Forest Service names new supervisor; agency reports limited July fires, reforestation contracts moving forward

The Plumas National Forest will get a new forest supervisor Sept. 8, the Forest Service told the Plumas County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 5. Laura Schweitzer, currently deputy regional forester in the Pacific Northwest, is scheduled to start her post in early September and has prior forestry experience in the region, the agency said. Forest Service staff reported that lightning on July 25 triggered numerous lightning strikes statewide but, in Plumas, precipitation limited impacts. The agency said it tracked two fires on the national forest that were kept under an acre and reported 49 total fires on the forest so far in 2025. On recovery and restoration work, staff reported contracts and solicitations are moving: a solicitation for about 400 acres of site preparation for reforestation is open with awards expected after Aug. 18, and North Canyon reforestation solicitations are due Aug. 18. Planned work areas named in the update included Greenville, Browns Valley and Taylorsville. The North Point Recovery Depot project, signed in early July, is advancing and the Forest Service said implementation work is expected before fiscal year end for the Lights Value project. The agency also reported one large decision (Central West Slope decision) signed July 1 that will lead to substantial implementation work and noted partnership agreements with the National Forest Foundation and The Nature Conservancy to carry out NEPA implementation. A separate East Side NEPA effort in the county’s northeast corner is targeted for signature Aug. 30. Forest leadership noted resources staged in the area — engines and crews from other regions — and asked residents to stay vigilant about wildfire danger as fuels dry. Staff also said volunteers and partners are doing extensive work clearing downed trees on the Pacific Crest Trail and that additional funding for campground bear lockers is expected in the winter; meanwhile the public was reminded to secure food and property from bears in popular recreation areas. Board members asked to follow up outside the meeting if they had detailed questions; staff said the update was intended as an informational report.