Forest Supervisor outlines fuels targets, Fredonia trail progress and recreation plans
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Summary
Lassen National Forest Supervisor Rick Hobson updated the Board on the agency's chief priorities — safety, fuels and forest-health work — described targets for fuels and timber work, and said the Forest Service will support a 24.5-mile Fredonia trail grant and is preparing public scoping for enhancements to the Gallatin boat ramp.
Rick Hobson, forest supervisor for the Lassen National Forest, told the Board of Supervisors the Forest Service’s top priority is "the safety of our employees and the public" and outlined actions to reduce wildfire risk and expand recreation access.
Hobson said the agency completed several projects last year and has ambitious targets for fiscal year 2026: about 24,000 acres of fuels treatment and roughly 52,000,000 board feet of timber production. He described staffing and seed shortages that limit reforestation (he said reforestation target this year is only 140 acres) and noted the need to triple recent annual acres treated to meet the new fuels goal.
On recreation, Hobson said he will sign a letter of support for a Cerro Nevada Conservancy grant to construct the 24.5-mile Fredonia trail system and that the Forest Service has coordinated with the Desert Conservancy and local staff. He said the Forest Service and county would likely enter a cooperative agreement with the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship organization as the grant applicant and that the county could play a primary role in construction management.
Hobson also described plans for the Gallatin boat ramp: rather than building a separate ramp at Pikes Point, the preferred proposed action at this stage is to dredge and extend the existing Gallatin ramp, with public scoping anticipated around the third week of March. He cautioned scoping and permits are needed and that no construction funds or permits have been secured yet.
Hobson announced a nationwide seasonal hiring announcement is open and the forest was authorized about 40 seasonal positions across districts; the posting closes March 3. He encouraged supervisors to share the vacancy information; hires will determine how many campgrounds the forest can open this summer.
Supervisors asked for more detail on NEPA decisions and planned restoration work for large fire footprints. Hobson said several NEPA decisions (including West Lassen Headwaters and Upper Butte Creek) have been signed and that the Dixie Fire restoration decision is nearing completion, but funding and prioritization remain barriers to wide implementation.
The presentation concluded with a request for county input on priority treatment areas and potential partnerships; Hobson said the Forest Service is seeking to lean more heavily into collaborations with local entities and the California Fire Safe Council to accelerate on-the-ground work.