Auburn Lake Trails Northern Shaded Fuel Break (ALTNFB)
The Auburn Lake Trails Fire Safety & Improvement Council (FSIC), in coordination with the Georgetown Divide Resource Conservation District (RCD) are working to implement the ALT FSIC Northern Shaded Fuel Break Project (SFB). This multi-year project is possible because of a generous grant from CAL FIRE. The focus of the project is the maintenance of an existing SFB and expansion into new areas. This work will help to reduce the risk of wildfire in the community.
The project objectives are:
•To create safer egress for evacuating residents and ingress for responding to emergency personnel by reducing hazardous fuels.
• To create a strategic fuel break to stop or slow the spread of wildfire originating from the north (especially from the Auburn State Recreation Ara) or from the east (and downslope of Georgetown).
• To create potential anchor points for firefighting resources.
• To create community engagement and buy-in for future projects.
Below you will find information about the project and resources for landowners.
Downloads
Performance measures for the ALT FSIC SFB Project treatments are as follows:
• Process trees up to 8” diameter at breast height (dbh) and brush to a height from ground level not to exceed 4”, such that the vegetation is cut or broken into small pieces, generally no greater than 18” in length. A certain amount of secondary processing may be necessary to eliminate larger pieces of fuel.
• Trees should be spaced approximately 20’x20’ between their boles.
• All trees not removed will be limbed at no less than 10’ above the ground retaining 33% minimum crown.
• Brush cover should be reduced by creating a mosaic of treated and untreated shrubs. A minimum 90% of the shrubs should be treated.
• Brush that is treated should be cut to the maximum of 4” in height.
• No individual pieces of cut material should be longer than 18” in length.
• All masticated stumps should be cut to within 4” of the ground.
• No debris should average more than 4” in depth over the entire project area.
• All cut vegetation will be kept within the unit boundaries. Any cut vegetation falling into ditches, roads, road banks, trails, or adjacent units should immediately be removed.
• Trees within the roadway will be pruned a height of 16 feet from the ground while maintaining a minimum 33 percent live crown.
• No treatments using heavy machinery (e.g., masticators, tractors, or chippers) will be implemented on slopes greater than 45 percent.
• Broadcast or pile burning is not allowed.
• Should any sensitive resources be found during project implementation, the area should be avoided until the appropriate agencies review the situation.
• Heavy equipment shall not be used under saturated soil conditions (see Forest Practice Regulations 895.1).