Environmental Analysis Completed for Akrewoods Project in Trinity and Humboldt Counties

Press release from Six Rivers National Forest:

The Six Rivers National Forest’s (SRNF) Mad River Ranger District, in collaboration with the Trinity County Collaborative Group (TCCG), recently completed the environmental analysis of the Akrewoods Project. Forest Supervisor Ted McArthur signed the Decision Memo in mid-May 2020.

“I’m extremely proud of the collaborative approach the Six Rivers has taken, not only for the health and sustainability of our natural resources, but also for the relationships we’re building with our communities,” said Kristen Lark, district ranger for the Mad River Ranger District, where the Akrewoods Project is located. “A big part of the relationships we have with the Trinity County Collaborative and our local communities, as well as the drive to keep our communities safe from wildfire, was Dan Dill. As we celebrate this success, we remember District Ranger Dan Dill and his legacy that will always be a part of the projects you’ll see in the coming years on the district.”

The Akrewoods Project is a 12-mile-long ridgetop fuelbreak project designed to provide faster wildland fire response and suppression to rural communities. The reduction of vegetation along roadsides allows safer evacuation for communities and safer access for firefighters during a wildfire.

The project area, surrounded by old fire scars, is characterized by dense plantations and young natural stands. Most of the project—1,589 acres—is in Trinity County, with 24 acres in Humboldt County.

According to Larry Glass, TCCG fuelbreak working group member, “After the success of the 1^st 48 Project, we’ve built upon our collaborative relationship with the Six Rivers National Forest to develop the next hazardous fuels reduction project. Akrewoods takes the lessons learned to expand the shaded fuelbreak to fit the existing topography, while still keeping intact the innovative prescription that the Trinity Collaborative has championed.”

The TCCG was created in 2013, with the support of then-Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, by proactive Trinity County community members—including landowners, environmental groups, timber industry and others—that saw the need for a collaborative approach to natural resource management and economic development.

For more information about the Akrewoods Project, contact Kristen Lark, Mad River District Ranger, at (707) 574-6845, [email protected], or visit www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=56810.