Klamath National Forest

Newsroom - Public Scoping Process for Proposed Vegetation and Fuels Management Project on Klamath National Forest

Contact: Rochelle Desser (531) 596 2453 or Don Hall (530) 493 1723

For immediate release.

YREKA, CA (February 4, 2008) ..The Happy Camp/Oak Knoll Ranger District of the Klamath National Forest is proposing to reduce fuel hazard and restore forest health on approximately 30,000 acres of National Forest land between Hamburg and Happy Camp, California.  The project includes about 22,000 acres of proposed underburning, 2,450 acres of thinning, 2,700 acres of roadside fuels treatment, and 6,150 acres of fuels reduction on National Forest land adjacent to private properties and in areas designated for wildlife associated with older forests. "This is an major opportunity to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire as well as improve forest health. We're looking forward to hearing from the public about issues, concerns, and opportunities related to this proposal" stated Don Hall, Acting District Ranger.

The proposed treatments are needed to:

• Reduce tree density and forest competition
• Reduce ladder fuels that lead to canopy fires
• Increase tree species diversity to improve wildlife habitat
• Retain existing older large trees to maintain wildlife habitat
• Improve probability that younger forests will develop into old growth forests
• Reduce fuels along important access roads to provide for public and firefighter evacuation during wildfires.

More detailed information, including maps, photographs, inventory data, and site specific proposed action, is available by visiting the website for the Klamath National Forest:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/klamath/projects/projects/thom-seider/index.shtml

Three public meetings have been scheduled to provide information about the proposed project and provide an opportunity for questions and answers. Meetings are scheduled as follows:

February 11, 2008  Happy Camp Grange Hall5pm to 7pm
February 12, 2008 Seiad Valley Volunteer Fire Department Hall7pm to 9pm
February 13, 2008  Scott Bar Community Center  2pm to 4pm

As part of the scoping process, the public is encouraged to provide written comments on issues, concerns and opportunities which need to be addressed in the environmental analysis. Public comments need to postmarked or received by March 7, 2008 in order to be considered in the environmental analysis.Comments should be addressed to:

Happy Camp and Oak Knoll Districts Ranger
Attn:  Thom-Seider Project, Klamath National Forest
63822 Highway 96, PO Box 377
Happy Camp, California 96039

Comments can also be sent electronically to the project email box: Comments-pacificsouthwest-klamath-happy-camp@fs.fed.us

USDA Forest Service - Klamath National Forest
Last Modified: Tuesday, 05 February 2008 at 06:24:56 EST