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Lassen County officials report reforestation and fuel‑reduction work near Portola and Lake Davis
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Summary
County forestry staff told supervisors they are moving from planning into on‑the‑ground treatments around Portola and Lake Davis, targeting about 3,100 acres and ongoing reforestation (192 acres, ~20,000 trees); per‑acre costs are high now but expected to fall as field work replaces planning.
County forestry staff updated the Board of Supervisors on multiple fuels‑reduction and reforestation projects across eastern Lassen County, saying some contracts have been planning‑heavy and that crews are now working on implementation around Portola and Lake Davis.
“Most of that work so far has been a lot of planning,” the presenter, identified in discussion as Michael, said, and added that a separate National Forest Foundation (NFF) project is “targeting about 3,100 acres around Portola.” He said reforestation is already under way in some areas: “we actually have crews right now doing some reforestation in the Bridal Valley area — 192 acres and about 20,000 trees.”
Michael also addressed costs. He cited an early planning/implementation figure of “about $1,700 per acre,” noting that much of that total to date reflects planning and that per‑acre costs should fall as crews move into field operations: “that cost should go down as we progress.” He gave a rough industry comparison for noncommercial forest treatments in the $600–$1,400 range per acre and said current fuel‑reduction conditions are increasing workloads and biomass volumes per acre.
Supervisors asked where chipped biomass would be hauled; Michael said options include local facilities and, for some material, markets up to roughly 250 miles (he mentioned Oroville as a receiving point). He also said crews had begun work to open access and clear downed trees around Lake Davis after wetter conditions produced heavy limb and tree fall.
Staff announced a public event at Frenchman Lake to mark the site’s anniversary the weekend beginning June 27; Michael said the county’s point of contact for the event is James Burdine and that details would be posted on the county’s Facebook page.
The presentation closed with supervisors thanking staff and noting expectations that per‑acre costs will decline as planned work moves to implementation. The board then moved to the next agenda item.
