PLACERVILLE, Calif. – The Eldorado National Forest is pursuing an ambitious Program of Work for 2019 which includes removing 37 million board feet of timber and using prescribed fire on up to 7,000 acres. There are also many important projects underway in public services and road system management.
“We are actively managing as much of the forest as possible with our current workforce and partners,” said Forest Supervisor Laurence Crabtree. “We are also expanding our partnerships with other conservation organizations, so we can have more capacity in the future. CAL FIRE, National Wild Turkey Federation, Mule Deer Foundation, El Dorado County Resource Conservation District, and Georgetown Divide Resource Conservation District are some of the organizations we are currently doing a lot of work with.”
The 2019 forestwide priorities highlighted below emphasize achieving regionally established vegetation management targets to promote healthy forests which include commercial timber production. Commercial timber sales thin out crowded stands and help pay for the removal of small diameter trees and other non-commercial biomass which contribute to the build-up of hazardous fuels in the forest. All vegetation management on the Eldorado National Forest supports the larger goal of treating 500,000 acres per year on national forest lands in California.
2019 Eldorado National Forest Priorities:
ENGINEERING
- Storm Damage Response / Critical Roads and Infrastructure – Assess, mitigate and repair storm damage across the forest prioritizing heavily used roads and recreational sites.