The following is a press release issued by the Mendocino National Forest:
Forest Supervisor Wade McMaster issued a draft decision notice on the Mendocino National Forest’s Prescribed Fire and Fuels Management Strategy. The strategy allows for forest personnel to conduct prescribed fire in combination with other fuels reduction treatments across the forest, excluding wilderness areas, to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire.
“This strategy offers the forest more flexibility,” said Forest Supervisor Wade McMaster. “The conditions on the ground, which can change over time, will dictate where we go and what kind of treatments will be applied to a particular unit to help us reach desired outcomes.”
Projects under the strategy will have to meet site-specific conditions. Before the forest can implement in the field, projects will be vetted by an interdisciplinary team in a screening process. Community members, local tribes and collaborative groups like Firescape Mendocino will also play an important role in helping identify potential areas for treatment.
To help inform the public on specific projects that will be implemented under the strategy, the forest has published an online story map “Returning Fire to the Landscape” that provides a visual summary of the forest-wide prescribed fire and fuels management strategy.
Forest officials issued a legal notice in the Chico Enterprise Record announcing the opportunity to file an objection to the decision within 45 days. Objections can be filed by those who submitted comments during previous comment periods. Instructions for submitting objections can be found in the legal notice and on the project website.
Funding for the forest’s environmental assessment was provided through a Pacific Gas & Electric recovery program.
The environmental assessment and draft decision notice/Finding of No Significant Impact are available for review on the project website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/mendocino/?project=59722.
