This project is a multi-landowner effort and will treat 325 acres of hazardous fuels, on private lands within and around the Town of Fort Jones, which includes ridgeline fuel breaks, main ingress/egress roads, The Town of Fort Jones is located in Scott Valley, Siskiyou County, California and has a population of approx. 700 people, 325 habitable structures and multiple businesses. Key infrastructure includes State Highway 3 (main route into Scott Valley & Fort Jones), residential and business water sources, electrical grid, two schools, City Hall, CAL FIRE Station, U.S. Forest Service Salmon/Scott Ranger Dist., Town of Fort Jones Fire Station, a Siskiyou Telephone sub-station, and U.S. Post Office. This project is a collaborative effort, including the Town of Fort Jones, Fort Jones Fire Dept., Scott Valley Fire Safe Council, Scott Valley Fire Protection District, CAL FIRE, Northern California Resource Center, Scott Valley Coalition of Fire Safe Councils, Scott River Watershed Council, The National Wildfire Institute, and the Klamath National Forest. The Town of Fort Jones and surrounding areas are a high risk, residential, WUI area. The community is made up of high density residential areas and access roads. The roads in and out of these high risk areas are flanked by heavy accumulations of woody fuels. In the event of a wildfire incident, roads would likely be closed to ingress and egress of emergency vehicles and firefighters and for evacuation of residents. Firefighters are also likely to be unable to defend many homes located among the dense fuel load. This project area is rated as Very High by CAL FIRE risk assessments. The dense vegetative types in the project areas are dominated by mixed confer forest with dense ladder fuels. The biggest challenges are the heavy fuel loading, and a lack of substantial fuels modification in the past. This project will treat a total of 325 acres. Fuel treatments will focus on establishment of a 500 ft. wide shaded fuel break along a ridgeline complex on the east side of the Town of Fort Jones and main residential ingress/egress roads within the Town of Fort Jones along the east side of town up to the slope break. This project will provide safer access for emergency responders, home owner evacuations, and anchor points for emergency responders to engage a wildfire. Fuels treatments will be performed by hand crews and slash will be treated by chipping or mastication. In 2022, the Mountain Fire, just to the East of the
Town of Fort Jones, was a wake up call for the need for defensible fuels treatments in and around the Town of Fort Jones, primarily on the east side of town. The North, West, and South sides of town are dominated by green agriculture fields.
The primary goal of this 325 acre coordinated project is “to greatly enhance public safety conditions for residences, infrastructure, responding fire fighters and other emergency services”. The objective is to complete 325 acres of fuels treatments along key community ingress/egress roads and a ridgeline shaded fuel break. The treatment prescription guideline will include the thinning and removal of vegetation less than 10 inch diameter (dbh) to provide approximately 15 – 20 feet spacing between trees. Leave trees will be limbed to a minimum of 8 - 12 feet above the ground as appropriate. Treated fuels slash will be masticated, or chipped. Treatment will include the strategic removal of brush and all ladder fuels and creation of defensible space. Where possible, treatments will include allowances for the improvement of wildlife habitat.