January 21, 2026 - By Steve Kafka, Calaveras County forester - We had a long, extended dry and warm spell in early December, which gave us the opportunity to continue some last-minute operations. We were able to finish a few timber sales because the weather was favorable. There wasn’t much snow at those elevations, which allowed continued access to the forest for work. That weather also gave us a good opportunity to address minor road maintenance issues and complete some work we would normally put off until spring but were able to finish in December. Seedlings are currently being shipped from nurseries into storage for spring planting.
In the Central Sierra, we were fortunate not to have many large fires. We had a couple of small fires, but nothing significant like we’ve seen in previous years. Overall, timber production in Calaveras County was average for a normal year, with no major spikes or declines. Harvest levels were consistent with the average over the past 10 years. When there are large fires or major insect outbreaks, harvest levels can increase due to salvage logging, but we didn’t have either this year. As a result, harvest levels remained steady. Overall, it was a good year, largely because we avoided major fires.
Fuel reduction projects continue throughout the area, especially near neighborhoods. These efforts help slow fires and keep them smaller when they do occur. While fires still happen due to lightning or accidents, the goal is always to respond quickly and keep them contained early.
Labor has been fine. Crews are fully staffed, but much of the work we rely on, such as planting, slows down this time of year. Most planting crews are not working during the winter, so there isn’t a high demand for labor right now. That usually picks back up around February in our area.
Market conditions are difficult to summarize because they vary widely depending on location and sales markets. Overall, the market has been down for a while, but there are many factors involved.
The California Farm Bureau works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of more than 26,000 members statewide and as part of a nationwide network of 5.8 million Farm Bureau members.
Source: CA. Farm Bureau
