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The trestle forest Health Project

The Trestle Forest Health Project in El Dorado County aims to reduce the risk of high-intensity fires by creating a resilient and diverse forest while improving conditions for wildlife, particularly the spotted owl. The project involves a 16,764-acre area and has undergone the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. Controversy surrounds the chosen alternative, Alt. 5, as experts debate its impact on owl habitats and fire risks. Data collection and analysis from 1920 to 2017 highlight the need for further studies and adjustments to ensure the project's success.

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The trestle forest Health Project

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  1. The trestle forest Health Project By: David Candia, Michael Rafanan, Francisco Torres

  2. What is the trestle project? • Location • 16,764 acres in El Dorado County – includes Grizzly Flats and Leoni Meadows • Purpose • Reduce the chance of high-intensity fires by removing fuels • Create a more resilient forest (pests, disease, etc.) • Create a diverse forest • All while improving conditions for wildlife (spotted owl)

  3. Trestle Project Area

  4. Nepa process National Environmental Policy Act • Three routes of approved action • Categorical Exclusion - CE • Environmental Assessment - EA • Environmental Impact Statement – EIS • Time frame ranges from days to years!

  5. Nepa Graphic

  6. Nepa process - Trestle Project • Trestle Project • Began in 2012 as an EA • Escalated to an EIS due to raising public concerns • Accepted Alternative 5: • Chosen Sept. 2017 • Probable low risk of reducing owl occupancy • Provides for an effective fire modification strategy • Can be implemented in a relatively short time frame

  7. Controversy over alt. 5 Chris Dow – Professional Forester • Owl areas are protected “too much” with large barriers around habitats • Protected area will remain susceptible to intense fires • Spotted owls don’t benefit as much as assumed Ricky Shurtz – Professional Forester • Thinning and Group selection (GS) gives spotted owls space to hunt • Wood rats thrive in post-harvest area Tim Treichelt - Professional Forester • Main goal of Trestle Project is fire prevention • GS would prevent fires and create economic growth • GS would allow for a better habitat for spotted owls and wood rats

  8. Pre-Fire prevention 1920 2017

  9. Data collection - methodology • Objective • To get information and inventory of a forest as accurate and efficient as possible • Gathered data to summarize 2017 forest health • Sampling area • Unit 623417 • 1/5 acre plots • 27 plots

  10. Sample methods 27 26 25 24 23 22 1 21 20 19 2 18 3 17 4 16 5 6 15 7 14 8 9 13 10 11 D 12 1

  11. Data collection - methodology • Process • Radius = 52.7 ft • Sampled any tree > 7 inches dbh • Categorized live w/ mark, live w/o mark, recently dead, and long dead. • Compared data to original samples from 2013

  12. Issues with data collection • 2013 data was collected throughout all Unit 623417 • We collected data in green area. • 2013 – • 147 live trees per acre • 345 square feet basal area per acre • 2017 – • 66 live trees per acre • 263 square feet basal area per acre • 198 square feet of unmarked basal area per acre

  13. Issues with alt. 5 • From the Trestle Project description: “[Alternative 5] was developed based on comments proposing that the thinning of California spotted owl habitats could negatively affect owl populations” • Evidence is under debate • Large areas will remain at risk for high-intensity wildfire

  14. Spotted owl logic sequence

  15. Therefore… Alt. 5 needs to consider… • Group selection as well as thinning • Closer boundaries around spotted owl habitats Overall… • More studies on spotted owls need to be done • Recollection of data throughout all of the Trestle Proj. area

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