Summer 2000 Vol. IX, No. 2

In This Issue:

• Strategic Fire Planning Process
• Progress on the Weaverville Basin Trail System
• S. Fork Trinity River Restoration Projects Update
• Trinity County Backyard Conservation
• Day In The District
• Trinity High Student Wins Trip to Hawaii
• District Manager's Corner
• Second Annual Fall Salmon Festival

Strategic Fire Planning Process Chipping at a fuel break along Long Canyon Rd. The Trinity County Fire Safe Council has made significant progress toward the development of a strategic fire plan for Trinity County.  In May, five regional meetings were held in North Lake, Mid Trinity, South Fork, Southern Trinity, and Down River areas to identify and map values at risk and locations of key infrastructure relevant to fire response; to propose activities to minimize the risk of catastrophic fires; and to prioritize proposed projects within each portion of the county.  The planning process to date has brought together community members, fire and forestry experts from CDF, USFS, Volunteer Fire Departments, and the private sector. As we all know, large fires have occurred in Trinity County in the past and will likely occur again.  The mix of residential development, timberlands, hot summer weather and high ignition risk make fire and fuel management an important concern for residents of this area.  California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and private foresters have come to recognize that the expansion of homes into the ’wildland-urban interface’ has created  potential for devastating loss of lives, dwellings, and forest resources.  Foresters, ecologists, wildlife biologists, and fire managers are developing new strategies to allow safer coexistence of people and wild lands.  Prescriptions for maintaining healthy, fire resistant forest conditions generally call for reduced tree densities and use of low intensity prescribed fire.  The desired stands will appear more open and park-like, with increased forage production for deer and other wildlife.  These practices also reduce the intensity of wildfire. Informational sign installed at the Long Canyon Demonstration Project Fuels Reduction Demonstration projects are currently underway in the Covington Mill/Long Canyon community and along East Branch Road in Weaverville.  A detailed Fire Management Plan has recently been completed for the Covington Mill/Long Canyon/Lake Forest Estates area. The Plan recommends future fuel breaks, fuel ladder reductions, and other landscape-level treatments to reduce the threat of catastrophic fire and improve forest health.  This plan will be incorporated into the county-wide strategic fire plan.  The Watershed Research and Training Center has begun to implement a fuels reduction and thinning project on 10 acres of the Jones Plantation on the South Fork Management Unit of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest to explore the use of small diameter material for value added products.  Fuels reduction projects are being planned for Timber Ridge and Post Mountain neighborhoods as well as selected areas on public lands.  The strategic fire plan will be used for:  input to the Safety Element of the Trinity County General Plan helping to identify and prioritize additional projects based on their location in the landscape and associated fire risk support for the Volunteer Fire Departments obtaining additional funds to implement necessary landscape treatment projects on public and private land enhancing coordination and effective use of limited resources Education and outreach is an important objective of the Trinity County Fire Safe Council.  As part of this effort a sign was installed before the long Forth of July weekend in the Long Canyon Demonstration Project, a roadside shaded fuel break.  A brochure describing the Long Canyon shaded fuel break was produced as well, and has been placed at the informational sign for outreach and education of residents and casual visitors to this popular road for access to the Trinity Alps Wilderness area. The Fire Safe Council is also working on developing a Power Point slide presentation to be used to give presentations to various community groups and to schools. Funding for these various Fire Safe planning, implementation, and education projects has come from the State Water Resources Control Board, the Pacific Southwest Experimental Station, and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection‘s Forest Stewardship Program. Return to this Issue's Index

Master Plan Completed
The USDA Forest Service, Shasta-Trinity National Forest provided a grant through the Community Economic Revitalization Team (CERT) program to Trinity County in 1998 to develop a Master Plan for the Weaverville Basin Trail System—A Trail Through Time on lands outside the management of the USFS.  This conceptual plan is meant to complement the Environmental Assessment that was approved in 1996 for the trails on lands managed by the USFS, and to enhance the recreational experience of the Weaverville community and its visitors.

The Master Plan Release 1.0 was recently completed through the cooperative efforts of the Trinity County Resource Conservation District, Trinity County Resource Conservation & Development Council, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, Weaverville Basin Trail Committee, and residents of the Weaverville community.  Representatives of these organizations, including Mr. Robert Snieckus, NRCS National Landscape Architect, recently provided a presentation on the Master Plan to the Trinity County Board of Supervisors.

As the document makes clear, this Master Plan is a conceptual plan designed to show the potential of the Weaverville Basin Trail system.  Although much public input (and several community scoping sessions) has gone into the development of this document, it is not cast in stone.  It is a document subject to change, revision, and updating.

Copies of the Master Plan are available for viewing at the Weaverville and Hayfork branches of the Trinity County Library, the Planning Department, the Trinity County Resource Conservation District, and the Trinity County Resource Conservation & Development Council office.  You also can request a copy of the plan on CD-ROM from the Resource Conservation District, or view highlights of the plan on the District’s web-site (http://www.snowcrest.net/tcrcd).

This Plan will be an effective tool for securing funds for trail development as well as to focus the efforts of the Trail Committee.  The Trail Committee hopes that the information provided in the Master Plan will help us make the best possible decisions toward implementing the mission and vision of a basin-wide trail system.

The RCD will be applying for funds from the Park Service’s Recreational Trails Program to implement one of the high priority trail segments evaluated in the Master Plan (developing a trail from Oregon Street along West Weaver Creek to the Industrial Park complex).

Trinity Gateway Project
Trinity County is beginning to implement the Trinity Gateway Project.  The project includes improved parking, a transit stop, lighting, improved trails, and landscaping, and informational kiosks at the Lee Fong Park and Lee Ranch House.  This area is meant to be a major trailhead for the Weaverville Basin Trail system.  This is a $300,000 project that is receiving $210,000 from a CalTrans Environmental Enhancement Mitigation grant.  The RCD and Resource Conservation & Development Council will assist the county with portions of the project that pertain to landscaping, interpretive signage, and organizing the assistance of the community groups providing in-kind services for the Gateway Project.

Trail Condition Survey Maintenance Plan
The Trail Committee has nearly completed its assessment of the trail conditions for the USFS.  Volunteers have biked or hiked sections of trail to identify locations in need of maintenance.  Drainage problems, missing signs, and low branches have been the primary maintenance needs identified.  These problems have been mapped and maintenance will be prioritized for implementation with the assistance of the USFS.

Conceptual design of wetland area from the Master Plan

This project, if it is approved by the Trinity County Board of Supervisors, would become a part of the Weaverville Basin Trail System with paths and interpretive signage installed at appropriate locations.  A conceptual design for the wetlands area is included in the Weaverville Basin Trail Master Plan.

New Bridge Installed
The USFS obtained funds to install a new bridge for pedestrians, bikes and horses over East Weaver Creek as part of the Weaverville Basin Trail system.  The bridge was constructed this spring by the California Conservation Corps and is located off of East Weaver Road via a graveled driveway.  This bridge enables access on USFS land to the trail up to Jackass Ridge.

New bridge over East Weaver Creek

Private Lands Easements Granted for the Weaverville Basin Trail
The Highland Snyder Foundation’s Board of Directors unanimously agreed to grant Trinity County an easement through property owned by the Highland Snyder Foundation Trust for the Weaverville Basin Trail.  This easement is for roughly a mile long stretch of trail and important trail intersections through their property along Ten Cent Gulch.  In addition to existing state laws that protect private landowners, private property owners who provide an easement for the trail, will be indemnified by the county from any liability associated with trail use.

The Weaverville Community Service District (WCSD) is providing trail easement through its property on the Day Ranch Trail along East Weaver Creek.  The WCSD has also granted an easement to the county for trail access through its property at the end of Manzanita Street to the trail along the ridge by the reservoir, called Jackass Ridge.  The previous trailhead had been blocked off with a gate.

The Trail Committee looked for ways to work around this obstacle and found a receptive landowner, who is willing to provide an easement to the trail, allowing residents and visitors the opportunity to continue enjoying this section of the Weaverville Basin Trail.

Trail access is a serious issue for communities and the Weaverville Basin Trail Committee has been working to keep access available to trail users while not infringing on landowners’ rights.  The Trail Committee and other trail users are truly grateful to these landowners for providing the community with access to our amazing trail system.

A Day in the District Trinity County RCD hosted their first “DAY IN THE DISTRICT” tour on May 12, 2000.  Led by District and NRCS staff, Assemblyman Dick Dickerson, Trinity County Supervisors Chris Erickson and Ralph Modine, NRCS Assistant State Conservationist Linden Brooks, and several RCD Directors visited restoration projects that were recently completed. Assemblyman Dick Dickerson and others. In addition to highlighting District projects and activities, the tour gave Directors an opportunity to discuss the importance of locally led conservation and the need for base funding with elected officials.  Assemblyman Dickerson and our Supervisors were able to meet with landowners and see first-hand, completed projects on residents’ properties, including cattle exclusion fencing, fire rehabilitation work, emergency watershed protection (EWP), and a forestry incentive program (FIP).  Other stops were made to observe and discuss the Covington Mills fuels management demonstration project, which is located in a rural residential community, and a project with Caltrans involving revegetation along highway 299. Trinity Alps Resort owners Morgan Langon and Margo Gray hosted a buffet luncheon and showed attendees EWP work implemented at the resort by NRCS and Trinity RCD.  A special thanks to landowners Genie Hardt, Ray Petersen, and John Scott for showcasing the work done on their properties. Return to this Issue's Index

South Fork Trinity River Resoration Projects Update

The RCD has also applied for funds to implement road inventory on private lands in the Grouse Creek Watershed with the assistance of the South Fork Trinity River Coordinated Resource Management Planning group (CRMP).

Road Work
Maintenance level work (primarily reducing diversion potential) continues in the Hidden Valley compartment of the South Fork Trinity River Watershed on US Forest Service lands.  Nineteen and a half miles of this work have been approved to date.  A work plan has been submitted for decommissioning 5 roads totaling roughly 3.5 miles for the Upper South Fork watershed and is awaiting finalization of the Environmental Assessment.  Other work approved for this summer includes 1 road decommissioning (1 mile) and 1 road hydroclosure (0.70 miles) in the Smoky/East Fork watersheds.

Problems identified on USFS roads included
this plugged crossing and failed culvert

Fish Passage Enhancement
The RCD is implementing a fish passage enhancement project on Barker Creek on Hwy 3 at the confluence with Hayfork Creek.  This project involves the reconstruction of an existing fish ladder, installing baffles in a box culvert, and building two rock and mortar weirs.  This project will improve fish habitat and improve steelhead passage.  This project is being funded from the California Department of Fish and Game’s SB 271 funds.

Monitoring
TCRCD recently received a grant from Trinity County to perform Turbidity and Suspended Sediment Monitoring in the South Fork Trinity River watershed.  The goals of this project are to develop baseline data that will assist in: (1) Prioritizing restoration actions by identifying watersheds that have disproportionately high sediment yields; (2) Providing monitoring data to evaluate the effectiveness of restoration actions to date in various sub-watersheds; (3) Providing information useful for implementing the TMDL by identifying background and current turbidity levels in portions of the South Fork Trinity River and its tributaries; and (4) Facilitating education and empowerment of watershed residents by organizing a community-based volunteer program for monitoring turbidity.  This information should ultimately assist in reducing the rate of sedimentation into the South Fork Trinity River and tributaries and accelerate the effectiveness of fish and wildlife restoration in the River.

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District Manager's Corner

by Patrick Frost

What better way to teach about streams and the importance they play in Trinity County than to spend a couple of days with 54 enthusiastic students out in the field.  That’s just what we did to kick-off the NFWF streamside education project this spring.  The District was invited to help teach the 6th grade classes of David Newton and Jean Yoho at Weaverville Elementary School during their May trip to Bar 717 Ranch near Hyampom.

Students at the Environmental Camp at Bar 717

It was rewarding to see the excitement in the faces of students when they caught a crayfish; found the nest of a Spotted sandpiper on the beach; watched a Black Phoebe building a nest on the overhanging branch of a sugar pine; or identified the snake they caught near the dining hall as a Racer.

I hope the students had as much fun as I did over at Bar 717.  I know that I am already counting the days until we return this September with new classes.  Who knows what we’ll find with the dip of a net in the stream, or what birds we’ll spy on an early morning hike.

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