BLM Proposes Forest Restoration Actions at Headwaters Forest Reserve
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ARCATA, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comments on a draft amendment to the Headwaters Forest Reserve Management Plan that would allow the agency to further restore second-growth forests within the reserve.
Under the draft preferred alternative, the BLM could thin trees up to 24 inches in diameter, use prescribed fire, and remove thinned material to reduce the accumulation of hazardous fuels. Proposed changes to the Headwaters forest restoration and fire management programs build on recent research done in Headwaters and elsewhere within the redwood region. Changes are proposed to accelerate development of old-growth forest characteristics in areas that were logged prior to the establishment of the reserve in 1999.
“We’re looking to restore natural processes in degraded forests within the reserve,” said BLM Arcata Field Manager Molly Brown. “These proposed changes will make these young forests more resilient to drought and speed their recovery to natural forest conditions.”
A draft environmental assessment detailing the project is available at https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/nepa/nepa_register.do.
A public comment period will run from March 13 through April 14, 2017. Comments can be mailed to the Bureau of Land Management, 1695 Heindon Rd., Arcata, CA, 95521, attention: Headwaters Forest Reserve. Comments can be sent by email to headwaters@blm.gov or sent by fax to (707) 825-2301.
The BLM will host an open house on the draft Tuesday, March 28, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the University of California Cooperative Extension Auditorium, 5630 S. Broadway, Eureka. Participants will have the opportunity to get more information and to leave comments.
The Headwaters Forest Reserve contains 7,472 acres of public land six miles southeast of Eureka. It is set aside to protect and preserve ecological and wildlife values, particularly the stands of old-growth redwood that provide habitat for the threatened marbled murrelet (a seabird), and stream systems that provide habitat for threatened Coho salmon. Headwaters is co-managed by the BLM and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
For more information, contact Chris Heppe at (707) 825-2351 or by email at cheppe@blm.gov.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.