shingletown community fire safe plan

8/3/2019 Shingletown Community Fire Safe Plan

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Updated Fire Safe Plan for the

Shingletown Community2010


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UPDATE TO THE FIRE SAFE PLAN FOR THESHINGLETOWN COMMUNITY

SIGNATURE BLOCK

NAME SIGNATURE ORGANIZATION DATE

Chairman, Shasta

County Board ofSupervisorsUnit Chief , CAL FIRE,Shasta-Trinity Unit andCounty Fire Warden,Shasta County FireDepartment


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UPDATED FIRE SAFE PLAN FOR THE SHINGLETOWNCOMMUNITY 2010

-TABLE OF CONTENTS-

Page

I. INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................1

II. STATEMENT OF NEED ........................................................................................3

III. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES..................................................................................5

IV. METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................6

V. RECOMMENDED ACTIONS ...............................................................................7A. ACTION ITEMS ..............................................................................................7

B. PROPOSED PROJECTS .................................................................................8C. PROJECT MAINTENANCE PRIORITY .....................................................18D. OVERALL COMMUNITY WILDFIRE RISK ASSESSMENT .................22E. ESTIMATED COSTS ......................................................................................27

VI. PLAN UPDATES .....................................................................................................29

VII. VALUES AT RISK ..................................................................................................30A. CURRENT LAND USES .................................................................................30B. FOREST LAND ................................................................................................32C. WILDLIFE AND PLANTS .............................................................................32D SOILS 33


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X. FUEL TREATMENTS ............................................................................................45

A. PRESCRIBED BURNING ...............................................................................45B. SHADED FUEL BREAKS ...............................................................................47C. MECHANICAL TREATMENT .....................................................................48D. BIOMASS ANALYSIS .....................................................................................49E. MAINTENANCE TREATMENT ...................................................................51

XI. ROADS FOR ACCESS ...........................................................................................52

XII. POTENTIAL COST-SHARE FUNDING SOURCES .........................................53

XIII. FUELBREAK MAINTENANCE FUNDING .......................................................55

XIV. GRANT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES ...............................................................56

XV. REFERENCES .........................................................................................................56

TABLESTABLE 1 Fuel Reduction Projects .........................................................................8TABLE 2 Federally Listed Endangered, Thrreatened, or Candidate Species ...32TABLE 3 Incidence of Fire in the Shingle Town Area 1910-2008 ......................41TABLE 4 Fuel Models for Estimating Fire Behavior ...........................................43TABLE 5 Funding Sources and Cost Share Programs ........................................53

APPENDICES ......................................................................................................................A1APPENDIX AGLOSSARYAPPENDIX B - COMMUNITY FIRE SAFE FUEL REDUCTION

GUIDELINES


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UPDATED FIRE SAFE PLAN

FORTHE SHINGLETOWN COMMUNITY (2010)

I. INTRODUCTION

In 2009, Shasta County entered into an agreement with the Western Shasta ResourceConservation District (WSRCD) to update all of the existing fuel management plans in

western Shasta County including the Fire Safe Plan for the Shingletown Community,December 2003 (Plan). The purpose of the plan update is to review the existing projectlist and priorities, add new projects, identify wildland urban interfaces, conduct riskassesments, and establish overall priorties based on the review. This plan updatediscusses values at risk, addresses landowner objectives, fuel treatments, the road system,potential funding sources, and fuel break locations used to develop the currentrecommended fuel break system. The recommendations include placing shaded fuelbreaks along key roadways and ridges, making the updated plan and community

evacuation plan more publicized and accessible through posting on the WSRCD website,and continuing annual, neighborhood-based fuel reduction work. Backgroundinformation will be carried forward from the existing Plan as is unless it is necessary torevise based on new information.

The boundary of the planning area (Map 1) encompasses 107,340 acres and includes thecommunity of Shingletown, located approximately 25 miles east of Redding, California.Other communities that lie within the Plans boundary include Viola on the eastern end,

and Manton, which is just outside the Plans boundary on the south. There areapproximately 5,411 residents living within the Plans boundary, but the area is usedheavily for recreation during the summer monthssubstantially increasing the number ofpeople using the land during the most dangerous period of the fire season Land


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southern end of the boundary includes a portion of the Battle Creek Watershed,represented by the Battle Creek Watershed Conservancy and land owned by the Nature

Conservancy, which performs fuel reduction work on their land, and is adjacent to thecommunity of Manton.

II. STATEMENT OF NEED

Fire suppression and early logging practices over the past 50 to 100 years has led tochanges in the successional pattern of forest development in the area. Prior to loggingand fire exclusion, the forest was more open, with a mosaic of species and age classes.

Low intensity fires reduced fuel loads, thinned dense pockets of young trees and createdsmall openings in the forest to allow species with less tolerance for shade, such asDouglas-fir, sugar pine and ponderosa pine, to dominate the forested landscape.

Fire, both natural and human caused, accidental and purposeful, governed the evolutionof the mixed conifer forest of the Shingletown Ridge at least since the end of the last iceage. It is as natural a part of the forest as sunshine and water and, perhaps, as essential toforest health. However, the uses human beings make of the forest today differ immenselyfrom those made by Native Americans and fire cannot play the same role in the sameway. Nevertheless, the pre-settlement forest provides an excellent starting place fromwhich to select a sustainable forest ecosystem condition that meets current and futurehuman needs. It also provides a foundation for understanding how to live safely with firein the forest and to protect ecological, natural resource, and property values and humanlife from wildfires destructive potential.

Fire hazard in the planning area is high. Vegetative cover includes large areas ofcontinuous, heavy fuels on the forest floor, and timber stands with tightly spaced treesand crowns. Widespread fire ladder conditions, resulting from dense reproduction andheavy brush under trees, create the ideal setting for the movement of ground fires to the


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east winds are common and usually continue for 3 to 5 days on at least 3 separateoccurrences. The potential for severe fire activity is only reduced with significant

precipitation. Although the topography on the Ridge itself is fairly flat, steep country tothe south, west, and north increases the potential for intense fast moving fire burning intothe Ridge from those directions; prevailing south winds supported by up slope winds onhot days and the concentrating influences of canyons add to the threat.

The area experiences extreme fire weather conditions, especially from May untilSeptember, when the high temperature frequently exceeds 90 degrees Fahrenheit.Frequent strong zonal south and west winds occur throughout the summer; dry lightning

storms occur most years. Beginning in late summer and throughout the fall, very dryfoehns (warm dry wind coming off the lee slopes of a mountain range) winds blowingfrom the north and east are common.

Exposure to fire risk has increased due to logging practices that did not reduce groundlevel fuels, exclusion of low intensity fire, division of timberland into smaller parcels,and lack of resource management across the forest landscape. The result is excessiveaccumulations of vegetation, thickets of white fir and cedar reproduction, and an

unnaturally high ratio of mature white fir in stands that would typically be composedlargely of pines and Douglas fir. Insects and disease attack the white fir more easily thanthe pines and the fir dies more easily from drought.

In addition to these threats, the Ridge is densely settled with homes and businesses, andsettlement patterns are becoming more and more widespread throughout the community.Subdivisions have added to the problem where building preparations and roadconstruction have damaged root systems and altered drainage, and where vegetation hasbeen allowed to grow unchecked on vacant lots and common areas. Most of thebuildings are concentrated within an area of about 5,000 acres principally along majorroads. Between these settlements lie expanses of undeveloped and commercial forest


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utilities such as roads and powerlines; and $86 million was lost in commercial timbervalues. Commercial timber losses equaled $1,343 per acre burned. The timber resource

in the area burned by the Fountain Fire is similar to that in the current planning area.

In addition to property losses, people experience important social and psychologicallosses in disasters. In the 1970s the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attempted to quantify

the human non-property losses associated with flooding. Those losses included thedistress on economic productivity and social services. When the results of the study wereapplied to the Fountain Fire, the losses attributable to distress alone exceeded $30 millionfor two years following the fire. Additional losses would result from stress-related

disruptions of work and added costs in social services over at least two years followingthe disaster.

Because the number of people living within the current planning area is much higher thanin the Fountain Fire area and because the value of structures and other property is muchhigher, both the property and community losses could be much greater.

The denser settlement also means that firefighters would have to focus much of their

attention on evacuation of people at the expense of suppressing the wildland fire.Structural protection would also take resources away from direct attack on the fire itself,especially during the critical first hours when resources are being assembled. Thepotential for a fire within the current planning area to threaten lives, destroy property, andnatural resources, and grow rapidly into a major conflagration is higher than it was for theFountain Fire area.

III.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The goals and objectives carried forward from the Fire Safe Plan for the ShingletownCommunity dated December 2003 are:


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Review existing projects and identify, prioritize and map new fuel reductionprojects that will provide for human safety, minimize private property loss,

minimize the potential of a wildfire burning into communities, and increase firefighter safety.Conduct asset risk assessmentRedefine the boundary of the planning area in order to maximize coordinationwith other groups performing similar work in the area.

IV. METHODOLOGY

The activities necessary for the update of the Fire Safe Plan for the ShingletownCommunity (Plan)include:

Activity Actions Taken

Meet with Shingletown and Manton FireSafe Councils, Bear Creek WatershedGroup members, landowners (residential,

farm, ranch, timber), and representativesfrom local agencies about the scope of theupdate.

Met with BCWG on 8/6/09, ShingletownFSC on 9/7/2009, Manton FSC on10/08/09. Held TAC meeting on 9/25/09.Held community meetings in Shingletownon 11/11 and Manton on 11/12/2009.Present at each of the meetings wereagency and FSC representatives andcommunity members.

Present information to the Shingletown andManton Fire Safe Councils, CAL FIRE,Shasta County Fire Department, and local

landowners for review and assistance inassessment of risk, identification of WUIs,and prioritization of fuel reduction projects.

Presented draft plan at ShingletownFSC/community meeting on 11/11/09 andManton FSC meeting on 11/12/09.

Incorporated changes into revised draftplan.


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V. RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

Proposed projects described in this update include proposals that werecarried forward from the Plans developed in 1995 and 2003 plus newprojects that are recommended through the Shingletown Fire SafeCouncil and the Tehama County East Community Wildfire ProtectionPlan. All action items are an integral part in managing the fuels in theShingletown/Manton Community. Factors considered in developing

this list include:

A.Action Items

1. Encourage and participate in the formation of defensible space/FirewiseProgram neighborhoods throughout the planning area.

2. Seek funding to develop a variety of typical neighborhood-scale landscapedesigns that demonstrate fire safety, increase forest health, and reduce

impacts from a wind-driven fire while preserving or improving aestheticsand providing for security, privacy, and other values. Link these largerscale projects to individual fuel breaks. Shingletown and Mantoncommunity members can reduce structural ignitability throughout theplanning area by implementing defensible space/Firewise Programs toinclude the following:

a. Assess risk/structure ignitability.b. Upgrade existing structures to fire safe building codes.c. Replace wood roofs with approved fire safe roofing.d. Consider fire resistant exterior siding.


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5. Coordinate with and support the Cow Creek Watershed ManagementGroups Strategic Fuel Reduction Plan, whose planning area lies directly

north of this Plans boundary.6. Coordinate work with Sierra Pacific Industries, Pacific Gas &Electric

(PG&E), and W.M. Beaty and Associates, Inc. to assure fuel reductionactivities on their properties are complemented by other fuel reductionprojects throughout the Plan area.

7. Coordinate fuel reduction projects with WAPA and PG&E transmissionline clearing and biomass thinning projects.

B.Proposed Projects (Maps 7-7C)

The fuel reduction projects that have been identified fall into two basic categories,defensible space/Firewise Program for residences and structures and shaded fuel breaksprimarily intended to create safer environments for fire personnel to attack wildland firesand safer escape routes for residents. The following section describes the individualproject and the asset values at risk. The following table depicts the project name, type,

category and priority.

Table 1. Fuel Reduction Projects

Type Shingletown/Manton Fuel Reduction Projects

Category ProjectMap

LetterPriority Comments

High

Near Berry

Spring/Plateau Pines

Area

A 1


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Fire

Access/Escape

High

Shingletown Ridge* A 1 extendedSites/Plateau Pines

RoadsB 2

Black Butte Road C 3

Ponderosa Way #1 D 4 new

Emigrant Trail #1 E 5

Moderate

Pondersoa Way #2 F 1 new

Rock Creek Road G 2 new

Emigrant Trail #2 H 3 new

Emigrant Trail #3 I 4 new

Low

Wilson Hill Road

north***J 1

Wilson Hill Road South***

J 2 extension

Deer Flat Road* K 3 extended

Upper Rock Creek L 4 new

Battle Creek Bottom

RoadM 5 new

Wild Cat Road*** N 6 extended

Ritts Mill Road** O 7 shortenedPondersoa Way #3 P 8 new


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1. Defensible Space/Firewise

Typical neighborhood in need defensible space

a.High Priority:

#1 ConcernLack of Defensible Space Near Berry Spring/PlateauPines Area/Plateau Pines Area

Proposed Solution: Encourage the development of defensible

space/firewise program.

Ownership = 100 % private landNumber of dwellings 114


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Ownership = 100 % private land

Number of dwellings = 153Value of dwellings = $Number of people = 352

#4 ConcernLack of Defensible Space Shasta Forest Village Area

Proposed Solution: Encourage the development of defensiblespace/firewise program.

Ownership = 100 % private landNumber of dwellings = 170Value of dwellings = $37,400,000Number of people = 391

#5 ConcernLack of Defensible Space Battle Creek Estates/LakeMcCumber/McCumber Flat Area



#6 ConcernLack of Defensible Space Airport Area


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b. Medium Priority:

#1 Concern

Lack of Defensible Space Mid-Way Pines Area


Ownership = 100 % private landNumber of dwellings = 95Value of dwellings = $19,000,000

Number of people = 219

#2 ConcernLack of Defensible Space Black Butte School Area



#3 ConcernLack of Defensible Space Starlight Pines Area

Proposed Solution: Encourage the development of defensible

space/firewise program.

Ownership = 100 % private landNumber of dwellings = 175


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c. Low Priority:

#1 Concern

Lack of Defensible Space Woodridge Lake Estates Area




#2 ConcernLack of Defensible Space Viola Area



2. Fire Access/Escape Routes (Shaded Fuel Breaks)

a.High Priority

#1 ConcernPoor Fire Access/Escape along Shingletown Ridge Road

Proposed Solution: Construct shaded fuel break along Shingletown Ridge


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#2 ConcernPoor Fire Access/Escape along Sites/Plateau Pines Roads

Proposed Solution: Construct shaded fuel break along Sites/Plateau PinesRoads. 1.0 miles long x 50 feet on each side =12 acres



#3 ConcernPoor Fire Access/Escape along Black Butte Road

Proposed Solution: Construct shaded fuel break along Black Butte Road.3.5 miles long x 100 feet on each side = 85acres


Sites/Plateau Pines Road. Note treesand brush up to asphalt edge.


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#4 ConcernPoor Fire Access along Ponderosa Road #1 (Rock CreekRoad intersection to High Bridge)

Proposed Solution: Construct shaded fuel break along Ponderosa Road,Rock Creek Road intersection to High Bridge section. 4.3 miles long x100 feet on each side = 104 acres. This projectd should be primarily forfire access.


Number of dwellings = 153Value of dwellings = $30,600,000Number of people = 352

#5 ConcernPoor Fire Access/Escape along Emigrant Trail #1

(Shingletown to Airport)

Proposed Solution: Construct shaded fuel break along Emigrant Trail # 13 4 miles long x 100 feet on each side = 83acres

Pondorosa Way #1. Note dense

trees and brush up to road edge.


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b. Medium Priority

#1 Concern

Poor Fire Access/Escape along Ponderosa Way #2(Inwood intersection to 44)

Proposed Solution: Construct shaded fuel break along Ponderosa Way,Inwood section. 2.2 miles long x 100 feet on each side = 52 acresOwnership = 100 % private landNumber of dwellings = 112Value of dwellings = $24,640,000


#2 ConcernNeed to Improve Fire Access/Escape along Rock CreekRoad (Intersection of Wilson Hill Road to Ponderosa Way intersection).

Proposed Solution: Construct shaded fuel break along Rock Creek Road,Manton to Ponderosa Way. 3.2 miles long x 100 feet on each side = 79acres

Pondorosa Way #2. Note dense treesand brush near road edge


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#3 ConcernPoor Fire Access/Escape along Emigrant Trail #2(Airport to Starlight Pines)

Proposed Solution: Construct shaded fuel break along Emigrant Trail #2for fire access purposes only. 1.0 miles long x 100 feet on each side = 22acres. This project is primarily for fire access.



#4 ConcernPoor Fire Access/Escape along Emigrant Trail #3(Starlight Pines to McCumber Road)

Proposed Solution: Construct shaded fuel break along Emigrant Trail #3.1.7 miles long x 100 feet on each side = 40 acres

Emigrant Trail #2. Note dense treesand brush up to road edge


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#5 ConcernPoor Fire Access/Escape along Wilson Hill Road south(Short Hill Road south to Manton)

Proposed Solution: Construct a shaded fuel break along Wilson Hills Roadsouth and encourage landowners to treat grass and light brush outsidehighway easement fence to break continuity of fuels. 4.6 miles long x 100feet on each side = 112 acres. Designate a fire safe zone at theundeveloped airstrip along Wilson Hill Road north of Manton.



c. Low Priority

#1 ConcernPoor Fire Access/Escape along Wilson Hill Road north(Shingletown south to Short Hill Road)

Proposed Solution: Construct shaded fuel break along Wilson Hill Road.2.7 miles long x 100 feet on each side = 66 acres




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Project Completed Maintenance Priority Cost

Shingletown

Ridge/Shasta ForestVillage fuel breaks

2009 5

Battle Creek Bottom 6

Wild Cat Road 7Wilson Hill Road south 8Highway 44 Ongoing by Cal Trans Ongoing by Cal Trans

#1 Maintenance Concern: Highway 44 at Dersch Road

Proposed solution: Conduct maintenance on the existing fuel break. 2.8 mileslong x 100 feet on each side = 34 acres

Ownership = 100% PrivateNumber of dwellings = 39Value of dwellings = $8,580,000Number of people = 90

#2 Maintenance ConcernMaintain Fire Access/Escape along Ritts Mill Road

Proposed Solution: Maintain shaded fuel break along Ritts Mill Road 6.7 mileslong x 100 feet on each side = 162 acres

Ownership = 100 % private landNumber of dwellings = 628Value of dwellings = $157,000,000Number of People = 1444


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#4 Maintenance Concern

Maintain/Improve Fire Access/Escape alongUpperRock Creek Road (Ponderosa Way intersection to Highway 44)

Proposed Solution: Conduct maintenance of shaded fuel break along Upper RockCreek Road, Ponderosa Way to Highway 44. 8.3 miles long x 100 feet on eachside = 201acres



Deer Flat Road. Fuel break is

generally good, but could use somemaintenace and improvement.


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Number of dwellings = 310Value of dwellings = $


#6 ConcernNeed to maintain Access/Escape along Battle Creek BottomRoad

Proposed Solution: Encourage landowners to treat grass and light brush insidehighway easement fence to break continuity of fuels.


#7 ConcernMaintain/Improve Fire Access/Escape along Wild Cat Road.

Proposed Solution: Encourage landowners to treat grass and light brush inside

highway easement fence to break continuity of fuels.

Ownership = 100 % private landNumber of dwellings = 138Value of dwellings = $Number of people = 318


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#9 Maintenance concern: Highway 44 (ongoing by Cal Trans)

Proposed solution: Cal Trans conducts new construction and periodicmaintenance of the shaded fuel breaks along Highwy 44 on an annual basis.

D. OVERALL COMMUNITY WILDFIRE RISK ASSESSMENT

BASIC ASSUMPTIONS

People 2.3 per dwellingDwellings 1733Property Value ($180k300k/

per dwelling = $240,000/dwelling) $415,920,000Schools $

Power line9.63 miles @$250 000/ il

$4,815,000

Ponderosa Way #3. Fuel break is generallygood but could use some maintenance.


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Community, structureor area at risk FuelHazard

Risk of

WildfireOccurrence

Struc-

turalIgnit-ability

Preparedness

andFirefightingCapability

OveralRisk

Fire Hazard

Severity ZoneRating

Battle CreekEstates/LakeMcCumber andMcCumber Flat

High High High Low/High High Very High

Northwest of Airport

Landing Strip

High High High Low/High High Very High

Frey Road High High High Low/High High Very HighMidway Pines Sub-division

High High High Low/High Medium Very High

Black Butte SchoolAreaincludingPonderosa Way andInwood Road


Starlight Pines Sub-division


Forward Camp High High High Low/High Medium Very High

Woodridge LakeEstates

High High High Low/High Low Very High

Viola High High High Low/High Low Very HighRating: High, Medium, LowFire Hasard Severity Zone ratings: Very High, High, Moderate

FIRE ACCESS AND ESCAPE ROUTES (SHADED FUEL BREAKS)

St P d


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Community, structureor area at risk FuelHazard

Risk of

WildfireOccurrence

Struc-

turalIgnit-ability

Preparedness

andFirefightingCapability

OverallRisk

Fire Hazard

Severity ZoneRating

Rock Creek Road,(Wilson Hill Road toPonderosa Way)

High Medium High Low/High Medium Very High

Emigrant Trail #2 High Medium High Low/High Medium Very HighEmigrant Trail #3 High Medium High Low/High Medium Very High

Battle Creek BottomRoad

High Low High Low/High Low Very High

Wild Cat Road Medium Low High Low/High Low Very High

Ritts Road High Low High Low/High Low Very HighPonderosa Way #3(High Bridge to WilsonRoad)

High Low High Low/High Low Very High

Wilson Hill Road north High Low High Low/High Low Very High

Wilson Hill Road south MediumDeer Flat (near Viola) High Low High Low/High Low Very High

Battle Creek BottomRoad

Medium Low High Low/High Low Very High

Ritts Road High Low High Low/High Low Very High300P/P3 Road High Low High Low/High Low Very High

Rating: High, Medium, LowFire Hasard Severity Zone ratings: Very High, High, Moderate

OVERALL COMMUNITY HAZARD REDUCTION PRIORITIES

i ll l l f h d f ll


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Community, structure

or area at risk

Overall

Risk

Structures

at Risk

Cultural

Value

Type of

treatment

Method of

Treatment

Overall

Priority

Shasta Forest Pines High 170 Low

Handlabor/Mechanical

Removebrush &trees,pruning

4

Battle CreekEstates/LakeMcCumber and

McCumber Flat

High 167 Low


Removebrush &trees,

pruning

5

Airport High 151 Low



6

Frey Road High 109 Low


Removebrush &trees,

pruning

7

Medium

Midway Pines Sub-division

Medium 95 Low



1

Black Butte SchoolArea Medium 62 Low



2

Hand Remove


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Community, structureor area at risk

OverallRisk

Structuresat Risk

CulturalValue

Type oftreatment

Method ofTreatment

OverallPriority

Fire Access/Escape Routes (Shaded Fuel Breaks)

High

Shingletown RidgeRoad

High 456 Low



1

Sites/Plateau PinesRoads

High 114 LowHandlabor/Mechanical


2

Black Butte Road High 284 Low



3

Ponderosa Way #1,Rock Creek Road toHigh Bridge

High 153 LowHandlabor/Mechanical


4

Emigrant Trail #1 High 237 Low



5

Medium

Ponderosa Way #2,Inwood Road to Medium 112 Low

Handlabor/Meh i

Removebrush &

1


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Community, structureor area at risk

OverallRisk

Structuresat Risk

CulturalValue

Type oftreatment

Method ofTreatment

OverallPriority

Upper Rock Creek,Ponderosa Way toHighway 44

Low 938 Low



2

Battle Creek Bottom

Road

Low 26 Low

Handlabor/Me

chanical

Removebrush &

trees,pruning

3

Wild Cat Road Low 138 LowHandlabor/Mechanical

Removebrush &trees

4

Ritts Mill Road Low 628 Low


Removebrush &trees,

pruning

5

Ponderosa Way #3,High Bridge to WilsonRoad section

Low 284 Low



6

300P/P3 Road Low 0 Low


Removebrush &trees,

pruning

7

Rating: High, Medium, LowFire Hazard Severity Zone ratings: Very High, High, Moderate


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ProjectType/Category

Project Name Number Funding Needs ($)1Community Priority

Recommendation

High

Battle CreekEstates/LakeMcCumberandMcCumberFlat

67 $517,700 5

Airport 151 $468,100 6

Frey Road 109 $337,900 7

Moderate

Midway PinesSub-division

95 $294,500 1

Black ButteSchool AreaincludingPonderosa

Way andInwood Road

162 $502,200 2

Starlight PinesSub-division

175 $542,500 3

Forward Mills 21 $65,100 5

Low

WoodridgeLake Estates

107 $331,700 1

Viola 28 $86,800 2

FIRE ACCESS/ESCAPE ROUTES

C it P i it


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ProjectType/Category

Project Name Size Funding Needs ($)2Community PriorityRecommendation

Emigrant Trail#1(Shingletownto Airport)

83 acres $224,700 5

Moderate

PonderosaWay #2,Inwood Roadto Highway 44

52 acres $163,800 1

Rock CreekRoad, WilsonHill Road toPonderosaWay

79 acres $165,600 2

Emigrant Trail

# 2 (Airport toEmigrantTrail)

22 acrres $82,300 3

Emigrant Trail#3 (EmigrantTrail toMcCumber)

40 acres $124,321 4

Low

Wilson Hill

Road north83acres $221,900 1

Upper RockCreek,P d


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VII. VALUES AT RISK

A. CURRENT LAND USES

1. Fishing

Both cold and warm water fishing are available on Shingletown Ridge and in theBattle Creek and Bear Creek drainages. Small mouth bass and blue gill are caughtin Bear Creek up to 1,000 feet elevation, while rainbow trout are supported in BearCreek and Battle Creek. Grace, Nora, and McCumber Lakes support rainbow trout

and brown trout, and brown trout, rainbow trout, and bullhead are found in LakeMcCumber. Woodridge Lake also supports an excellent trout fishery but is notopen to the public. The pond at Bear Creek Trading Post has rainbow trout thatcan be fished for a fee. Bailey Creek, North Fork of Battle Creek, Millseat Creek,and all diverted water support rainbow trout.

2. Hunting

The planning area contains important deer migration routes. Deer, bears andturkeys are hunted throughout the planning area, especially on lands north ofHighway 44 leased by local gun clubs.

Quail, dove, and the Bandtail Pigeon are hunted, although the number of huntersfor the Bandtail Pigeon is small. Between November 15 and March 1 fur trappingis allowed; species taken include bobcat, coyote, mink, raccoon, and muskrat.

3.Highway 44 Corridor

Highway 44 is the route between Interstate 5 and Lassen Volcanic National Park


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Road/Pegnon Acres settlements. The Ash Creek drainage provides middleforeground to the views from the east side of Shingletown Ridge Road and the

Weston House Bed & Breakfast. Canyon views are also visible to the northwestfrom Ponderosa Way and Westmoore.

Throughout the area, forest scenes viewed from homes and roads are attractive.Lassen Peak is visible from the highway as drivers pass through large meadows inthe eastern third of the planning area. Meadows and glades are scenic resourcesthroughout the planning area, although some of these are locations are beinginvaded by brush and trees and would be improved by the application of prescribed

fire. Meadows and glades double as potential safety zones for residents andfirefighters and as fuel breaks. As a middle foreground, meadows are second onlyto lakes in scenic value.

Brush fields offer less attractive scenes (and offer evidence of past stand-replacingfire events). They do not inspire the same kind of interest and attention providedby meadows and lakes. Brush fields are found throughout the planning area andalong Highway 44, large brush fields are found near the airport and west of the

planning area. They are also visible on hillsides to the northeast and on the canyonslopes to the south and north of the planning area.

5.Residential Environments

The landscapes of residential settlements are a particularly important aestheticresource. Research has demonstrated that for as many as one in five residents ofthe wildland-urban intermix, saving the landscape is more important than saving

their homes in a wildfire. Comments by residents in focus groups and publicmeetings reinforce the notion that the forested landscape is essential to the qualityof life they experience as part of living in the Shingletown community (Hodgson,


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B. FOREST LAND

Private timberland managed by SPI and W.M. Beaty and Associates, Inc. occupyabout 49,100 acres in the planning area. These lands are managed primarily forcommercial forest products, and the timber harvests conducted on these lands areregulated by the Forest Practice Act (as are all commercial timber harvestsregardless of ownership). The intent of the Forest Practice Act is to create andmaintain an effective and comprehensive system of regulation and use of alltimberlands so as to assure that: a) where feasible, the productivity of timberlands isrestored, enhanced and maintained; and b) the goal of maximum sustained

production of high-quality timber products is achieved while giving considerationto values relating to recreation, watershed, wildlife, range, forage, fisheries,regional economic vitality, employment and aesthetic enjoyment.

C. WILDLIFEAND PLANTS (MAPS 3 and 4)

In general, the watershed provides suitable habitat for a wide variety of wildlifespecies.Wildlife viewing is an important recreation activity for residents of the area

and visitors. Mountain lions are common on the Shingletown Ridge and in thecanyons to the north and south, and elk can also be found on the Ridge. Neitherlions nor elk are legally hunted, however. Deer are viewed often, as well as songbirds, quail, and raptors. Eagles and osprey are found near some of the lakes.Bears and mountain lions are also species some residents like to observe. Nearlyany wildlife found adds to the pleasure of wildlife viewers. Elk might be managedeffectively as a major wildlife viewing resource. The large meadows and gladesprovide excellent viewing sites. In other northern California locations, elk herds are

important recreation and tourism attractions.

Several threatened, endangered and candidate plant and wildlife species are found


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Scientific Name Common Name

Clarkia borealis ssp. arida Shasta clarkia

Cryptantha crinita silky cryptantha

Fritillaria eastwoodiae Butte County fritillary

Gulo gulo California wolverine

Haliaeetus leucocephalus bald eagle

Iliamna bakeri Baker's globe mallow

Juncus digitatus finger rush

Limnanthes floccosa ssp. floccosa woolly meadowfoam

Martes pennanti (pacifica) DPS Pacific fisher

Northern Interior Cypress Forest Northern Interior Cypress Forest

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha spring-run Central Valley spring-run chinook salmon ESU

Pandion haliaetus osprey

Paronychia ahartii Ahart's paronychia

Vulpes necator Sierra Nevada red fox

D. SOILS (MAP 5)

Fuels management activities located on unstable soils or on slopes in excess of 40%can stimulate erosion processes or exacerbate existing erosion problems; therefore,prior to any fuels management activities, all soil types within any future project areawill be identified and evaluated to determine the erosion hazard. Projects will bedesigned to prevent or minimize erosion by reducing soil disturbance, maintainingvegetation where appropriate, avoiding steep and unstable slopes if possible, andincorporating the use of fire resistant vegetation as a means to provide soilstabilization. The locations of major soil types have been illustrated in Map 6;however, more detailed soils mapping information should be examined oncespecific project boundaries have been established.


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dramatically after a high intensity fire. Loss of organic matter causes the soilstructure to deteriorate, and both the water-storing and transmitting properties of

soils are reduced. The living tissues of microorganisms and plants can be damagedby fire if the temperatures are above 120 degrees Fahrenheit (DeBano, 1970).

VIII. SUPPORTING PLANS, ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES

A. 1995 SHINGLETOWN WILDFIRE DEFENSE PLAN

The Shingletown Wildfire Defense Plan was completed in 1995 and was authored by

Ralph Minnich, CAL FIRE Battalion Chief, Mark Lancaster, Registered ProfessionalForester, and Ron Hodgson, a professor from the California State University, Chico.

The 1995 plan was intended to be a general organizing effort, and covered an area ofapproximately 40,000 acres. It contained seven chapters discussing the goals and valuesrelating to the forest; a physical description of the forest on Shingletown Ridge; theresource management history and present land uses; forest health; a description of thewildfire threat to human life, property, and forest values; the predicted behavior ofwildfires under typical extreme fire danger experienced in the summer months; andincluded recommendations to improve wildfire defenses for Shingletown Ridge throughhazard and risk management.

The following list is taken from the 1995 plan, and describes (in italics) the ActionsNeeded in the Shingletown area in order to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire. Itincludes a brief discussion of the follow up actions already taken, or those that will be

taken as a result of the current Plan.

Identify and develop funding sources to support cooperative hazard reduction by

public and private landowners


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and providing for security, privacy, and other values. Publish illustrations ofthose designs.

Develop lists of more fire safe plant materials that can be grown successfully inthe Southern Cascade Mountains and Northern Sierra Foothills. Provide

instructions for planting and care of those plants. Provide information on plant

identification for native species and information about flammability with

recommendations for replacement with safer plant materials.

Develop illustrations of fire defense landscaping zones around structures in

different kinds of vegetation and on different slopes and aspects. Illustrate the use

of landscape construction and plantings to slow the fire down, cool it down, and

keep it on the ground.Support programs which enhance long-term forest health, including the

reintroduction of controlled fire as a management tool. The maintenance of

commercial forest lands after thinning and fuel breaks after completion is an

essential use of prescribed fire.

Stimulate an understanding and appreciation for the interaction of a vigorous

forest environment, wildlife, recreation, water, and aesthetics.A healthy forest isessential to a prosperous local economy.

Recognize that widespread community participation in preparing wildland fire

defenses and improving forest health creates a stronger, more effective

community better prepared to deal with other concerns as well.

B. NATIONAL FIRE PLAN

In 2001 the Chief of the USDA Forest Service published aNational Fire Plan (U.S.Department of Interior and U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2001), which is a cohesivestrategy for improving the resilience and sustainability of forests and grasslands at risk,conserving priority watersheds, species and biodiversity, reducing wildland fire costs,losses and damages, and insuring public and firefighter safety. To achieve these goals,


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C. CALIFORNIA FIRE PLAN

The California Fire Plan has five strategic objectives:

Create wildfire protection zones that reduce risks to citizens and firefighters.Assess all wildlands (not just the state responsibility areas) to identify high risk,high-value areas and develop information and determine who is responsible, whois responding, and who is paying for wildland fire emergencies.

Identify and analyze key policy issues and develop recommendations for changesin public policy.

Develop a strong fiscal policy focus and monitor wildland fire protection in fiscalterms.

Translate the analyses into public policies.

A key product of the Fire Plan is the identification and development of wildfire safetyzones to reduce citizen and firefighter risks from future large wildfires. Initial attacksuccess is measured by the percentage of fires that are successfully controlled beforeunacceptable costs are incurred. Assets at risk are identified and include citizen and

firefighter safety, watersheds, water, timber, wildlife, habitat, unique areas, recreation,range structures, and air quality. Air quality is a factor because, based on the annualaverage acres burned by wildfires from 1985-1994, CAL FIRE calculates wildfires emitalmost 600,000 tons of air pollutants each year.

The safety and asset assessments in the plan enable fire service managers andstakeholders to set priorities for prefire management project work. Pre-fire managementincludes a combination of fuels reduction, ignition management, fire-safe engineering

activities and improvements to forest health to protect public and private assets. CALFIRE has identified a direct relationship between reduced expenditures for pre-firemanagement and suppression and increased emergency fund expenditures, disaster


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In summary, CAL FIRE believes that cooperative fire protection, fuels reduction, and fireprevention must be linked in order to have future success in dealing with the wildfire

problems on lands for which they are responsible.

E. SHASTA COUNTY FIRE SAFE COUNCIL

The Shasta County Fire Safe Council was formed in May 2002 as part of a statewideeffort that began in 1993 to form area Fire Safe Councils to educate and encourageCalifornians to prepare for wildfires before they occur. The mission of the Shasta CountyFire Safe Council is to be a framework for coordination, communication and support to

decrease catastrophic wildfire throughout Shasta County. The group meets quarterly todiscuss projects, share information, schedule speaking engagements, develop educationalopportunities, and update maps showing fuels reduction projects and maintenancethroughout the county. More information is available at www.firesafecouncil.org, or atwww.westernshastarcd.org/scfsc.html.

1. Shingletown Fire Safe Council

The Shingletown Fire Safe Council was formed in 2003 as a result of an idea planted at acommunity meeting held during the formation of this Plan. Community meetings werean integral aspect of the process, and were scheduled to announce the Plan to thecommunity, to ask for input as the process continued, and to present the final Plan to thecommunity once completed. At the second community meeting held in April of 2003,staff from the WSRCD and CAL FIRE encouraged the neighborhood coordinators of theCommunity Fire Safe program to think about forming a Fire Safe Council of their ownand joining the Shasta County Fire Safe Council. This seemed to be a logical step for the

group, as some of the goals of this Plan are educational in nature, and serve thecommunity directly; members of the Community Fire Safe program have lived in the areafor years and are known to other community members. It was felt a locally based effort
http://www.firesafecouncil.org/http://www.firesafecouncil.org/


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known for its variety, greeting visitors as well as residents with a wide array ofrecreational opportunities. Fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, bicycling, boating,

snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and just exploring and learning about nature areamong the many popular pastimes (www.fs.fed.us/r5/lassen/about/).

During TAC meetings held as part of the collaborative process used to create this Plan, itwas determined that there was an opportunity to pursue funding for fuel reduction workthrough the Shasta County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) before the Plan hadbeen completed. At the time that this was determined, the boundary of the Plan had beenset, and the specific neighborhoods where the Community Fire Safe program takes place

had been mapped; this map also showed where fuel breaks had been planned in the pastby CAL FIRE. This data lead to an idea for grant funding that involved W.M. Beaty andAssociates, Inc., SPI, and the Lassen National Forest, Hat Creek Ranger District.

The first priority for fuel reduction work, as determined by the TAC, was the ShastaForest Village subdivision. W.M. Beaty manages land east, west, and north of this area,and was planning a commercial thinning operation on the western boundary of their land,which is the eastern boundary of the subdivision. In addition, there had been a fuel break

constructed in 2001 on the south and west of Shasta Forest Village that was in need ofmaintenance. After collaborating with W.M. Beaty, it was determined that the WSRCDwouldperform the maintenance where it was needed, and clean up the commercialthinning operation after W.M. Beaty had performed their work. The work that W.M.Beaty performed on their western boundary would be used as an in-kind match for theRAC application.

SPI was a part of the TAC, and stated that they would be able to do a fuel break as an in-

kind match for the WSRCDs grant application along 19 miles of the sections of theirproperty that lie along the boundary of this Plan. The Hat Creek Ranger District of theLassen National Forest was contacted as well, and it was found that they had been


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addresses values to be protected and public health issues, and is consistent with resourcemanagement objectives, activities of the area and environmental laws and regulations.

Until an FMP is approved, BLM units must take aggressive suppression action on allwildland fires consistent with firefighter safety and public safety and the resources to beprotected. The BLM Fire Management Officer is responsible and accountable forproviding leadership for the BLM fire and aviation management program at the locallevel.

BLM strategically focuses fuel treatment activities by placing priorities on areas whereactions will mitigate threats to the safety of employees and the public, areas were actions

will protect, enhance, restore and/or maintain plant communities and habitats that arecritical for endangered, threatened or sensitive plant and animal species, and areas whereactions will reduce risks and damage from a wildfire.

Although structural fire suppression is the responsibility of tribal, state or localgovernments, BLM may assist with exterior structural protection activities under a formalagreement with CAL FIRE (as of 2003, CAL FIRE is under contract to provide fireprotection to BLM lands). There are three categories of structures: those not threatened;

those threatened; those lost or too dangerous to protect. In the wildland-urban interface,BLM lists several Watch Outs that assist personnel in sizing up a wildfire situation.These Watch Outs may be beneficial to readers of this report in assessing the fire-safecondition of personal property. Watch Out for:

Wooden construction and wood shake roofs.Poor access and narrow one-way canyons.Bridge weight and size limits when using heavy equipment.

Inadequate water supply.Natural fuels 30 or closer to structures.Evacuations of public, livestock, pets, animals (planned or occurring).


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include shovels, axes, saws, backpack pumps, and scraping tools. Each forest worker,employee, or person authorized on private forest land is required to take immediate actionto suppress and report any fire on or near the property.

On all fires, a sufficient number of people stay on a fire until it is known that adequateaction has been taken by CAL FIRE or the agency taking primary responsibility forputting out the fire. All people and equipment remain until released by the agency incharge, or for a longer period, if considered necessary by the land manager. During fireseason, most companies conduct daily aerial patrols covering their forest operations andpay special attention to those areas where work is being conducted, even hours after

workers have left the area.

Typically there are specific treatments detailed for care of limbs and other woody debris(often called slash) created by harvest operations in order to minimize fire hazards. It caninclude piling and burning slash no later than April 1 of the year following its creation, orwithin a specified period of time after fire season, or as justified in the associated TimberHarvest Plan. A Timber Harvest Plan is a detailed logging plan that must be approved bythe California Board of Forestry before any work begins. Within 100 feet of the edge of

the traveled surface of public roads, and within 50 feet of the edge of the traveled surfaceof permanent private roads open for public use where permission to pass is not required,the slash and any trees knocked down by road construction or timber operations aretypically lopped for fire hazard reduction, then piled and burned, chipped, buried orremoved from the area. Lopping is defined as severing and spreading slash so that no partremains more than 30 above the ground. All woody debris created by harvest operationsgreater than one inch and less than eight inches in diameter within 100 feet ofpermanently located structures maintained for human habitation are removed or piled and

burned. All slash created between 100-200 feet of permanently located structuresmaintained for human habitation are usually cut for fire hazard reduction, removed,chipped, or piled and burned. Lopping may be required between 200-500 feet from a


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IX. ANALYSIS OF FUEL MODELING AND FIRE CONDITIONS

A. FIRE HISTORY (MAP 6)

CAL FIRE maintains databases on large fires within and around their StateResponsibility Areas (SRAs) and Direct Protection Areas (DPAs), and has recorded 32large fires within and around the planning area between 1900 and 2000, includingprescribed burns (Table 2, Map 3). The CAL FIRE database also includes fires recordedwithin the National Park Service Federal Responsibility Areas (FRAs). Both databasesinclude the year of fire start and the number of large fires, but do not include cause of fire

which is on CAL FIRE fire start data and Forest Service large fire data. The CAL FIREdatabase is also historically incomplete because it does not record fires less than 250acres and does include the cause of fire starts prior to 1985.

Table 3 Incidence of Fires in the Shingletown Area 1910 2008.

Year Number of Large Fires Total Acres Burned1910 4 4,510

1920 9 5,6531930 5 2,851

1940 1 292

1950 3 2,715

1960 4 19,512

1970 2 8,986

1990 2 796

2000 2 140

2003 2 85

2005 1 1822

2008 2 637


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determining the safest and most effective plan of attack. When accessible, ridge lines arevery important features from which to conduct fire suppression activities and can be astrategic area to conduct fuels management activities.

Fuel factors that influence fire behavior are: fuel moisture, fuel loading, size,compactness, horizontal continuity, vertical continuity, and chemical content (NationalWildfire Coordinating Group 1994).

Fuel moisture in this case is the amount of water in a fuel sample, expressed as apercentage of the green weight of that fuel. A fuel with less than 30% moisture

content is considered a dead fuel, while live fuels will range from 30 to 60percent moisture content, depending on the plant's stage of growth in a season.Fuel loading is defined as the ovendry weights of fuels, usually expressed in bonedry tons. A bone dry ton is 2000 pounds of vegetation at 0% moisture content.Size refers to the dimension of fuels, and compactness refers to the spacingbetween fuel particles.Continuity is defined as the proximity of fuels to each other, vertically orhorizontally, that governs the fires capability to sustain itself.

Chemical content in fuels can either retard or increase the rate of combustion.

All of these factors in combination with fire weather conditions (relative humidity,temperature, wind, etc.) will influence the quantity of heat delivered, and the duration,flame length and rate of spread of any given fire. Map 4 displays the live vegetationfound within the planning area.

C. FUEL MODELS

Fuels are made up of various components of vegetation, live and dead, that occur on agiven site. Fuels have been classified into four groupsgrass, shrub, timber litter, andl h Th diff i fi b h i h l d h f l l d d


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Table 4 Fuel Models for Estimating Fire Behavior.

uel Model Fuel Complex Found in Shasta County?Grass and Grass-Dominated1 Short Grass (1 foot) Yes

2 Timber (grass and understory) Yes

3 Tall Grass (2.5 feet) No

Chaparral and shrub fields

4Mature brush with considerableamounts of dead fuel

Yes

5 Young brush with very little deadfuel

Yes

6 Dormant brush Yes

7 Southern rough No

Timber litter

8Short needle conifer and hardwoodlitter

Yes

9Long needle conifer and black oaklitter

Yes

10 Timber litter greater than 3 inches Yes

Slash11 Light logging slash Yes

12 Medium logging slash Yes

13 Heavy logging slash Yes

The fuel models were designed to predict fire behavior for specific weather and fuelconditions. They are accurate throughout a broad range of climates but tend to underpredict the spread and intensity of fire during extreme conditions (high winds combined


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under Fuel Models 9 and 10; the former was not modeled in 1995, while the latter was (itshould be noted that Sierra Pacific Industries and W.M. Beaty have been using biomassoperations to convert the predominant Fuel Model 9 and 10 conditions to Fuel Model 8 inorder to change the fuel model from characteristically fast moving fire with long flamelengths to a slow, ground burning fire with short flame lengths). Consultation with stafffrom CAL FIRE has revealed that the modeling done in 1995 can still be applied to thecurrent situation, as no large fire event has occurred in the area since that time.Therefore, a near-complete modeling of the current planning area is possible with a newiteration of Fuel Model 9, which was completed for this Plan. Results of Fuel Model 9,using the same parameters used for fuel modeling in the 1995 plan, are shown in Table 8.

D. RESULTS OF FUEL MODELING

Personal communication with CAL FIRE staff familiar with the planning area, andreview of the 1995 Shingletown Wildfire Defense Plan (Plan) revealed 6 different fuelmodels occurring in the planning area. These include Fuel Model 1 (grass), Fuel Models4 and 5 (shrub), and 8, 9, and 10 (timber litter). Fuel Model 9 was not discussed in the1995 Shingletown Wildfire Defense Plan;therefore this Fuel Model will be used, with the

same assumptions used for the 1995 Plan, in running the BEHAVE computer firemodel. A summary of the fuel types found within the current planning area is shownbelow using Anderson (1982); tables showing results of the computer modeling follow.

Fuel Model 1 (short grass) is governed by the fine, very porous, and continuousherbaceous fuels that have cured (dried) or are nearly cured. Fires are surfacefires that move rapidly through the cured grass and associated material. Verylittle shrub or timber is present, generally less than one-third of the area. This

model includes annual and perennial grasses, and can be found on the westernedge of the planning area.

Fuel Model 4 (mature brush with considerable amounts of dead fuel) may have


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Fuel Model 8 (short needle conifer and hardwood litter) describes slow-burningground fires with low flame lengths. However, a fire moving through this modelmay encounter a jackpot, or heavy fuel concentration, that can cause a flare up,but only under severe weather conditions involving high temperatures, lowhumidity, and high winds do the fuels pose fire hazards. Closed canopy stands ofshort-needle conifers or hardwoods that have leafed out support fire in thecompact litter layer. Representative conifer types include white pine, lodgepolepine, spruce, fir, and larch. This Fuel Model is found in areas where fuelreduction work has been done, including commercial forest lands where thinningand biomass removal has been completed and residential lands where hazard

reduction takes place continually. This Fuel Model can be found mixed in withFuel Models 4 and 5 between one thousand and fifteen hundred feet on theShingletown Ridge.

Fuel Model 9 (long needle conifer and black oak litter) can be found between2,000 and 4,000 feet in the planning area, where ground fuels of mostly needlelitter and downed wood less than three inches in diameter is interspersed betweenfairly young stands of pine and a closed canopy. It is characterized by both fastermoving fires and longer flame heights than Fuel Model 8. Long needle conifer

stands and hardwood stands are typical. Fall fires in hardwoods are predictable,but high winds will actually cause higher rates of spread than predicted becauseof spotting caused by rolling and blowing leaves. Closed stands of long-needledpine like Ponderosa, Jeffrey, and Red Pines, or southern pine plantations aregrouped in this model. Concentrations of dead-down woody material willcontribute to possible torching out of trees, spotting, and crowning.

E.Fires burn in the surface and ground fuels with greater fire intensity in Fuel Model10 (timber litter greater than 3 inches) than in other timber litter models. Dead-

down fuels include greater quantities of three inch or larger limb wood resultingfrom over maturity or natural events that create a large load of dead material onthe forest floor, and ladder fuels are common. Crowning out, spotting, and


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prescribed fire is applied by trained experts to clear ground of dangerous fuels like deadwood and brush. This low-intensity fire is vital to the life cycles of fire-dependent rangeand forest lands.

Most prescribed fires are lit by crews using a drip torch - a hand-carried device that poursout a small stream of burning fuel. Other fires or burns are ignited by helicopterscarrying a gelled fuel torch (helitorch) or a sphere dispenser machine that drops materialto ignite the surface fuels in forest and range types. Exactly how each unit is igniteddepends on weather, the lay of the land, and the intensity of the fire needed to meet thegoal of the burn (USDA Forest Service 2002).

Prescribed fire is useful in restoring and maintaining natural fire regimes in wildlandareas, but logistic, economic, and social attributes are constraints on widespreaddeployment. Because of such conflicts, resource managers often employ mechanical fuelreduction, such as thinning, in conjunction with prescribed fire to reduce fuels and thefire hazard (Regents of the University of California 1996, CAL FIRE 2002).

Prescribed fire is not without controversy and risk. A prescribed fire can get out of

control and cause damage to watersheds, wildlife habitat, and structures, and can evenresult in loss of life. For example, heavy fuel loading in timberlands precludes applyingfire as the intensity is sufficient to kill overstory trees. It is only an option when the riskcan be reduced to manageable levels. Factors closely monitored to mitigate risk include:

Fuel moisture content Ratio of dead-to-live fuel Fuel volume Size and arrangement of fuel Percentage of volatile extractives in the fuel Wind speed and direction


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Prescribed fire is the primary treatment method for all public lands, ranging from USDAForest Service land to state parks; most of the land in the planning area is in privateownership, however. According to FRAP, the Forest and Rangeland ResourcesAssessment Program, most prescribed burns were to control brush, especially chaparral(Regents of the University of California 1996). Public agencies feel prescribed burnsoffer the lowest cost solution when considering the scale of the area requiring treatment.However, prescribed fires can be quite expensive when the true cost of planning, datagathering, reporting, and control and suppression are considered. Other major constraintsare the reduction in allowable burn days because of increasing air quality concerns, highfuel load levels found in many forested and urban-wildland areas, and the increased

production of pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, and particulates. Inthese situations, a combination of mechanical methods of fuel reduction combined withprescribed fire may provide the best solution.

B. SHADED FUEL BREAKS

Shaded fuel breaks are constructed as a means to create a defensible space in whichfirefighters can conduct relatively safe fire suppression activities. Fuel breaks may also

slow a wildfires progress enough to allow attack by firefighters. The main idea behindfuel break construction is to break up fuel continuity to prevent a fire from reaching thetreetops, thus forcing the fire to stay on the ground where it can be more easily and safelyextinguished. Fuel breaks may also be utilized to replace flammable vegetation with lessflammable vegetation that burns less intensely. A well-designed shaded fuel break alsoprovides an aesthetic setting for people and a desirable habitat for wildlife, in addition tofuels reduction. The California Board of Forestry has addressed the need to strengthencommunity fire defense systems, improve forest health and provide environmental

protection. The California Board of Forestry rules allow a Registered ProfessionalForester (RPF) to use a special silviculture prescription when constructing or maintaininga community fuel break, exempts community fuel breaks from an assessment of


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The establishment of a shaded fuel break can lead to erosion if not properlyconstructed. Short ground cover, such as grass or leaf/needle litter, should bemaintained throughout the fuel break to protect the soil from erosion.

A properly treated area should consist of well-spaced vegetation with little or noground fuels and no understory brush. Tree crowns should be approximately 10-15 apart. The area should be characterized by an abundance of open space andhave a park like look after treatment.

The pile and burn method is most commonly utilized when constructing fuel breaks.Material is cut and piled in open areas to be burned. Burning takes place under permit on

appropriate burn days. Burn rings can be raked out after cooling as a means to decreasetheir visual effect.

C. MECHANICAL TREATMENT

Using mechanized equipment for reducing fuels loads on suitable topography and withcertain fuel types can be very effective. Using equipment to remove excess vegetationmay enable the landowner to process the debris to a level where it can be marketed as a

product for use in power generation; the debris then becomes labeled as biomass orbiofuel.

Mechanical methods to remove fuels include, but are not limited to, the utilization ofbulldozers with or without brush rakes, excavators, mechanized falling machines,masticators, chippers, and grinders. Mechanical treatments conducted with a masticatorgrind standing brush and reduce it to chips that are typically left on the ground as mulch.Or, mechanically removed brush may also be fed into a grinder for biomass production.

A technique called crush and burn combines mechanical fuels treatment with burning.As the name implies, the brush is mechanically crushed and then burned. Due to thehigher intensity heat created in burn piles, it is more effective at eliminating brush then a


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Due to air quality concerns, the mechanical treatment method is fast becoming theacceptable method of fuel reduction in urban interface areas. Compared to prescribedfire, mechanical treatment involves less risk, produces less air pollutants, is moreaesthetically pleasing, and allows landowners to leave desirable vegetation.

D. BIOMASS ANALYSIS

For thousands of years, people have been taking advantage of the earths vegetation, alsocalled biomass, to meet their energy needs (www.epa.gov, 2002). Technologies for usingbiomass continue to improve and today biomass fuels can be converted into alternative

fuels (biofuels), such as ethanol, methanol, biodiesel, and as boiler fuel for use inindustrial heating and power generation.

When used for generating electricity, biomass is typically burned to transform water intosteam, which is used to a drive a turbine and attached generator (www.epa.gov, 2002).Although a majority of the biomass market is associated with energy production, biomassoffers a wide verity of uses such as fiber-reinforced composites, fiber-filledthermoplastics, high performance fiberboard, cement board, mulch for landscaping and

soil amenities, smoke chips for curing and flavoring meat and bio-oils which are used asasphalt additives or adhesives. Potential markets continue to be explored and developedby the private sector, and the federal government has also demonstrated interested in thebiomass industry by the release of Executive Order 13134. On August 12, 1999,President Clinton released Executive Order 13134, designed to stimulate the creation andearly adoption of technologies needed to make biobased products and bioenergy cost-competitive in the large national and international markets (www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov, 1999).

The utilization and development of biomass technology offers many economic andsocioeconomic benefits. However, one of the most widely acknowledged benefits is the
http://www.epa.gov/http://www.epa.gov/http://www.epa.gov/http://www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov/http://www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov/http://www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov/http://www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov/http://www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov/http://www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov/http://www.epa.gov/


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seven days a week, to produce electricity (Jolley 2002). There are other wood-firedpower plants in Shasta County, but this facility is the closest to the planning area.

The feasibility of any biomass operation depends on the market price of biomass fuel(also commonly called hog fuel), the density or amount of fuel on the ground, topographyof the area being biomassed, and transportation costs (distance to market). Processingcan include harvesting and chipping or hogging and costs are directly correlated with thespecies, age, size and density of the vegetation being processed, as well as the topographyof the area. The transportation cost from the project area to the nearest wood-fired powerplant is directly related to the size of the vehicle, time needed for loading biomass, the

road bed system and distance to the plant. The price a power plant is willing to pay for aton of biomass versus the processing and transportation determines the economicfeasibility of an operation. However, the value of fuel reduction to the landowner shouldbe included in this calculation to determine the true feasibility of a biomass operation.Harvesting can be accomplished with an excavator, a bulldozer tractor or afeller/buncher, which are utilized to remove and pile the brush. Processing can beaccomplished with a hammer hog, tub grinder, drum chipper or some other type ofindustrial type chipper fed by the excavator or other mechanical means. A Registered

Professional Forester should be involved prior to commencement of any biomassoperation on timberlands in order to determine what permits might be required and toestimate the cost and timing of obtaining permits. Pursuant to the California ForestPractice Rules, if biomass operations involve the harvest of commercial timber species,the project requires a Timber Harvest Plan or exemption depending upon the nature of theoperation. Biomass operations not involving the harvest of commercial species are notsubject to the California Forest Practice Rules, but may require county permits or otheragency review depending on the physical characteristics of the project area.


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E. MAINTENANCE TREATMENT

Maintenance plans for all existing shaded fuel breaks, as well as a maintenance strategy

for all planned shaded fuel breaks, must be formulated as soon as funding can be madeavailable. A maintenance section needs to be added to all planned shaded fuel breaks,and should address both short and long term maintenance. Scrub oak re-sprouts andmanzanita sprouts and seedlings on disturbed areas are typical of the vegetation that willneed control on a short term basis, while continued thinning of dense stands of timber toincrease spacing between crowns will be typical of long term treatments. Control cantake many forms, including chemical control, mechanical control, or grazing bylivestock. The time frame for maintenance is typically two years, five years and ten yearsafter initial construction of the shaded fuel break.

Periodic maintenance of a fuel break sustains its effectiveness. Seeding the fuel breakwith annual grass cover immediately following its construction will help reduce brushand conifer invasion, but only depending on grass cover will not eliminate invadingplants for an extended period of time. The cost of fuel break maintenance must bebalanced with its degree of effectiveness. Listed below are several methods to maintain

fuel breaks.

1. Herbicides

The use of herbicides is a very effective and inexpensive method of eliminatingunwanted vegetation, but should be used only as specified by the manufacturer.Some herbicides are species specific, which means they can be used to eliminatebrush species and will not harm grass species.

2. Manual Treatment

M l i ff i li i i di i b i


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include the goats, portable fencing, a goat herder, water and all transportation anddaily supervision. Lastly, monitoring of the herbivore grazing is critical since over-grazing can lead to erosion.

As goats work through an area they are alsoworking on the understory, breaking lowerbranches, and splitting apart old downedbranch material. Once an area has beenbrushed by goats, it can be maintained as

a living green belt. Fuel break maintenance

with goats takes coordination of the stockowner, land steward, professional fireabatement teams, CAL FIRE, DFG, andothers. According to Hart (2001), grazinggoats have been observed to select grassover clover, prefer browsing over grazing pastures, prefer foraging over flat, smoothland, graze along fence lines before grazing the center of a pasture, and graze the topof the pasture canopy fairly uniformly before grazing close to the soil level.Herbivore

grazing has been done in the Sierra Foothills by Goats Unlimited of Rackerby,California. They report the vegetation in the Sierra Foothills grazing area consists ofwoody plants, shrubs, forbs and grasses. Before entering a new area, they develop alandscape goal, complete avegetative survey and identify toxic plants.

They identify the growth habit and adaptation of each plant species, especially thosethat are toxic. The objective is to control the invasion of unwanted species and

encourage perennial grasses to return. In a report published by Langston University(2001), goats improve the cycling of plant nutrients sequestered in brush and weeds,enabling the reestablishment of grassy species.

Herbivores Used for Fuel Reduction


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SHINGLETOWN AREAROADS

MAIN NORTH-SOUTH ROADS

Black Butte RoadPonderosa WayWilson Hill RoadLake McCumber RoadRitts Mill RoadRock Creek Road

Tehema County Road A6

MAIN EAST-WEST ROADS

Long Hay Flat RoadInwood RoadDersch RoadState Highway 44

Emigrant Trail100 RoadShingletown Ridge RoadEmigrant TrailWildcat RoadForward Road

XII. POTENTIAL COST-SHARE FUNDING SOURCES

The following table of cost share programs was provided by the University of California,Cooperative Extension Service (UCCE).


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Program Goals Services WillFund

Agency

Who Limitations

needs ConservationPlan approvedby RCD.

ForestStewardshipProgram

AssistCaliforniacommunities to moreactivelymanagetheirwatershedresources, tokeep forestsand

associatedresourcesproductiveand healthy

Technical,educationaland financialassistance

Costshare upto$50,000.100%match isrequired.

CALFIRE

RCDs,RC&Ds,specialdistricts,Indiantribes, andcommunitynon-profitorganizations.

Projects thatinvolvesactivities thatmay lead tochanges in theenvironmentare requiredto complywith CEQA.Projects mustbe on NIPF

land &address one ofthe majorcategories:pre-fire fuelsmgmt, forest&woodlandhealth, water

quality, orwildlife &fisheriesh bi


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Program Goals Services WillFund

Agency

Who Limitations

wildfirehazards.

CaliforniaForestImprovementProgram

Forestry,watershedand riparianprotectionandenhancement, and postfire

rehabilitation

Reforestation, site prep,landconservation,and fish &wildlifehabitatimprovement

s

75% upto$30,000percontract,rehabafternatural

disasterup to90%

CALFIRE

Landowners Plan (can becost shared)required, 20-50,000 acresof forestland

Additional funding sources include:

California Department of Conservation, RCD Grant Assistance ProgramU. S. Forest Service, Forest Service Community and Private Land FireAssistance Grant Program

Tehama/Shasta County Resource Advisory Committee, Title II Funds,SecureRural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000


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National Fire Plan. This plan provides grant funding for fuel reduction projects onprivate lands. In addition, many of the programs listed in Table 11 above also providefunding opportunities for fuels reduction and maintenance. Legislation may also providefunding for fuels reduction projects.

In addition, many private sector programs are available. Information on private sectorfunding can be found at the following Internet sites:

www.fdncenter.org www.ceres.ca.gov/foreststeward/funding.htmlwww.ice.ucdavis.edu/ www.teleport.com/~rivernet/general.htmwww.tpl.org/tpl/about/ www.ufei.calpoly.edu/data/news/grants.html

Funding programs can assist in the development of shaded fuel breaks, defensible spacearound structures, roadside fuel reduction, and community fire safe projects.

FIRE SAFETY

Funding will be sought for fire safe inspectors to go door-to-door to educate homeownersabout fire safety. This is an extremely important project, as the entire planning area lieswithin the Very High fire severity area as defined by CAL FIRE (Map 8). Ideally thehome inspections would be conducted in fall and winter months (between November andApril) for at least two years. Home fire safety inspections will be coordinated with theShingletown Volunteer Fire Company. These inspectors would also have the capabilityof helping residents understand how to construct defensible space around their homes.

XIV. GRANT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Funding sources are as varied as the projects listed above. WSRCD has theorganizational structure to seek funding for any projects generated through this Plan. TheShi l Fi S f C il i d h b ll f 501( )(4) fi
http://www.ufei.calpoly.edu/data/news/grants.htmlhttp://www.ufei.calpoly.edu/data/news/grants.htmlhttp://www.ufei.calpoly.edu/data/news/grants.html


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California Department of Fish and Game. 1993. Restoring Central Valley Streams: APlan for Action. Inland Fishery Division.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, California Fire Plan, May 2000.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Fire and Resource AssessmentProgram, (FRAP) 2002.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Shasta County Unit Fire Plan,2002.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Tehama-Glenn Unit Fire Plan,2002.

California Department of Water Resources, Sacramento Valley Westside TributaryWatershed Erosion Study, Executive Summary.), 1992.

California Board of Forestry & Fire Protection, California Forest Practice Rules 2002,

California Resources Department.

Cottonwood Creek Watershed Group, Cottonwood Creek Watershed Assessment, CH2MHill, Redding, CA., 2002

DeBano, L.F., and R.M. Rice, Fire in Vegetation Management:Its Effect on Soil,American Society of Civil Engineers, 1970.

Goats Unlimited, Goats Unlimited: Firebreaking with Meat Goats, 2002.

Hart, S. P., Langston University, Journal of Dairy Science, Recent Perspectives in Using


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Schimke, H.E. and L.R. Green. Prescribed Fire For Maintaining Fuel breaks in theCentral Sierra Nevada, U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Range andExperiment Station, Berkeley, CA., 1970.

U. S. Census Bureau, U. S. Census 2000.

U.S. Department of Conservation, Division of Mines and Geology.Mines and MineralResources of Shasta County, California. County Report 6. 1974.

USDIUSDA, Standards for Fire and Aviation Operations, 2002.

USDA Forest Service,Burning By Prescription in Chaparral, 1981.

USDA Forest Service,National Fire Plan, 2000.

USDA Forest Service, The National Fire Plan, October 2000.

US Environmental Protection Agency (www.epa.gov),Biomass, 2002.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, 2001.AFRP FinalRestoration Plan.

U. C. Davis,Natural Diversity Database 2002, California Department of Forestry & FireProtection.

The White House, Office of the Press Secretary,Executive Order 13134, Developing and

Promoting Biobased Products and Bioenergy. www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov, 1999.


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APPENDICES


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APPENDIXA

GLOSSARY

BEHAVEA computer program used for predicting fire behavior.

ChainA unit of measurement equal to 66 feet.

Fire Safe Areaa community that comes together once a year as part of the Community

Fire Safe Program to remove excess vegetation to decrease the fire hazard around theirhomes. Removed vegetation is piled and collected by CAL FIRE for chipping anddisposal off-site for a nominal fee.

Fuel CharacteristicsFactors that make up fuels such as compactness, loading,horizontal continuity, vertical arrangement, chemical content, size and shape, andmoisture content.

Fuel Chemical ContentSubstances in the fuels which can either retard or increase therate of combustion, such as mineral content, resins, oils, wax or pitch.

Fuel LadderFuels which provide vertical continuity between strata. Fire is able tocarry from ground, to surface, to crown.

Fuel Moisture ContentThe amount of water in a fuel, expressed as a percentage of theovendry weight of that fuel.

FuelsAny organic material, living or dead, in the ground, on the ground, or in the air,that will ignite and burn. General fuel groups are grass, brush, timber and slash.


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carry fire easily, and replacing particularly flammable fuels with others that ignite lesseasily and burn less intensely.Surface FireA fire that burns surface litter, debris and small vegetation.

TopographyThe configuration of the earths surface, including its relief and theposition of its natural and manmade features.


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APPENDIX B.

COMMUNITY FIRE SAFE FUEL REDUCTIONGUIDELINES


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APPENDIX C


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MAPS

1. SHINGLETOWN PLANNING AREA2. FIRE SEVERITY3. VEGETATION4. RARE, THREATENED, AND ENDANGERED SPECIES5. SOILS56. FIRE HISTORY7. FUEL REDUCTION NETWORK7A DEFENSIBLE SPACE/FIREWISE NEIGHBORHOODS

7B FIRE ACCESS AND ESCAPE ROUTES (SHADED FUELBREAKS)7C OMPLETED PROJECTS

AKR

RN ER

MBE

SHINGLETOWN PLANNING AREA

MAP 1


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OAK

ASHPAN

COWCR

EEK

WILDCAT

HCREEK

BATEMAN

WHITM

ORE

POND

EROS

A

INWOO

D

COLEMAN

FOREBAY

RITTS

MILL

EMIGRANT

LONG

HAY

FLATW

ILSONHILL

DEERFLAT

SCHOOLHOUS

ESH

INGLET

OWNR

IDGE

THATCHERMILL

WOODCU

TTERS

BATTLEC

REEKBO

TTOM

THATCH

ER

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Tehama County

Shasta County

Legend

boundary

Interstate

State

Major Roads

Local Roads

Bureau of Land Management

US Forest Service

State

Private

0 3 6 9 12

Miles

SHINGLETOWN FIRE SEVERITYMAP 2


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Documents