FOREST HEALTH

Why is this important?

Healthy forests provide quality habitat for a wide range of fish, wildlife, and plant species; they are the source of our clean water, offer abundant recreation opportunities, and are a source of raw materials for local businesses such as the timber industry.

Much of Tuolumne County is comprised of forested ecosystems, including the oak woodlands in the lower elevations through the pines and the fir at the crest of the Sierra Nevada range. The social and economic health of the county is directly tied to the health of our forests.

A century of fire suppression combined with prolonged drought and associated insect infestations left many forested areas unhealthy and susceptible to wildfire. As the population increases adjacent to and within these forested ecosystems, the threat of wildfire to life and property has become a major public concern.

The local sawmills provide an important source of employment and income, and improve forest health by processing wood products. This reduces the density of overstocked timber stands as does other fuel treatment.

What is the measure?

The indicators are two-fold: the number of acres that are treated to reduce hazardous fuels in our forests and woodlands, and the wildland fires by number and acres.

How are we doing?

The Stanislaus National Forest and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection focus their forest fuel reduction efforts in areas adjoining communities—the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) and the State Responsibility Areas (SRA).

The number of acres treated decreased in the past three years compared to the prior years. The variation can be due to weather, budgets and available personnel.