South Fork American River Cohesive Strategy Project SOFAR

GOALS Resilient Landscapes Fire Adapted Communities Safe & Effective Response 410,000 acres 250,000 acres USFS 50% King Fire area 75% SFAR watershed 49 miles of Hwy 50 corridor

Recent Large Fires Piliken - 1973 Wrights - 1981 Cleveland - 1992 Freds - 2004 King - 2014

Stakeholders Involved to Date: ·         El Dorado County Fire Safe Council ·         El Dorado County RCD (Resource Conservation District) ·         El Dorado County Board of Supervisors ·         CAL FIRE ·         Sierra Pacific Industries ·         Sierra Forest Legacy ·         USFS Pacific Southwest Research Station ·         U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution ·         California Conservation Corps ·         Generation Green / Youth Conservation Corps ·         Mooretown Rancheria Brush Crew ·         Pollock Pines Fire Safe Council ·         TEAMS Enterprise Unit A Technical Evaluation Team was formed with representatives from 7 partner organizations. The TET reviewed proposals to hire a facilitator who will initiate development of a stakeholder Collaborative for the watershed.

Accomplishments Planning was completed for the King Fire Restoration Project. The Record of Decision selected Modified Alternative 2 which describes 6,307 acres of treatment in the S.Fork American River Watershed including salvage, hazard tree removal, fuel reduction, sensitive watershed protection, and reforestation treatments. Modified Alternative 2 Acres Biomass Removal 1,041 Hand Cut Hazards/Pile 95 Hand Cut/Pile 636 Initial Plant and/or Release 9 Mastication/Hand Cut/Pile 186 Mastication/Machine Pile 519 Roadside Salvage 319 Salvage 3,351 Watershed Sensitive Area 150 Grand Total 6,307

The California Conservation Corps has nearly completed the Silver Fork Road Fuel Break. This is part of the Roadrunner Project, a larger system of fuel reduction zones along Highway 50 designed to protect the communities of Kyburz, Strawberry and Silver Fork. 

Accomplishments   A $1.1 million dollar road reconstruction contract was awarded for the Peavine/Bryant Road Project to improve access for land management activities and emergency response. The work is underway and will be completed this month. A Draft Strategic Fire Plan for the SFAR Watershed has been completed by a contractor and a fuels management specialist has been detailed to the project who will finalize this plan.    The Mooretown Rancheria Brush Crew completed 3.52 miles of roadside brushing south of Big Hill under a cooperative agreement with BIA.  A Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) crew completed several watershed protection and noxious weed removal projects in the SFAR Watershed this summer. 

Accomplishments Cleveland/Icehouse Plantation Thinning – Layout is complete for approximately 3,000 acres; planning is underway with a decision on the first 3,000 ac. Insect/Disease CE expected in Spring 2016. Two additional CE’s for 3,000 ac. each will follow for the 9,000 total acre analysis area. Piliken Plantation Thinning – Environmental analysis and stakeholder engagement is in progress. Caples Prescribed Fire – Environmental analysis and stakeholder engagement is in progress for an approximately 10,000 acre project area.  Developed a  plan with CAL FIRE called Fire Adapted 50 which will focus on the Fire Adapted Communities component of the strategy. Fire Adapted 50 includes a series of projects which will strengthen and expand existing fuel breaks in the most heavily developed part of the watershed along the Highway 50 corridor.  

Fire Adapted 50 Icehouse-Cleveland Plantation Thinning Camino-Pollock Pines Shaded Fuel Break Hwy 50 Roadside Fuel Reduction Zone Sly Park VMP Piliken Plantation Thinning The Sly Park VMP includes work with EID, SPI, and other partners, demonstrating the ALL LANDS Approach.