biomass.forestguild.org - 1039 WMSP - Nagel Forest Health Project, AZ

Nagel Forest Health Project

Navajo County, AZ
US Forest Service
Submitted by Gary Snider, School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University.

Project ID: 1039

1. Name - WMSP - Nagel Forest Health Project

The Nagel Forest Health Project was conducted under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act authorization. The project area is in the west-northwest portion of the Black Mesa Ranger District. It is approximately 45 miles south of Winslow and 30 miles west of Heber. The popular Rim Lakes Recreation Area adjoins the project area. The main goals of this project are to reduce hazardous fuels and to improve forest and riparian conditions.

Thinning treatments are intended to reduce the number of trees, basal area, canopy closure, crown bulk densities, and ladder fuels. This creates age structures and fuel levels that significantly reduce the probability of crown fire. Mechanical treatments include the use of chainsaws, feller bunchers, skidders, bulldozers, and other specialized equipment.

A significant part of this project is in a former burn area. As was the practice at the time, the area was reforested subsequent to the burn. According to Dave Maurer, Timber Staff Officer, Black Mesa Ranger District, it is now a “sterile monoculture of ponderosa pine with no understory. There’s not a bird, squirrel or sound in the entire area.” There is a 14-inch cap within the burn area and a 18-inch cap outside of the burn area.

Utilization of material includes chips for the manufacture of wood pellets, sawlogs down to 9-inch DBH (6-inch top), and, when feasible, tops/slash picked up by Renegy for production of electricity. A small amount of the material (down to 3 inches) is also being used for vigas.

The speed and magnitude of treatment efforts is, as usual, a function of funding availability.

Links

Main White Mountain Stewardship Project Case Study

	2	Land Ownership US Forest Service
	3	Location Navajo County, Arizona
	4	Forest Type Ponderosa pine
	Context
	5	Is this project a part of a landscape plan? Yes
	6	In a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)? Some WUI mostly not WUI
	7	Acreage treated 3,560
	8	Type of contract Stewardship contract; timber sale
	9	Funding source Multiple, including timber, watershed, wildlife, hazardous fuels
	10	Collaborators and partners Federal, state, and local agencies; Tribes; and others
	11	Project start date 2006
	12	Project completion date 2008
	Treatment Goals
	13	Restoration, watershed or habitat improvement
	14	Reduce fuel load
	15	Fire break
	16
	17
	Treatment Specifics
	18	Primary treatment objective Fire Hazard Reduction and improve forest/riparian health
	19	How does biomass removal fit with other objectives? Necessary
	20	Treatment description Thin to 6" (622 ac of PCT); thin to 14" (3,700 ac inside burn area); thin to 18" (8,124 ac); fuelbreak contruction (562 ac)
	21	Description of contractors
	22	Travel distance for contractors
	23	Type of equipment used Mechanical treatments include the use of chainsaws and/or feller-bunchers, skidders, bulldozers, and other specialized equipment.
	24	Treatment of residual slash if any Lop/scatter, pile, burn.
	25	Treatment cost per acre $250-$750 est.
	26	Trucking costs
	Utilization
	27	Products from project Sawtimber, posts, poles, pallet, pellets, firewood, chips
	28	Price for products
	29	Date of Sale
	30	Did biomass markets exist previous to project? No
	31	Type of utilization
	32	How well did the woody biomass match the utilization options? Well
	33	Distance to utilization 30-75 miles
	Treatment guidelines, targets, limitations
	34	Diameter limit 6" (MSO) to 18" other
	35	Basal area reduction Varies from 40-100BA
	36	Crown coverage
	37	Fuel loading
	38	Retention guidelines
	39	Treatment of snags and downed logs
	40	Soil impacts
	41	Other ecological impacts monitored
	Pre Treatment
	42	Fuel load 1-60 tons/ac FRC Class 3 (virtually all)
	43	Stem density (stems/ac) Low (2%); Moderate (11%); High (41%); Very high (46%)
	44	Basal area (ft2/ac)
	45	Canopy closure (%) 0-39 (6%); 40-59 (15%); 60-100 (75%)
	46	Height to live crown base
	47	Snags and downed woody material
	48	Size class distribution VSS 1 (2%); 2 (9%); 3 (41%); 4 (33%); 5 (710%); 6 (35%)
	49	Tree species composition Ponderosa pine (93%) and mixed conifer (7%)
	50	Presence/absence of invasive species
	51	Soil and other ecological data Soil condition generally satisfactory
	Post Treatment
	52	Fuel load Varies: 3-6 tons/ac w/in 1/2 mi. of private land. 5-10 tons/ac elsewhere
	53	Stem density (stems/ac)
	54	Basal area (ft2/ac)
	55	Canopy closure (%)
	56	Height to live crown base
	57	Snags and downed woody material
	58	Size class distribution
	59	Tree species composition
	60	Presence/absence of invasive species
	61	Soil and other ecological data

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