Public comment sought for Castle Fire Ecological Restoration

Project involves Giant Sequoia National Monument

Sequoia National Forest officials are seeking public comments on the proposed Castle Fire Ecological Restoration Project within the area impacted by the Sequoia Complex on the Western Divide and Kern River Ranger Districts.

The project area is immediately adjacent to Highway 190, Mountain Home State Forest, Balch Park, Alpine Village, Camp Nelson, Cedar Slope, Coy Flat, Doyle Springs, Pierpoint, Ponderosa, and Sequoia Crest and a few small private properties in Tulare County.

The Castle Fire Ecological Restoration Project aims to restore a healthy forest ecosystem and reforest burned forest where natural growth is unlikely, the forest service stated.

“Removing dead and dying trees, combined with restoration efforts, including planting and seeding, would reestablish healthy forest conditions that provide

wildlife habitat,” stated Forest Supervisor Teresa Benson. “The restored conditions would be more resilient to drought, insect/disease outbreaks, and high-severity fire.”

Forest Ecosystem Staff Officer Gretchen Fitzgerald stated there’s a need to restore healthy forest conditions in the areas burned by the Sequoia Complex.

“Without specific management action, such as planting and seeding, some areas will not recover due to the high severity of the fire,” she said.

Site preparation, including the removal of dead and dying trees, and treatment of competing vegetation will need to happen, the forest service stated.

The following specific actions are being evaluated:

• Fall and remove dead/dying trees using mechanical groundbased equipment.

• Trees with commercial value for sawtimber or biomass could be sold. Trees not sold could be chipped for ground cover, lopped and scattered, piled and burned, or placed for erosion control.

• Retain some large dead trees to meet wildlife habitat needs.

• Within the Wildland Urban Interface defense zone, fall and remove trees that have the potential to strike private communities and reduce ladder fuels in low severity burned areas.

• Plant native conifer species to supplement natural regeneration. Reforestation would include site preparation, planting of seedlings, and release of seedlings by a combination of hand, mechanical, and chemical methods.

• Repair and maintain roads as necessary to implement restoration activities.

• Construct temporary roads as necessary and decommission them within three years of project completion.

• Reduce extensive areas of high fuel loading using various techniques that could include piling and burning or understory burning.

Suggestions or concerns related to the proposed project should be sent to comments-pacificsouthwest-sequoia@usda.gov with a Castle Fire Restoration subject line. Comments should be submitted by February 26.

Those who have questions can contact Vegetation Program Manager Steven Caracciolo at steven.caracciolo@usda.gov.