Los Padres National Forest seeks
comments on Ecological Restoration Project
SOLVANG, Calif.— Forest officials today encouraged interested members of the public to comment on the scope of the Los Padres National Forest (LPNF) Ecological Restoration Project, which is being proposed on four of the five LPNF Ranger Districts. The purpose of this project is to restore fire-adapted ecosystems, reduce fuels, and reintroduce fire on the landscape by prescribed burning on approximately 235,495 acres of land administered by the LPNF within Kern, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties.
This solicitation for public comment helps serve the purpose of “scoping” under the Council of Environmental Quality’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. It is our intention to analyze the proposed action with an Environmental Assessment. Pursuant to 36 CFR 218.7(a)(2), this proposed project implements the Los Padres National Forest Land Management Plan and is subject to the pre-decisional objection process in §218 subparts A and B.
The Forest Service is requesting all comments be submitted by August 28, 2022. Written comments may be submitted electronically at https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public//CommentInput?Project=62369. Written comments can also be addressed to Los Padres National Forest Supervisor’s Office, Attention: Kyle Kinports, 1980 Old Mission Drive, Solvang, CA 93463. Please state the project name, “LPNF Ecological Restoration Project” on the envelope and your letter when providing comments.
Information about the LPNF Ecological Restoration Project will be available at two virtual meetings:
- August 8, 2022, 6:00 – 7:30 pm, Teams Live virtual meeting, https://tinyurl.com/LPNF-ERP-Mgtn-1
- August 10, 2022, 6:00 – 7:30 pm, Teams Live virtual meeting, https://tinyurl.com/LPNF-ERP-Mgtn-2
The purpose and need, proposed action, and maps, as well as other information, are available on the project webpage at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=62369.
“The purpose and need, proposed action, and maps…”. Experimental work project, imo. Not quite yet the proven approach. But, good that we try.
well, it’s experimental for these Forestry people, but it’s a well tested, tried and proven method of reducing impacts from severe fires by reducing fuel loads.
there’s a wonderful, well written book, laying out a long history of scientific-level experimentation with measurement of biosphere results. I gave Kate a copy a few years back but sadly my copy burned in the Dolan fire so I can’t flash the title at everyone. but I highly recommend it ! ( Kate, do you still have that ? )
basic idea is sound though, burn as early in the year as anything can barely burn, when you have to fan the flames along, pushing the fire . low intensity, low danger. March/April is ( or used to be ) better than September/October.
can the Feds still manage to blow it somehow ? probably, decision by committee and all that. but can it be worse than what we have now ? probably not
Richard, The Songs of Trees by Richard George Haskell is a wonderful book on “the great connectors.” It is the one I am currently reading. I also recommend Overstory a terrific story about trees and forests.
book I would highly recommend to anyone with a stake in the process and outcome of what USFS is proposing is this :
Prescribed Burning in California Wildlands Vegetation Management
Biswell, Harold, Agee, James K.
poke the web and it’s easy to find a used copy for cheap or dozens of sellers new. worth reading for all of us who live out here
https://nature.berkeley.edu/stephenslab/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Stephens-et-al.-CA-fire-area-FEM-2007.pdf
This is a good article. Also, Tending The Wild by M. Kat Anderson is great and covers much of Californias fire regime. In addition Laura Cunningham’s A State Of Change does a good job covering fire in California. I about a week or so after I read about the frequency of dry lighting strikes in the Santa Cruz mountains is when the CZU and other fires began.