LosPadresForest
Source: Los Padres National Forest
On April 7, Los Padres National Forest announced a plan to protect areas of the Mount Pinos Ranger District that are at risk to overstocking and the devastating impacts from disease and insect infestation. This forest health project was initially shared with the public in late 2019 during an open house and field visit to the project area. In 2006 public collaboration began when the project was listed in the Mount Pinos Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
The Mount Pinos Forest Health Project is located within a federally designated Insect and Disease Treatment Area where declining forest health conditions put the area at risk for substantial tree mortality over the next 15 years. In the 2014 Farm Bill, Congress authorized the U.S. Forest Service to prioritize work in these designated areas, and to expeditiously plan and implement projects to address the risk posed by insect and disease outbreaks.
A primary goal of this project is to reduce tree densities to promote forest resilience to drought, insects and disease. When completed, this area will also provide safe and effective locations from which to perform fire suppression operations. To achieve this goal, professional Forest managers will selectively thin specific areas across 1,682 acres on the eastside shoulder of Mount Pinos between Cuddy and Lockwood Valleys in both Ventura and Kern Counties, California.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/lpnf/home/?cid=FSEPRD855169&width=full
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