Manzanita Lake Boundary Healthy Forest Project

 

Certain areas in the park contain excessive understory tree densities, and heavy surface fuel loads where natural fire has been restricted, and management with prescribed fire has been unsuccessful. These areas contain historical and ecological park elements and legacies, are designated as administrative sites (Wildand Urban Interface (WUI)) located within 100' of existing roads corridors, and are located outside of designated wilderness areas. Current management strategies and tools (prescribed fire applications, use of fire for resource benefit, and hand thinning) have been identified as inadequate tools in scope and applicability for restoring, and maintaining these ecosystems.

PROJECT SUMMARY
Mechanical treatment strategy will be applied once to the described areas to alter the arrangement of existing vegetation and fuel profiles within target areas to mimic historic forest conditions created by historic fire regimes. Managed wildland fire applications (natural and prescribed) will be utilized to further restore, enhance and maintain the system without further use of mechanical equipment.

GOAL
The primary goal of the expanded treatment strategy would be to help restore and perpetuate key historic and ecological park elements and legacies outside of designated wilderness areas currently identified to be at risk of loss and/or significant alteration.

 

Treatment Zones
The areas proposed for the supplemental mechanical treatment strategies have been identified within 7 treatment zones totaling approximately 6982 acres. The treatment zones lie within four primary geographic areas which include:

1)Northwest Corner of the Park - Main Park Road corridor and park boundary area from Manzanita Lake to Raker Peak.

2)Hat Creek in-holder road corridor.

3)Northeast Corner of the Park - Butte Lake Road corridor and associated park boundary area.

4)Warner Valley (Drakesbad) Road corridor.