Shasta‑Trinity Forest Service reports quick wildfire containment and outlines fuels‑reduction, timber‑sale work in Trinity County

The U.S. Forest Service told the Trinity County Board of Supervisors on Friday that firefighters contained the majority of recent lightning‑caused fires quickly and that multiple fuels‑reduction and timber projects are moving forward this month.

Tara, a Shasta‑Trinity National Forest representative, said between June 30 and Aug. 2 more than 5,000 lightning strikes produced 57 fires on the forest, and crews stopped progress on about 95% of those within 24 hours. Of the 57 fires, 54 were held to 2 acres or less, she said.

Those figures came with an overview of planned and ongoing work intended to reduce hazard trees and improve forest health around campgrounds and high‑use recreation areas. Tara listed four timber sales expected to be advertised or go to bid this month — Lemonade Springs (South Fork Mountain), Jack (near Jackass Springs Campground), Bowerman and another sale described as Hayward — and said manual fuels work has been completed within a portion of the Bowerman project.

The Forest Service also discussed the Trinity Camps planning effort (a NEPA planning document), the Penny John fuels project and restoration work. Tara said the Trendy/Trinity Camps project (the transcript term was "Trendy Camps"; Forest Service materials and local planning refer to this as the Trinity Camps planning effort) targets mortality from insects, disease and drought in multiple campgrounds and that 70 acres of an approximately 2,400‑acre Bowerman project had received manual fuels work. The agency reported roughly 500 acres of fuels reduction work and 12 miles of hazard‑tree mitigation so far this field season.

Tara said the Forest Service expects upcoming public field trips and scoping notices for Big Ranch, North Trinity County community risk reduction, South Fork Mountain and other project areas, and that some NEPA work is being led by local partners including the Watershed Center and the Trinity County RCD. She noted the Crowell Gulch watershed restoration will begin in September and described the project as returning an incised channel to wet‑meadow conditions.

The representative also announced a staffing change: Shasta Lake District Ranger Sarah Acridge will be leaving the Forest Service near the end of August. Tara said a Forest Service staffer named Ben will temporarily lead the unit until a permanent ranger is appointed.

Supervisors thanked the Forest Service for rapid responses to recent fires, and county members said they would share notices of upcoming scoping documents and field trips with the community. The Forest Service pointed the public to its website for NEPA documents and committed to local notification — Tara said she would post the Big Ranch scoping document in the Trinity Journal and share field‑trip dates with county supervisors.

The Forest Service presentation emphasized recreation and public safety concerns: where hazard trees accumulate in campgrounds the agency may close facilities if they cannot provide safe access. Tara described the work as intended to “get ahead” of mortality and protect recreation sites used by county residents and visitors.

The board did not take action on the projects during the presentation; the Forest Service indicated several items will return for public comment and formal NEPA review.

Ending: The Forest Service representative closed by stressing the scale of current planning — more than 15,000 acres of NEPA authorized this year for the Shasta‑Trinity National Forest — and invited supervisors and the public to submit questions through established local channels and the agency website.