The Thom-Seider Project
The Klamath National Forest is proposing the Thom-Seider Vegetation Management and Fuel Reduction Project. Notification was made today in the Federal Register of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement [here].
SUMMARY: Land managers propose the Thom-Seider Vegetation Management and Fuel Reduction Project to reduce fuel hazard and restore forest health on Klamath National Forest System lands. The project area is situated on both sides of the Klamath River between Hamburg and Happy Camp, California. Thinning and understory burning (underburning) is proposed for approximately 30,000 acres of strategic areas selected for their location, topography, stand structure, density, age and condition. The project is intended to reduce the potential for high-severity wildland fires to harm people, private and public land, and older forest habitats.
DATES: Comments postmarked or received by March 7, 2008 are assured of being considered in the environmental analysis. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement is expected to be published Summer 2008 and the Final Environmental Impact Statement is scheduled for Winter 2009.
ADDRESSES: Address Comments to: Happy Camp and Oak Knoll Districts Ranger, Attn: Thom-Seider Project, Klamath National Forest, 63822 Highway 96, PO Box 377, Happy Camp, California 96039. You may also send electronic comments to the project e-mail box: comments-pacificsouthwest-klamath-happy-camp@fs.fed.us.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact District Ranger Donald M Hall or Interdisciplinary Team Leader Rochelle Desser if you have questions, concerns or suggestions relating to this proposal. You may contact Don at Happy Camp Ranger District Office at 530-493-1723 or at donaldhall@fs.fed.us. Rochelle is available by phone at 531-596-2453 or at rdesser@fs.fed.us.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action
The Thom-Seider project area contains an overabundance of early- and mid-successional stands that provide limited habitat for species dependent on older forests. Many of these stands are not structurally diverse and are overdense. In some cases, remnant large older trees in the stands have lost vitality due to competition for light and water from the dense understory. In the event of a wildland fire, these dense early- and mid-successional forests are more susceptible to stand replacement fire because of their continuous crowns and the presence of ladder fuels…
The project area is on both sides of the Klamath River and includes river communities such as Hamburg, Seiad Valley, and Happy Camp…
Proposed Action
The Proposed Action includes about 22,000 acres of underburning; 2,450 acres of variable density thinning (includes commercial and non-commercial), 2,700 acres of roadside fuels treatment, and 6,150 acres of understory thinning around private properties.
Except for the 2,450 acres of “variable density thinning,” no trees over 8 inches will be cut.
In other words, they are going to burn the forest without preparing it to receive fire. This is not silviculture; it is haphazard and hazardous, with serious economic costs and more serious risks. Whatever they do will make the forest more fire prone and/or will destroy the forest with fire.
I appreciate that they want to do something, but picking at the forest with a salad fork and then setting it on fire is extremely stupid and destructive.
You can read all about it [here]. You have until March 7 to get vested in the public participation process. We will be formulating some sort of input. Your suggestions in that regard are welcome.
Note: Happy Camp has been the nexus of some terrible fires over the last ten years. There’s not much forest left to work with.
