April 24, 2016 - SONORA, California – The Stanislaus National Forest has removed almost 2,500 dead trees from high hazard areas on the forest due to the recent surge in mortality.
With more than 29 million dead trees in the state of California, the Stanislaus National Forest is busy planning and implementing with more than a dozen high-priority projects. Local and statewide resources are assigned and assisting to these efforts.
“We have a lot of work to do, but projects are moving forward to remove hazard trees to make the forest safer for our visitors and residents,” said Jeanne Higgins, forest supervisor for the Stanislaus National Forest.
Treatment areas will focus on identified high hazard areas, to include: land adjacent to communities; campgrounds and trail heads; administrative facilities; and alongside roadways and infrastructure such as powerlines.
Members of the public can fill out a Hazard Tree Evaluation Request Form for consideration of specific hazard tree abatement on the national forest but adjacent to private land. Forms are available online and at the Visitor Information Desk on each ranger district. The priority and need for hazard tree abatement will be considered on a case-by-case basis using established agency requirements for the identification and removal of hazard trees.
For more information on tree mortality/hazard tree abatement operations, stop by your nearest Forest Service District Office or call: Stanislaus Supervisor’s Office at 209-532-3671; Calaveras Ranger District (RD) at 209-795-1381; Groveland RD at 209-962-7825; Mi-Wok RD at 209-586-3234; or Summit RD at 209-965-3434.
The mission of the U.S. Forest Service, part U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation's clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. The agency has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres within the U.S., of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.
Source: Stanislaus National Forest
