Forest Service takes a major step forward on historically massive Tuolumne County project
A final environmental impact statement and three draft decisions for a massive project to reduce fire threats in the South Fork and Middle Fork Stanislaus watersheds was released Friday by the U.S. Forest Service, a part of the process that’s billed as a major step forward for the largest green forest management project in the 124-year history of the Stanislaus National Forest.
The project will include numerous prescribed burn treatments; significant thinning logging of medium size and small trees; carefully-coordinated removals of excess woody fuels called biomass; and other treatments designed to reduce the chances of a devastating, future megabaze, similar the 2015 Butte Fire or the 2013 Rim Fire, in the overgrown Middle Fork and South Fork Stanislaus watersheds.
Patrick Koepele, executive director of the Tuolumne River Trust, has been with the 501(c)(3) nonprofit since July 2000. He contacted The Union Democrat on Friday to express support and enthusiasm for the goals of the massive project.
Recent extreme, large fires that have burned in California, including the 257,314-acre Rim Fire that burned primarily in Tuolumne County over several months eight-and-a-half years ago, clearly demonstrate the need to take action to improve forest health and resilience, Koepele said.
“Forests are overgrown and have an unnaturally high number of small trees that are out of balance and susceptible to extreme fire,” Koepele said. “We need to thin out these overgrown forests and get good fire back on the ground to promote forest health. Our forests, our community, wildlife, and watersheds depend on a successful project.”
