The attached letter is to inform you that a preliminary Proposed Action has been prepared for the Wrights Lake Forest Health and Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project on the Pacific Ranger District of the Eldorado National Forest.

Additionally, you can find the Scoping Letter, the preliminary Proposed Action, and a Project Map on the Eldorado National Forest Website here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/eldorado/landmanagement/projects

Please provide your input or comment by 6/4/2023 to be included in the analysis.

*****************
Dear Interested or Affected Party:

You are receiving this letter to inform you of a Forest Service Proposed Action to conduct hazardous fuel reduction activities on National Forest System (NFS) lands. The Wrights Lake Forest Health and Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project (Project) would remove hazardous fuel and maintain desired fuel levels on approximately 1715 contiguous acres in the area of Wrights Lake on the Pacific Ranger District of the Eldorado National Forest. The project area is located in Eldorado County and includes the areas around Wrights Lake, Dark Lake, Beauty Lake and NFS lands to the west along Wrights Lake Road. The Wrights Lake Forest Health and Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project would create conditions that would improve the forest’s resilience to fire, insects, disease, drought, and climate change as well as establish a more effective fire suppression environment with improved opportunities for control of future wildfire threatening the wildland urban intermix (WUI) near Wrights Lake. Treatment activities will retain old-growth and larger trees by retaining the dominant tree canopy throughout the project area. Hazardous fuel reduction would remove dense surface vegetation and ladder fuels such as brush and smaller understory trees in order to reduce the risk of high severity or catastrophic wildfire.

My preliminary assessment is that this project falls within the scope of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act Section 605 (16 USC 6591d). This law allows for hazardous fuels reduction activities that promote wildfire resilience and reduce the risk or extent of wildfires. Projects which fall under the jurisdiction of this law are excluded from documentation in an Environmental Assessment (EA) or Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). My evaluation of anticipated environmental effects indicate there are no extraordinary circumstances [FSH 1909.15-30.3 (2)] that would require preparation of an EA or EIS.

The Forest Service is initiating a 30-day public scoping period for the Wrights Lake Forest Health and Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project. Scoping is an open process to determine the scope of issues (40 CFR 1501.7). This 30-day scoping period provides a designated opportunity for public comment, pursuant to 36 CFR 218.5(a). While the scoping process is ongoing during planning of this project, comments must be received by 6/4/2023 in order to be included in the analysis.
The purpose and need, proposed action, and map of the project area may be found on the Eldorado National Forest website here:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/eldorado/landmanagement/projects

How to Submit comments:

If have questions regarding the proposed action, or if you have information the Forest Service may not be aware of, or have concerns or issues regarding potential effects of the proposed action, please contact Brian Brown, NEPA Planner, Eldorado National Forest at 4260 Eight Mile Road, Camino, CA 95709, or by phone at (530) 647-5304, or by email at brian.brown@usda.gov. Please include the title of the proposed action in subject line.

Thank you for taking the time to read this information and for your continued interest in the management of National Forest System lands.

May 5, 2023 - The San Bernardino National Forest (BDF) San Jacinto District will be conducting a prescribed burn today in the Cranston Reforestation area from 9:00am to 5:00pm as weather and environmental conditions allow. There are approximately 15 acres planned around the southeast Mountain Center. Residents and visitors will see flames and smoke visible throughout the day and evening. Firefighters will be monitoring the area until all piles are extinguished.

Prescribed fire plays an important role in forest health and in reducing extreme wildfires and their negative impact. These fires also help reduce heavy fuel loads while simultaneously opening the conifer forest structure and maintaining the health of meadow habitats. Fire is also used to enhance native plant communities and cultural landscapes and improve wildlife habitats. Another goal is to provide defensible space for communities and developed areas within and surrounding the BDF. With all fire comes smoke, and the U.S. Forest Service works to mitigate smoke impacts from prescribed fires on the communities in the area.

#PrescribedBurn #PrescribedFire #ForestHealth #CranstonRestorationPrescribedBurn

Great Lakes Fire Update 

Friday May 5, 2023 

 Hours: 8 am-8 pm Phone: (252) 285-6174   Email: 2023.GreatLakes@firenet.gov  
InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/ncncf-great-lakes  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nfsnc/  

The primary objective for the Gray Team is public and firefighter safety 

Effective Friday midnight May 4, the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) has been lifted for airspace over the Great Lakes Fire and airspace is now open for normal operations. 

PLEASE BE AWARE: Wildland fire engines and large equipment will continue to be on roads in the fire area and travelling to and from assignments on US Hwy 70 between Havelock and New Bern. Please slow down and use caution when driving near them.  

Today, high pressure will become centered over the area. Light north winds are expected in the morning, becoming southeast around 5 to 10 mph with gusts up to 15 mph after the sea breeze pushes through in the afternoon. Highs will reach the middle 70s with minimum relative humidity in the middle 30s. 

Acreage: 32,400 acres; Containment: 70%; Personnel and Equipment: 224 total personnel; 2 helicopters, 10 engines, 3 Type-2 and 2 Type-3 tractor plow units, 1 drone, 1 grader, 1 excavator and 2 ambulances.  

Firefighters will continue to patrol and monitor for heat sources today. The water control structure work to increase flooding in the southeast part of the fire was completed yesterday with flooding continuing to raise the water-table and rehydrate the organic soils affecting about 1,000 acres of the fire.  Smoke dried needles continue to fall from pine trees in the fire area. And crews extinguish new flames when the needles accumulate and ignite on hidden heat sources near the fireline. This will be a continuous issue as “needlecast” increases new light fuels on the ground. The drone flew yesterday to identify heat sources and complete their mission on the Great Lakes. The drone-crew will return to their home base today for future assignments. Their work significantly aided firefighters in effectively and efficiently identifying heat sources. 

Air quality: Information on current air quality data for North Carolina is at https://www.airnow.gov/.   

Closures: The road closures on Forest Service Road 203 (Holston Creek Road) remains in effect.  Updates to road closures surrounding the fire is at https://drivenc.gov/.  

The closure has been lifted on County Line Road.  

Firewise: Information on preparing your home and property to reduce the risk from fire can be found at https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Firwise-USA  

Donations: Those interested in donating to firefighters, please consider assisting your local fire departments and /or the Wildland Firefighter Foundation https://wffoundation.org  

Why are there fire resources working on Animas City Mountain adjacent to Durango, CO?

These firefighters are prepping for a prescribed burn that the BLM Southwest District is planning to conduct May 8th to May 15th. The plentiful snow received over the winter and the forecasted weather for next week, might make this burn possible. Fire managers are tracking weather and fuel conditions to ensure conditions are within the prescription to safely conduct and hold the burn. The burn is to reduce understory vegetation and restore fire to a fire adapted ecosystem to improve ecosystem resiliency, enhance wildlife habitat, and reduce the potential for catastrophic fire.

During ignition operations a large smoke column and flames maybe visible as the fire consumes ground vegetation. Fire resources will be on scene monitoring fire behavior.  

To ensure public and firefighter safety during burn activities, there will be temporary restriction of public access to Animas City Mountain, Dalla Mountain Park, Tanque Verde and X-Rock, which includes trails, trailheads, and parking lots. There will be a temporary closure on BLM land for public and use of drones. Fire aviation resources will not be able to fly if unauthorized drones are in the burn airspace.

BLM fire specialists estimate that the ignition of up to 494 acres within the five units of ponderosa pine and Gambel oak could take two to three days to control burn. The two upper units will not be burn in the spring to protect nesting peregrine falcons.

The BLM is working collaboratively with partners to safely implement these important treatments and to inform the public.

For more information about prescribed fire smoke and health impacts, visit https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.

For more information and updates visit Animas City Mountain RX InciWeb page https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/news/7852/ and follow us on Twitter @SWD_Fire and  BLM Southwest District Facebook @BLMMontroseFireUnit and .

On Thursday, May 4, firefighters successfully completed 15 acres of pile burning in the Westshore Project area.

On Friday, May 5, firefighters plan to continue pile burning operations in the Westshore Project area. This week conditions have been ideal for pile burning. The cooler temperatures and precipitation allowed fires to burn at low intensity. Tomorrow firefighters will be attempting an additional 20 acres, pending favorable conditions. Please be advised, some smoke may be visible in the Lake Pillsbury basin.

The hand piles that were burned earlier in the week at Stonyford and Soda Creek Stations remain in patrol status. Firefighters will be patrolling units where pile burns occurred tomorrow and over the weekend. The units will remain in patrol status until smoke and hot spots are no longer observed.

PLEASE BE AWARE: Wildland fire engines and large equipment will continue to be on roads in the fire area and travelling to and from assignments on US Hwy 70 between Havelock and New Bern. Please slow down and use caution when driving near them.

Today, high pressure will build into the area allowing the winds to relax and the airmass to moderate slightly. Mainly sunny skies will prevail with highs around 71 to 75 degrees and minimum relative humidity around 30 to 35%. Northwest winds around 8 to 12 mph gusting to 18 mph are expected.

Acreage: 32,400 acres; Containment: 65%; Personnel and Equipment: 177 total personnel; 2 helicopters, 7 Type-6 engines, 3 Type-2 and 2 Type-3 tractor plow units, 1 drone, 1 grader, 1 excavator and 1 ambulance.

Firefighters will continue to patrol and monitor for heat sources today. Yesterday on the southeast end of the fire, flooding operations continued to raise the water-table and rehydrate the organic soils to completely extinguish heat sources within them on about 1,000 acres of the fire.  Needlecast (smoke dried needles on pine trees that fall and accumulate on the ground) has started and where they accumulate on heat sources, they offer new dry and light fuels for ignition.  Crews are in place to extinguish them near the fireline. The drone with mounted infrared equipment is flying again today to continue to identify heat sources.

Air quality: Information on current air quality data for North Carolina is at https://www.airnow.gov/.  

Closures: The road closures on County Line Road and Forest Service Road 203 (Holston Creek Road) remain in effect. Updates to road closures surrounding the fire is at https://drivenc.gov/.

Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR): The TFR continues to be in place over the fire during the hours of 6 AM to midnight. Information is at:  https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_3_5862.html    

PLEASE NOTE: If there are intrusions into the Temporary Flight Restriction area, firefighting aerial operations must stop.

Firewise: Information on preparing your home and property to reduce the risk from fire can be found at https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Firwise-USA

Donations: Those interested in donating to firefighters, please consider assisting your local fire departments and /or the Wildland Firefighter Foundation https://wffoundation.org 

May 3, 2023 – Evening Update – Burn operations have concluded successfully on the Angelus Oaks broadcast burn. Firefighters were able to accomplish 7 acres today before weather conditions changed.

Broadcast burning is a type of prescribed fire that is ignited in areas with little or no forest canopy present, such as grasslands, shrublands, and oak woodlands. This type of fire burning is often used for habitat restoration and fuels reduction purposes.

Broadcast burning can be beneficial for protecting and enhancing sage grouse habitat and mule deer and elk winter ranges by removing invasive species and promoting the growth of native vegetation. It can also help to reduce the risk of severe wildfires by reducing the buildup of forest fuels and improving the health and resilience of the ecosystem.

During broadcast burning, fire is spread across the landscape in a controlled manner, typically using specialized equipment such as drip torches or aerial ignition devices. The fires is closely monitored to ensure that they remain within the designated area and does not spread beyond control.

#PrescribedBurn #PrescribedFire #ForestHealth #AngelusOaksPrescribedBurn

May 3, 2023 - Evening Update – Burn operations have concluded successfully on the Cranston Restoration prescribed burn. Firefighters were able to accomplish 15 acres today. Smoke may still be visible through the night.

A version of this story with photos is available on the Carson National Forest website.

As snow begins to melt and temperatures rise, Carson National Forest fire crews are increasing patrols of the Willow Piles Prescribed Fire near Hopewell Lake. So far, some snow remains on the ground and no heat has been found. 

“The change of weather is an action point in our plan for increasing patrols,” said District Ranger Angie Krall. “We’ll continue patrolling longer than we did before the National Prescribed Fire Learning Review. We will not call this fire out until the snow completely melts off directly around the piles and they have been thoroughly checked.” 

On Apr. 24, crews used an uncrewed aerial system, often referred to as a drone, to check the piles. 

“We were not able to detect any heat from the prescribed fire,” said Jamie Long, the fire management officer for the West Zone, which covers the Tres Piedras Ranger District where the piles are located. "You can see how the solar radiation varies when viewing areas where snow is melting and where snow is holding, but there is nothing indicating a true heat signature,” he said as he reviewed the drone footage. 

Crews also found no heat using a handheld thermal viewer when they twice patrolled the week of Apr. 17. The most recent patrol was on Tue., May 2. 

Crews ignited the Willow Piles Prescribed Fire in February, accomplishing 380 acres. The piles were created from a commercial timber sale and forest thinning to reduce stand densities, improve wildlife habitat foraging and to facilitate the reintroduction of fire to the landscape. The project is part of the Rio Chama Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project.

May 3, 2023 - The San Bernardino National Forest (BDF) San Jacinto District will be conducting a prescribed burn today in the Cranston Reforestation area from 9:00am to 5:00pm as weather and environmental conditions allow. There are approximately 15 acres planned around Highway 74 and Keen Camp Summit. Residents and visitors will see flames and smoke visible throughout the day and evening. Firefighters will be monitoring the area until all piles are extinguished.

Prescribed fire plays an important role in forest health and in reducing extreme wildfires and their negative impact. These fires also help reduce heavy fuel loads while simultaneously opening the conifer forest structure and maintaining the health of meadow habitats. Fire is also used to enhance native plant communities and cultural landscapes and improve wildlife habitats. Another goal is to provide defensible space for communities and developed areas within and surrounding the BDF. With all fire comes smoke, and the U.S. Forest Service works to mitigate smoke impacts from prescribed fires on the communities in the area.

#PrescribedBurn #PrescribedFire #ForestHealth #CranstonRestorationPrescribedBurn