Deer Trail Fuels Reduction Project

Deer Trail Fuels Reduction Project

Bear Valley Springs is a community of over 4,000 households located about 20 miles west of Tehachapi in a valley adjacent to Bear Mountain. Over 1300 acres of the 25,000 acre community are located within a coniferous forest. Due to the extreme drought conditions and the ensuing western pine bark beetle infestation in this area, up to 85% of the conifers are dead or dying. The long duration of sun exposure coupled with the strong afternoon Tehachapi winds presents a most challenging fire suppression environment. Bear Valley Springs has been identified in the Greater Tehachapi Community Wildfire Protection Plan as one of the communities most at risk. Specifically, the CWPP states the homes located off Deer Trail Drive are at the highest risk within the study area. Deer Trail Drive is the only ingress-egress route for this portion of the community. Dead and dying trees were removed from a number of parcels along Deer Trail in the Fall of 2015 by an LTO under drought morality exemptions. The utility company is currently removing more trees that threaten power lines. There are two projects currently planned for this Spring along Deer Trail Drive. First, a Licensed Timber Operator will harvest and remove dead, dying, and hazardous conifers requiring professional felling and heavy equipment. This work will be done under 1038(k) Drought Mortality Exemptions. Following the timber harvest, hand crews from the Kern County Fire Department will treat the logging slash, brush, and smaller dead and dying hazard trees. This is the 214 acre Deer Trail Fuels Reduction Project. The majority of the slash will be chipped and the chips blown back onto the property. If portions of the project area are not accessible to the chipper or otherwise impractical to chip, piling and burning shall be done instead. Some of the larger pieces may be left on site or removed for firewood.

Kern