| | The Weaverville Community Forest (WCF), which is jointly managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Trinity County Resource Conservation District (TCRCD), is 984 acres of excellent timber land, historic and prehistoric resources, recreational uses and high visual quality for the southwest side of Weaverville. The anadromous West Weaver Creek flows through it, and the WCF provides a wildlife corridor between industrial timberlands to the south and residential parcels to the north.
The fuel treatment project is located on 219 acres in the WCF, with 178 treatable acres but only 166 acres containing trees marked for removal. The project will be complete in the fall of 2008. It consists of removing to landings 4,557 trees 6- to 32-inches DBH and trucking all merchantable material to designated locations, including Trinity River Lumber Co. in Weaverville. Most cull logs will be skidded to the landing and provided to the community for firewood. Some large (more than 12 inches diameter inside bark) cull logs will be retained within the project area to supplement the large woody debris component. Such logs will be oriented perpendicular to the slope wherever possible.
A substantial amount of the treatment area (about 20%) will require long lining of logs. Two new, temporary truck haul roads totaling about 3,000 feet will be constructed. Road construction difficulty is rated as low. Some road reconstruction will also be necessary. Approximately eight, quarter acre landings will be constructed, and eight landings reconstructed. All riparian reserves have been flagged, and no equipment is allowed inside except at flagged locations. No harvesting is allowed within riparian reserves except that which is incidental to reconstruction of existing skid roads. There are numerous old mining ditches to be protected within the treatment area. Trees may be felled across ditches, but equipment is not allowed to cross ditches except at designated locations. If a new crossing is required, the ditch must be restored to its original condition.
All treatment is proposed using chainsaws and either tractors or skidders. Equipment is limited to slopes less than 35% or to existing flagged skid trails on steeper slopes. Skid trails on steep slopes and skid trail crossings of ditches and riparian reserves are flagged in orange. Operations within 1,000 feet of the boundaries of the Timber Ridge subdivision are restricted to weekdays between the hours of 6:30 am and 5:30 pm. Fallers will protect all residual unmarked trees, including pockets of healthy conifer saplings and poles (as feasible).
All project-created tree tops will be skidded to landings, either whole tree or attached to the last log, and will be stored near the landings. Upon completion of treatment, tops will be piled on landings for disposal. Post-treatment slash cleanup will be completed by the TCRCD. Within 100 feet (horizontal distance) of all public roads and the Timber Ridge subdivision boundary, all activity slash will be piled, covered with kraft paper, and burned. BLM will be responsible for burning piles. In the interior of the fuel treatment area, all slash will at a minimum be lopped to 18 inches. Also, patches of existing regeneration will be thinned to 300 TPA by selecting the largest and most vigorous dominant/codominant trees as the leave trees.
 
Background
The WCForiginally began in 1999 as a community protest against a proposed land exchange by the BLM. The Trinity County Board of Supervisors joined with the community in asking BLM to delay the exchange while alternatives were explored. In 2003 the TCRCD Board of Directors decided to take on the project to further explore ways to manage these federally held lands. In mid-2004, the BLM suggested using a new federal tool, stewardship contracting, to manage the lands as a community forest.
Using this tool, the BLM retains ownership and cooperatively works with the TCRCD, with which it has an excellent working relationship, to manage the forest-based objectives defined by the community. Because of the high level of community involvement between 1999 and 2004, the objectives have long been defined: protecting viewsheds, timber harvesting, providing products to the local mill, recreation and education, fuels reduction, firewood collection, salmon habitat protection, and invasive weeds eradication. In 2005 a ten-year cooperative agreement between the BLM and the TCRCD was signed.
For Weaverville and surrounding communities, this unique forest stewardship model offers a way to recruit and sustain local involvement in the management of federal lands, for local needs and desires, by matching the resource needs of federal land managers with the skills of a locally run conservation district. In particular, the Weaverville Community Forest embodies the spirit of stewardship contracting, because of its high level of public involvement, its broad range of objectives, and the diverse interests of the community. The historical model of timber-based economies is changing, as it must, to become a model of multi-use, community-driven forest management that creates and retains living wage jobs in an otherwise economically challenged rural community. This project provides timber for the town mill, offers educational and historical venues for local and tourist populations, and maintains high visual quality for the town residents. This BLM stewardship contract is being closely watched around the country, because it truly embraces the forest stewardship concept. TCRCD is also in talks with the U.S. Forest Service about applying the same model to their lands in the Weaverville viewshed, and community forestry advocates around the country are interested in transferring it to other regions.
The Weaverville Community Forest hopes to keep expanding its opportunities by providing community involvement on a number of levels and by continuing to strengthen the connections between the land and its people.
Links | | | | 2 | Land Ownership
Bureau of Land Management
| | | | 3 | Location
Weaverville, California
| | | 4 | Forest Type
Mixed conifer
| | | | Context |  | | | 5 | Is this project a part of a landscape plan?
Yes
| | | | 6 | In a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)?
Yes
| | | | 7 | Acreage treated
166 ac
| | | | 8 | Type of contract
Stewardship contract
| | | | 9 | Funding source
BLM and Trinity County Resource Conservation District
| | | | 10 | Collaborators and partners
BLM, Trinity County RCD, Weaverville Community Forest Steering Committee, Baldwin, Blomstrom, Wilkinson & Assoc., Stan Leach (logger)
| | | | 11 | Project start date
May 2006
| | | 12 | Project completion date
Fall 2008 | | | | Treatment Goals | | | | 13 |
| | | | 14 | Reduce fuel load
| | | | 15 | Fire break
| | | | 16 |
| | | 17 | Forest Stand Improvement
| | | | Treatment Specifics | | | | 18 | Primary treatment objective
Reduction of fuel hazards and improvement of forest health
| | | | 19 | How does biomass removal fit with other objectives?
Biomass was removed to reduce ladder and surface fuels. This reduced fuel hazards and improved visual aesthetics.
| | | | 20 | Treatment description
Thin from below
| | | | 21 | Description of contractors
Forester (BBW Inc) and Local contractor (Stan Leech Timber)
| | | | 22 | Travel distance for contractors
For BBW Inc., 15-100 mi. one way For Stan Leech Timber Inc., 26 mi. one way.
| | | | 23 | Type of equipment used
Chainsaws, tractor, rubber-tired skidder, loader, chipper, log truck, chip truck.
| | | | 24 | Treatment of residual slash if any
Whole tree yarding ensured that residual slash was minimal. Some slash cleanup, by piling and burning, will occur in residential areas.
| | | | 25 | Treatment cost per acre
| | | 26 | Trucking costs
| | | | Utilization | | | | 27 | Products from project
Sawtimber, poles, AC40, firewood, boughs for Christmas wreaths.
| | | | 28 | Price for products
Ponderosa $17/MBF, Douglas-fir $109/MBF
| | | | 29 | Date of Sale
June to October 2007
| | | | 30 | Did biomass markets exist previous to project?
Yes. Only one, a biomass electrical generation plant in the adjacent county, 63 miles one way from the project.
| | | | 31 | Type of utilization
Biomass for production of electricity
| | | | 32 | How well did the woody biomass match the utilization options?
Tree tops were chipped for fuel for a biomass facility that was designed for using "hog" fuel, so were entirely suitable.
| | | 33 | Distance to utilization
Logs DF 3 mi., pine 52 mi.; chips 65 mi.; firewood 3-5 mi.; poles 3-15 mi.
| | | | Treatment guidelines, targets, limitations | | | | 34 | Diameter limit
6-32" DBH
| | | | 35 | Basal area reduction
No residual basal area targets
| | | | 36 | Crown coverage
50-80%
| | | | 37 | Fuel loading
No increase in surface fuels and a decrease in ladder and canopy fuels.
| | | | 38 | Retention guidelines
Predominant, dominant, & most codominant conifers and all hardwoods.
| | | | 39 | Treatment of snags and downed logs
Most snags and all logs to be retained.
| | | | 40 | Soil impacts
Logging to be done during the dry season when soils were dry and disturbance of the surface soil horizons to be minimal.
| | | 41 | Other ecological impacts monitored
Photo points were established to monitor changes in understory vegetation.
| | | | Pre Treatment | | | | 42 | Fuel load
Low
| | | | 43 | Stem density (stems/ac)
320-430 tpa
| | | | 44 | Basal area (ft2/ac)
175-190 ft2/ac
| | | | 45 | Canopy closure (%)
Variable, from 70-100% | | | | 46 | Height to live crown base
Variable, from 20-50 feet.
| | | | 47 | Snags and downed woody material
Snags were scattered throughout the treatment area and downed logs were relatively sparse.
| | | | 48 | Size class distribution
Conifers from 2-60" DBH. Hardwoods from 2-24" DBH.
| | | | 49 | Tree species composition
85% DF, 10% PP, 5% SP & IC
| | | | 50 | Presence/absence of invasive species
Minor populations of Himalayan blackberry were present in some areas and large populations were found in a few areas.
| | | 51 | Soil and other ecological data
The soils average site index 106-115 for DF. No preharvest data collected.
| | | | Post Treatment | | | | 52 | Fuel load
Low. Dead fuel loads were not assessed, but were minimally increased by logging.
| | | | 53 | Stem density (stems/ac)
290 - 400. Approximately 30 tpa were removed.
| | | | 54 | Basal area (ft2/ac)
Approximately 140-150 ft2/ac
| | | | 55 | Canopy closure (%)
Variable, from 50-80%.
| | | | 56 | Height to live crown base
Variable, from 20-50 feet.
| | | | 57 | Snags and downed woody material
The number of post treatment snags was slightly reduced and CWD generally increased.
| | | | 58 | Size class distribution
Conifers from 2-60" DBH, but a high percentage of the 6-14" DBH trees and an unknown percentage of the 16-20" trees were removed. Hardwoods from 2-24" DBH.
| | | | 59 | Tree species composition
85% DF, 10% PP, 5% SP & IC
| | | | 60 | Presence/absence of invasive species
Post treatment populations are the same as the pre treatment populations.
| | | | 61 | Soil and other ecological data
No change in site index. Minor disturbance to soil and surface vegetation.
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