Fire-Ravaged Forests Approved for Repair
Fire-Ravaged Forests Approved for Repair
27 November 2007
published by www.the-signal.com
California, USA — Roughly a month after the Ranch Fire blazed through the Angeles and Los Padres national forests, an assessment report has been released and the U.S. Forest Service has allocated $114,562 to implement the reports recommended treatment methods.
Under the Burned Area Emergency Response Assessment Report, approved treatment methods for the Ranch Fire include:
road stabilization to restore road drainage function, culvert and side drain repair and maintenance of Piru Lake Road
strengthen waterbars and dips and outslope the trail tread on Potholes Trail
placement of six warning signs
conduct a noxious weeds survey
We received the authorization to work on the treatment methods, said Kathy Good, Public Affairs Officer for Los Padres National Forest.
According to Good, the team of analysts who prepare the report include specialists knowledgeable about each aspect of forest life and terrain. Each specialist recommends the issues that need be addressed immediately after the fire is contained.
One of the processes of the Burned Area Emergency Response Assessment Report is to assess the threat immediately and make recommendations on what needs to be addressed upon completion of the report, she said.
The reports are completed for each fire or group of fires. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Department of Interior released the Burned Area Emergency Response Assessment Reports to assist federal, state, and local officials in creating a comprehensive remediation plan and to guide restoration efforts.
The Forest Service commenced work on the Assessment Report in late October, while the Ranch Fire was still active. It is standard procedure to begin these assessment reports as the fire still burns through the affected areas.
The Ranch Fire burned 58,401 acres total, with 14,000 acres burned in the Los Padres National Forest, 13,000 acres burned in the Angeles National Forest, 1,900 acres burned in the Hopper Mountain Wildlife Refuge, 1,400 acres burned on Bureau of Land Management land and 28,000 acres burned on private land near Val Verde and Hasley Canyon.
