MENDOCINO FOREST — The Lake County Board of Supervisors heard a presentation Tuesday regarding the budget, projects and other issues related to the Mendocino National Forest (MNF). Forest Supervisor Tom Contreras delivered the report.
The mission of the Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation”s forest and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. Contreras highlighted priorities for Fiscal Year 2010, which begins in October for MNF, as well as ongoing programs and projects. He said the MNF”s budget for FY 2010 is approximately $20 million not including American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding.
Priorities for the next year include workforce safety and health, developing and planning, ARRA projects, ecological restoration, improvement of facilities, continued operation of the Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) grants program, Northwest Forest Plan, travel management and resource advisory committee.
“Our off-highway grants program receives the largest amount of money than any other national forest and I believe than any other public land in California,” Contreras said. “We receive about $1.3 million for what we consider to be a world class off-highway vehicle program and system here on the Mendocino National Forest.”
Contreras said that the OHV program and the travel management system have been validated and accepted by the public. “The motor vehicle user map is on its second revision, which is the first and only forest in California that is on its second revision. So, we”ve had great cooperation and participation from the public as well as the communities here in acceptance of the system that we have here on the Mendocino National Forest,” he said.
Contreras also highlighted target areas of focus. He said a five year plan is laid out for projecting sales of harvested timber for the next five years. He said in the coming year it the timber program plans to harvest nine to 10 million board feet.
Contreras said within the Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Program the Forest Service plans to improve habitat on about 1,300 acres. “That would be such activities as removing conifers encroaching on oaks stands to help oak thrive and improve habitat for deer, fishers and spotted owls as an example but obviously it”s for all wildlife,” he said.
Contreras said that the agency is implementing an “all lands approach” to improve forest management. “It”s all agencies we have relationships with,” he said. “It”s not just federal agencies but it”s state and county and local as far as this all lands approach: How can we leverage our resources; pull our resources together to not just manage national forest but those lands that may be adjacent to national forest or those lands that may be adjacent to, working with the Department of Agriculture.”
Contreras said that forest vegetation improvements are also planned. He said there are many areas that have been planted and that the Forest Service will be thinning those areas ? about 892 acres – for better access. Fuel reduction activities are planned on about 5,883 acres including about 2,000 acres in the Upper Lake and Covelo areas.
Contreras said that the Forest Service anticipates $275,000 for marijuana eradication activities. He said that 166 illegal sites have been identified and are in need of cleaning up. He said 16 sites will be cleaned with the $275,000.
