Whiskeytown National Recreation Area identified over 300 dead knobcone pine trees located in high visitor use areas and along trails and roadways throughout the park. Dead trees with brown needles are not only unattractive, but they also pose a fire risk and a hazard to cars and visitors and fire management wanted to tackle this problem sooner rather than later. In the past the trees would have been cut into rounds and left for wood cutters with permits to remove, however, several years ago, due to resource damage, wood cutters were no longer allowed to cut and gather wood in Whiskeytown. Fire management also did not want to cut the trees, as having them lay on the ground would create another fire hazard. These trees were too big to chip and too labor intensive to try and burn the large cut rounds, as they would smolder for long periods of time, causing air quality issues, longer staff hours to monitor and the piles could pose the threat of an escape fire.
Renting a large dump truck to haul the branches and large cut rounds of wood seemed to provide an alternative to remove the fuel. Cal Fire inmate crews, California Conservation Corps crews and Whiskeytown fire staff cut down many of the dead knobcone pines from the Oak Bottom Campground, the Visitor Center and along roads and trails. Large branches and other small trees from roadside shaded fuelbreaks were also removed and loaded into the dump truck and transported to Wheelabrator, a steam turbine wood-fired furnace electric power plant located in Shasta County. Wheelabrator converts the fuel to chips and burns them for electricity, which they then sell to a local utility company.
The dump truck can carry a capacity of 3 to 5 tons of wood and typically hauled the wood to the energy plant 3 times per week. As of September 1, 2007, 130 tons have been taken to Wheelabrator. The cost to the fuels program is approximately $150-$200 dollars per ton for labor and transportation, the rent of the vehicle is $600 per month.
By thinking of creative ways to remove forest fuels, Whiskeytown was able to cut down many of the dead trees and dispose of the trees using the dump truck. The fuel removed will lessen the fire risk and reduce hazards to park visitors. By working with Wheelabrator, the fuel is burned safely and efficiently, reducing smoke emissions and providing electricity for all of California.
Contact: Carol Jandrall, Fire Education Specialist
Phone: (530) 242-3438
*This story supports the National Fire Plan |
