CSU Chico students urge prescribed burning after finding high 1,000‑hour fuel loads in Middle Park

CSU Chico students presented a semester‑long assessment to the Bidwell Park and Playgrounds Commission on April 27, concluding that a 35‑acre Bridal Park burn unit in Middle Park has dangerously high concentrations of 1,000‑hour fuels and is a strong candidate for prescribed burning once preparatory work is completed.

The students, presenting methods and results from Brown’s transect sampling, said they measured fuels at 33 gridded plots and converted stick counts to tons per acre. “For the 1,000‑hour sound fuel, it’s 26.6 tons per acre,” a student presenter said, and for rotten 1,000‑hour fuels they reported about 14.2 tons per acre—values they noted are substantially higher than comparable pre‑fire measurements elsewhere in the park system.

The team explained ecological benefits of prescribed fire, including reducing wildfire intensity, returning nutrients to soil and aiding native plant regeneration. They also flagged wildlife concerns: students identified and mapped 135 snags and granaries, saying acorn woodpecker granaries should be specifically protected because a single granary can support multiple generations of birds.

Students acknowledged study limitations: counts were estimated along transects and some classifications (sound vs. rotten; risk levels) relied on group judgment. They recommended a phased approach before any burn: remove high‑risk standing dead trees that could carry fire into the canopy, clear poison oak that would produce hazardous smoke, selectively remove concentrated rotten 1,000‑hour fuels and use pile burning where appropriate, and clear fuels around granaries to protect acorn woodpeckers.

Commissioners and staff pressed the presenters about operational details. A commissioner asked whether state or county prescribed‑burn protocols protect wildlife; a student replied officials generally incorporate wildlife protections and that final burn planners would make species‑specific decisions. Staff said past work included goat grazing and California Conservation Corps crews; goats have been used in the area and could be used again to reduce fuels, but more reduction work is likely before any burn would be scheduled, with a tentative timeline pointing to the following year.

Why this matters: the commission’s discussion links ecosystem management with public‑safety concerns. High concentrations of long‑duration fuels increase wildfire intensity risk near city neighborhoods; commissioners repeatedly noted that Middle Park’s proximity to Chico heightens the urgency of careful fuel reduction planning.

The commission did not take formal action on the student report at this meeting; the presentation was accepted, commissioners praised the work and staff indicated the data will inform future planning and additional assessments to ensure wildlife and safety protections.

The Park and Playgrounds Commission continued with its agenda; next steps for the Middle Park findings include additional field assessments and coordination with fire‑management planners before any prescribed‑burn decision.