Dixie National Forest’s Pine Valley Ranger District seeks public opinion on the U.S. Forest Service’s fuel reduction project spanning over 200,000 acres in Southern Utah. The notice is open for public comment 30 days following the draft environmental assessment released on Dec. 23.
Covering approximately 209,731 acres between Washington and Iron County, this project’s primary goal is to reduce the risk of intense wildfires. About 127,667 acres are expected to receive treatment, covering areas south of Cedar City, north of St. George, and west towards Enterprise.
Pine Valley District Ranger Joe Rechsteiner explains that the Forest Service will focus on treating the vegetation. Treatment may include shrubbery removal, fuel reduction, barrier creation for streams and rivers, and the removal and grinding of pinyon and juniper trees.
“The treatment would be accomplished using a mix of mechanical equipment and hand treatment,” the notice states. “Mounted brush saws, masticators, roller mulchers, and other comparable heavy equipment would be used. Hand equipment such as chainsaws would also be used, especially along slopes for lop/scatter and cut/pile. Pile burning, hand or machine piles would be used where appropriate to reduce fuel loads.”
In 2014, the Forest Service partnered with The Nature Conservancy to conduct Landscape Conservation Forecasting. Through satellite imagery, remote sensing, predictive ecological models, and cost-benefit assessments, this process identifies potential vegetation projects that can help restore the landscape’s ecology.
The forecasting for the Pine Valley Ranger District found poor to fair conditions. The assessment states that without intervention, the area would become a “moderately to highly departed landscape in 25 years.”
The agency used a burn probability model to determine the area’s likelihood of catching fire under certain conditions by simulating burning fires. A more significant portion of the land was found to be more prone to severe fire.
Encroaching species, annual grasses and degraded shrublands are impacting factors. For example, certain areas have higher populations of cheatgrass, a highly flammable vegetation that can spread quickly, putting them at higher risk.
While there have been previous treatments, the Forest Service plans to address the root causes of the increased wildfires to help prevent severe ones in the future. They recognize some areas may need more work, such as reseeding and replanting to restore the vegetation to better conditions seen historically.
Their project will focus on well-populated areas, like St. George since they pose the most immediate danger.
Any comments can be submitted on the project’s website and must be submitted by Jan. 22.
Author: Maddi Munro
Photo courtesy of Mattias Mulie
Editor: Chevy Blackburn
outdoors@suunews.net
