Forest hosts Public Meeting and Field Trip to discuss Wishon Project
September 11th, 2014 by Eric Mart
Forest officials on the Western Divide Ranger District are inviting interested parties to attend a public meeting, followed by an optional field trip on Saturday September 27th, 2014 starting at 10:00 a.m. at the Springville Office, 32588 HWY 190, Springville. The Sequoia National Forest, Giant Sequoia National Monument is seeking input on a proposal to reduce fuels and restore a giant sequoia grove in the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the Tule River watershed, otherwise known as the Wishon drainage.
The purpose of the project is to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire to the communities of Doyle Springs, Sequoia Crest, and Alpine Village, while also improving the health and condition of the Alder Creek Grove of giant sequoias. The Alder Creek Grove includes many large specimens of giant sequoia, including the Amos Alonzo Stagg Tree, believed to be the fifth largest giant sequoia tree by trunk volume.
The purpose of the project is to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire to the communities of Doyle Springs, Sequoia Crest, and Alpine Village, while also improving the health and condition of the Alder Creek Grove of giant sequoias. The Alder Creek Grove includes many large specimens of giant sequoia, including the Amos Alonzo Stagg Tree, believed to be the fifth largest giant sequoia tree by trunk volume.
The public meeting will begin in the office, where District staff will provide information on the project area and current conditions, along with some preliminary ideas for the design of the project. Following the office presentation, a field trip to the project area is optional. The roads in the project area are narrow, unpaved, and not recommended for low clearance passenger vehicles. Please plan accordingly if attending the field trip, wear field going attire, and bring your own food and water. No transportation will be provided.
Both the office presentation and the field trip will allow opportunity for the public in attendance to provide comments and recommendations to help identify issues prior to the start of the formal environmental analysis process. The staff of the Western Divide Ranger District is interested in hearing from the public about any concerns and recommendations within the scope and scale of the proposed project. For additional information, please contact District Ranger Rick Stevens at ristevens@fs.fed.us, (559) 539-2607 ext. 72210 or District Planner O’Dell Tucker otucker@fs.fed.us (559) 539-2607 ext. 72213.